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| History | |
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See also: History of the Ryukyu Islands
The oldest evidence of human existence in the Ryukyu islands was discovered in Naha and Yaese.[3] Some human bone fragments from the Paleolithic era were unearthed, but there is no clear evidence of Paleolithic remains. Japanese Jōmon influences are dominant in the Okinawa Islands, although clay vessels in the Sakishima Islands have a commonality with those in Taiwan.
The first mention of the word Ryukyu was written in the Book of Sui. This Ryukyu might refer to Taiwan, not the Ryukyu islands.[citation needed] Okinawa was the Japanese word depicting the islands, first seen in the biography of Jianzhen, written in 779. Agricultural societies begun in the 8th century slowly developed until the 12th century. Since the islands are located in the center of the East China Sea relatively close to Japan, China and South-East Asia, the Ryūkyū Kingdom became a prosperous trading nation. Also during this period, many Gusukus, similar to castles, were constructed. The Ryūkyū Kingdom had a tributary relationship with the Chinese Empire beginning in the 15th century.
In 1609, the Shimazu clan, which controlled the region that is now Kagoshima Prefecture, invaded the Ryūkyū Kingdom. The Ryūkyū Kingdom was obliged to agree to form a tributary relationship with the Satsuma and the Tokugawa shogunate, while maintaining its previous tributary relationship with China; Ryukyuan sovereignty was maintained since complete annexation would have created a conflict with China. The Satsuma clan earned considerable profits from trades with China during a period in which foreign trade was heavily restricted by the shogunate.
A Ryukyuan embassy in Edo.
Though Satsuma maintained strong influence over the islands, the Ryūkyū Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years. Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, the Japanese government, through military incursions, officially annexed the kingdom and renamed it Ryukyu han. At the time, the Qing Dynasty of China asserted sovereignty over the islands of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, since the Ryūkyū Kingdom was also a tributary nation of China. Ryukyu han became Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in 1879, even though all other hans had become prefectures of Japan in 1872. In 1912, Okinawans first obtained the right to vote to send representatives to the national Diet which had been established in 1890.[4]
A quarter of the civilian population died during the Battle of Okinawa.[5] The dead, of all nationalities, are commemorated at the Cornerstone of Peace. After the end of World War II in 1945, Okinawa was under United States administration for 27 years. During the trusteeship rule the United States Air Force established numerous military bases on the Ryukyu islands. During the Korean War, B-29 Superfortresses flew bombing missions from Kadena AFB over Korea and China.
In 1972, the U.S. government returned the islands to Japanese administration. Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, the United States Forces Japan (USFJ) have maintained a large military presence. 27,000 personnel, including 15,000 Marines, contingents from the Navy, Army and Air Force, and their 22,000 family members are stationed in Okinawa.[6] Since 1960, the U.S. and Japan have maintained an agreement that allows the U.S. to secretly bring nuclear weapons into Japanese ports, and there is speculation (see below) that some nuclear weapons may be located in Okinawa. Both tactical and strategic weapons have been maintained in Okinawa.[7] U.S. military bases occupied 18% of the main island and 75% of all USFJ bases are located in Okinawa prefecture.[8]
Reports by the local media of accidents and crimes committed by U.S. servicemen have reduced the local population's support for the U.S. military bases. The media has also thereby drawn new interest in the Ryukyu independence movement that developed after 1945. The rape of a 12-year-old girl by U.S. servicemen in 1995 triggered large protests in Okinawa. Partially as a result but also to deploy USFJ more efficiently, the U.S. and Japanese governments agreed in 2006 to the relocation of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and other minor bases. A new Japanese government that came to power in 2009 froze the relocation plan, but in April 2010 indicated their interest in resolving the issue by proposing a modified plan.[9]
[edit] Tags:Japan,Region,Island,Prefectures,History Of The Ryukyu Islands,Paleolithic,Jōmon,Sakishima Islands,Taiwan,Book Of Sui,Jianzhen,East China Sea,Ryūkyū Kingdom,Gusukus,Tributary Relationship,Chinese Empire,Shimazu Clan,Kagoshima Prefecture,Satsuma,Tokugawa Shogunate,Embassy,Edo,Meiji Restoration,Han,United States Administration,Korean War,B-29 Superfortresses,Korea,Treaty Of Mutual Cooperation And Security,Ryukyu Independence Movement,Marine Corps Air Station Futenma,Ryukyu Islands, | |
| Major islands | |
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The islands of Okinawa Prefecture.
The set of islands belonging to the prefecture is the Ryūkyū Islands (琉球諸島, Ryūkyū-shotō?). Okinawa's inhabited islands are typically divided into three geographical archipelagos. From northeast to southwest:
Okinawa Islands (沖縄諸島, Okinawa Shotō?)
Ie-jima
Kume
Okinawa Island
Kerama Islands
Miyako Islands
Miyako-jima
Yaeyama Islands
Iriomote
Ishigaki
Yonaguni
Senkaku Islands[10]
[edit] Tags:Senkaku Islands,Ie-jima,Kume,Kerama Islands,Miyako Islands,Miyako-jima,Yaeyama Islands,Iriomote,Ishigaki,Yonaguni, | |
| Cities | |
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Map of Okinawa Prefecture.
Okinawa Prefecture includes eleven cities. Okinawan names are in parentheses.
Ginowan (Jinoon)
Ishigaki (Ishigachi)
Itoman (Ichuman)
Miyakojima (Naaku)
Nago (Nagu)
Naha (Naafa) (capital)
Nanjō (Nanjoo)
Okinawa (Uchinaa) (formerly Koza)
Tomigusuku (Timigushiku)
Urasoe (Urashii)
Uruma (Uruma)
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| Towns and villages | |
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These are the towns and villages in each district.
Kunigami District (Kunjan)
Ginoza (Jinuja)
Higashi (Agarijima)
Ie (Iijima)
Kin (Chin)
Kunigami (Kunjan)
Motobu (Mutubu)
Nakijin (Nachijin)
Onna (Unna)
Ōgimi (Ujimi)
Miyako District (Naaku)
Tarama (Tarama)
Nakagami District (Nakajan)
Chatan (Chatan)
Kadena (Kadina)
Kitanakagusuku
Nakagusuku (Nakagushiku)
Nishihara (Nishibaru)
Yomitan (Yuntan)
Shimajiri District (Shimajiri)
Aguni (Aguni)
Haebaru (Feebaru)
Iheya (Ihyaa)
Izena (Ijina)
Kitadaitō (Ufuagarijima)
Kumejima (Kumijima)
Minamidaitō
Tokashiki (Tukashichi)
Tonaki (Tunachi)
Yaese
Yonabaru (Yunabaru)
Zamami (Jamami)
Yaeyama District (Eema)
Taketomi (Dakidun)
Yonaguni (Yunaguni)
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| Natural Parks | |
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As of 31 March 2008, 19% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park; Okinawa Kaigan and Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Parks; and Irabu, Kumejima, and Tonaki Prefectural Natural Parks.[11]
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| Fauna | |
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Iriomote is home to one of the world's rarest and most endangered cat species, the Iriomote Cat. The region is also home to at least one endemic pit viper, Trimeresurus elegans. Coral reefs found in this region of Japan provide an environment for a diverse marine fauna. The sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding poisonous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures.
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| Flora | |
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Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane, pineapple, papaya, and other tropical fruit, and the Southeast Botanical Gardens represent tropical plant species.
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| Geology | |
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Gusuku ruins.
Shuri Castle Naha
The island is largely composed of coral, and rainwater filtering through that coral has given the island many caves, which played an important role in the Battle of Okinawa. Gyokusendo[12] is an extensive limestone cave in the southern part of Okinawa's main island.
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| Climate | |
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The island experiences temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for most of the year. Okinawa and the many islands that make up the prefecture contains some of the most abundant coral reefs found in the world.[citation needed] Rare blue corals are found off of Ishigaki and Miyako islands as are numerous species throughout the chain.[citation needed]
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| Demography | |
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Okinawa prefecture age pyramid as of October 1, 2003
(per thousands of people)
Age
People
0–4
84
5–9
85
10–14
87
15–19
94
20–24
91
25–29
97
30–34
99
35–39
87
40–44
91
45–49
96
50–54
100
55–59
64
60–64
65
65–69
66
70–74
53
75–79
37
80 +
55
Okinawa Prefecture age pyramid, divided by sex, as of October 1, 2003
(per thousands of people)
Males
Age
Females
43
0–4
41
44
5–9
41
45
10–14
42
48
15–19
46
46
20–24
45
49
25–29
48
49
30–34
50
43
35–39
44
46
40–44
45
49
45–49
47
52
50–54
48
32
55–59
32
32
60–64
33
32
65–69
34
24
70–74
29
14
75–79
23
17
80 +
38
Source: Jinsui, Japan: Statistics Bureau (総務省 統計局), 2003, http://www.stat.go.jp/data/jinsui/2003np/ .
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| Language and culture | |
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2006)
See also: Okinawan cuisine
Shisa on a traditional tile roof.
Awamori pots.
Having historically been a separate nation until 1879, Okinawan language and culture differ in many ways from that of mainland Japan.
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| Language | |
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Main article: Okinawan language
There remain numerous Ryukyuan languages which are more-or-less incomprehensible to Japanese speakers. These languages are in decline as Standard Japanese is being used by the younger generation. Many linguists, at least those outside Japan, consider Ryukyuan languages as different languages from Japanese, while they are generally perceived as "dialects" by mainland Japanese and Okinawans themselves. Standard Japanese is almost always used in formal situations. In informal situations, de facto everyday language among Okinawans under age 60 is Okinawa-accented mainland Japanese called ウチナーヤマトグチ (Uchinaa Yamatoguchi "Okinawan Japanese"), which is often misunderstood as Okinawan language proper, ウチナーグチ (Uchinaaguchi "Okinawan language"). Uchinaaguchi is still used in traditional cultural activities, such as folk music, or folk dance. There is a radio news program in the language as well. [8]
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| Religion | |
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Okinawans have traditionally followed Ryukyuan religious beliefs, generally characterized by ancestor worship and the respecting of relationships between the living, the dead, and the gods and spirits of the natural world.
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| Cultural influences | |
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Okinawan culture bears traces of its various trading partners. One can find Chinese, Thai and Austronesian influences in the island's customs. Perhaps Okinawa's most famous cultural export is karate, probably a product of the close ties with and influence of China on Okinawan culture. Karate is thought to be a synthesis of Chinese kung fu with traditional Okinawan martial arts. A ban on weapons in Okinawa for two long periods after the invasion and forced annexation by Japan during the Meiji Restoration period also very likely contributed to its development.
Another traditional Okinawan product that owes its existence to Okinawa's trading history is awamori—an Okinawan distilled spirit made from indica rice imported from Thailand.
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| Other cultural characteristics | |
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Other prominent examples of Okinawan culture include the sanshin—a three-stringed Okinawan instrument, closely related to the Chinese sanxian, and ancestor of the Japanese shamisen, somewhat similar to a banjo. Its body is often bound with snakeskin (from pythons, imported from elsewhere in Asia, rather than from Okinawa's venomous Trimeresurus flavoviridis, which are too small for this purpose). Okinawan culture also features the eisa dance, a traditional drumming dance. A traditional craft, the fabric named bingata, is made in workshops on the main island and elsewhere.
The Okinawan diet consist of low-fat, low-salt foods, such as fish, tofu, and seaweed. Okinawans are known for their longevity. Individuals live longer on this Japanese island than anywhere in the world. Five times as many Okinawans live to be 100 as in the rest of Japan, and the Japanese are the longest-lived nationality in the world.[13] There are 34.7 centenarians for every 100,000 inhabitants, being the highest ratio in the world.[14] The possible explanations to this fact is the diet, low-stress lifestyle, caring community, activity, and spirituality of the inhabitants of the island.[14]
In recent years, Okinawan literature has been appreciated outside of the Ryūkyū archipelago. Two Okinawan writers have received the Akutagawa Prize: Matayoshi Eiki in 1995 for The Pig's Retribution (豚の報い, Buta no mukui?) and Medoruma Shun in 1997 for A Drop of Water (Suiteki). The prize was also won by Okinawans in 1967 by Tatsuhiro Oshiro for Cocktail Party (Kakuteru Pāti) and in 1971 by Mineo Higashi for Okinawan Boy (Okinawa no Shōnen).[15][16]
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| Karate | |
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Main article: Karate
Karate originated in Okinawa. Over time, it developed into several styles and sub-styles, among them Wado Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Uechi Ryu, Goju Ryu, Shotokan, Gohaku-Kai, Isshin-Ryu, Shito-Ryu, Shorinji Ryu, Shuri-ryū, and Pangai-noon.
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| Architecture | |
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A traditional Okinawan house
Okinawa has many remains of a unique type of castle or fortress called Gusuku. These are believed to be the predecessors of Japan's castles.[17]
Whereas most homes in Japan are made with wood and allow free-flow of air to combat humidity, typical modern homes in Okinawa are made from concrete with barred windows (protection from flying plant matter) to deal with regular typhoons. Roofs are also designed with strong winds in mind, with each tile cemented on and not merely layered as seen with many homes elsewhere in Japan.
Many roofs also display a statue resembling a lion or dragon, called a shisa, which is said to protect the home from danger. Roofs are typically red in color and are inspired by Chinese design.[17]
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| Okinawa during the Vietnam War | |
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Between 1965 and 1972, Okinawa was a key staging point for the United States, in its military operations directed towards North Vietnam. Okinawa, along with Guam, also presented the United States military a geographically strategic launch pad for covert bombing missions over Cambodia and Laos.[18] Anti-Vietnam War sentiment became linked politically to the movement for reversion of Okinawa to Japan. Political leaders such as Oda Makoto, a major figure in the Beheiren movement (Foundation of Citizens for Peace in Vietnam), believed that the return of Okinawa to Japan would lead to the removal of U.S forces ending Japan's involvement in Vietnam.[19] In a speech delivered in 1967 Oda was critical of Prime Minister Sato’s unilateral support of America’s War in Vietnam claiming "Realistically we are all guilty of complicity in the Vietnam War".[19]
In 1965, the United States military bases, earlier viewed as paternal post war protection, were increasingly seen as aggressive. The military build up on the island during the Cold War increased a division between local inhabitants and the American military. The Vietnam War highlighted the differences between the United States and Okinawa, but showed a commonality between the islands and mainland Japan.[20]
The United States military bases on Okinawa became a focal point for anti-Vietnam War sentiment. By 1969, over 50,000 American military personnel were stationed on Okinawa,[21] accustomed to privileges and laws not shared by the indigenous population. The United States Department of Defense began referring to Okinawa as "The Keystone of the Pacific". This idea was even stated on U.S military license plates.[22]
As controversy grew regarding the alleged placement of nuclear weapons on Okinawa, fears intensified on the possible escalation of the Vietnam War. Okinawa was then perceived, by some inside Japan, as a potential target for China, should the communist government feel threatened by the United States.[23] American military secrecy blocked any local reporting on what was actually occurring at such bases as Kadena Air Base. But as information leaked out, and images of air strikes were published, the local population began to fear the potential for retaliation.[24]
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