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id="toc-Island_subgroups" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Island_subgroups"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Island subgroups</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Island_subgroups-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Climate" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Climate"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Climate</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Climate-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Names_and_extents" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Names_and_extents"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Names and extents</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Names_and_extents-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Names and extents subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Names_and_extents-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Nansei_Islands" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nansei_Islands"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Nansei Islands</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nansei_Islands-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ryukyu" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ryukyu"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Ryukyu</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ryukyu-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Historical_usage" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Historical_usage"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1</span> <span>Historical usage</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Historical_usage-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Okinawa" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Okinawa"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Okinawa</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Okinawa-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Southern_Islands" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Southern_Islands"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>Southern Islands</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Southern_Islands-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-History" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>History</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-History-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle History subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-History-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Eastern_Islands_of_Liuqiu" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Eastern_Islands_of_Liuqiu"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Eastern Islands of Liuqiu</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Eastern_Islands_of_Liuqiu-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ancient_Japan's_Southern_Islands" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ancient_Japan's_Southern_Islands"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Ancient Japan's Southern Islands</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ancient_Japan's_Southern_Islands-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Kikaigashima_and_Iōgashima" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kikaigashima_and_Iōgashima"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Kikaigashima and Iōgashima</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kikaigashima_and_Iōgashima-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shimazu_Estate_and_Kamakura_shogunate's_expansion" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shimazu_Estate_and_Kamakura_shogunate's_expansion"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4</span> <span>Shimazu Estate and Kamakura shogunate's expansion</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shimazu_Estate_and_Kamakura_shogunate's_expansion-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Tanegashima_under_the_Tanegashima_clan" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Tanegashima_under_the_Tanegashima_clan"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.5</span> <span>Tanegashima under the Tanegashima clan</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Tanegashima_under_the_Tanegashima_clan-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Amami_and_Tokara_Islands" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Amami_and_Tokara_Islands"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.6</span> <span>Amami and Tokara Islands</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Amami_and_Tokara_Islands-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Okinawa_Islands" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Okinawa_Islands"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.7</span> <span>Okinawa Islands</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Okinawa_Islands-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Historical_description_of_the_"Loo-Choo"_islands" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Historical_description_of_the_"Loo-Choo"_islands"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.7.1</span> <span>Historical description of the "<i>Loo-Choo</i>" islands</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Historical_description_of_the_"Loo-Choo"_islands-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Population" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Population"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Population</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Population-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Population subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Population-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Ryukyuan_native_people" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ryukyuan_native_people"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Ryukyuan native people</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ryukyuan_native_people-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Religion" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Religion"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>Religion</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Religion-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ecology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ecology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Ecology</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Ecology-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Ecology subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Ecology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Biogeographic_boundaries" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Biogeographic_boundaries"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Biogeographic boundaries</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Biogeographic_boundaries-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Yakushima" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Yakushima"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Yakushima</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Yakushima-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Amami,_Okinawa,_Miyako,_and_Yaeyama" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Amami,_Okinawa,_Miyako,_and_Yaeyama"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.3</span> <span>Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Amami,_Okinawa,_Miyako,_and_Yaeyama-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-References-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle References subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Citations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Citations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.1</span> <span>Citations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Citations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sources" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sources"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2</span> <span>Sources</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sources-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryukyu Islands</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 72 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-72" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">72 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu-eilande" title="Ryukyu-eilande – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Ryukyu-eilande" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ang mw-list-item"><a href="https://ang.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riuciu_%C4%AAega" title="Riuciu Īega – Old English" lang="ang" hreflang="ang" data-title="Riuciu Īega" data-language-autonym="Ænglisc" data-language-local-name="Old English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ænglisc</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%B1_%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%88" title="جزر ريوكيو – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="جزر ريوكيو" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansey_adalar%C4%B1" title="Nansey adaları – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Nansey adaları" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-min-nan mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%BB-ki%C3%BB_K%C3%BBn-t%C3%B3" title="Liû-kiû Kûn-tó – Minnan" lang="nan" hreflang="nan" data-title="Liû-kiû Kûn-tó" data-language-autonym="閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú" data-language-local-name="Minnan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%8E" title="Рукю – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Рукю" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be-x-old mw-list-item"><a href="https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%E2%80%99%D1%8E%D0%BA%D1%8E" title="Р’юкю – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" lang="be-tarask" hreflang="be-tarask" data-title="Р’юкю" data-language-autonym="Беларуская (тарашкевіца)" data-language-local-name="Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская (тарашкевіца)</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%8E%D0%BA%D1%8E" title="Рюкю – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Рюкю" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bs mw-list-item"><a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Ryūkyū – Bosnian" lang="bs" hreflang="bs" data-title="Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Bosanski" data-language-local-name="Bosnian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bosanski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-br mw-list-item"><a href="https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inizi_Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Inizi Ryūkyū – Breton" lang="br" hreflang="br" data-title="Inizi Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Brezhoneg" data-language-local-name="Breton" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Brezhoneg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bxr mw-list-item"><a href="https://bxr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D1%8E%D1%83%D1%87%D1%8E%D1%83_%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3" title="Люучюу олтирог – Russia Buriat" lang="bxr" hreflang="bxr" data-title="Люучюу олтирог" data-language-autonym="Буряад" data-language-local-name="Russia Buriat" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Буряад</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illes_Nansei" title="Illes Nansei – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Illes Nansei" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rj%C3%BAkj%C3%BA" title="Rjúkjú – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Rjúkjú" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sn mw-list-item"><a href="https://sn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvitsuwa_zve_Ryukyu" title="Zvitsuwa zve Ryukyu – Shona" lang="sn" hreflang="sn" data-title="Zvitsuwa zve Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="ChiShona" data-language-local-name="Shona" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ChiShona</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cy mw-list-item"><a href="https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ynysoedd_Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Ynysoedd Ryūkyū – Welsh" lang="cy" hreflang="cy" data-title="Ynysoedd Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Cymraeg" data-language-local-name="Welsh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Cymraeg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu%C3%B8erne" title="Ryukyuøerne – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Ryukyuøerne" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansei-Inseln" title="Nansei-Inseln – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Nansei-Inseln" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansei_saared" title="Nansei saared – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Nansei saared" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islas_Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Islas Ryūkyū – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Islas Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rjukju-insularo" title="Rjukju-insularo – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Rjukju-insularo" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu_uharteak" title="Ryukyu uharteak – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Ryukyu uharteak" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1_%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%88%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%88" title="جزایر ریوکیو – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="جزایر ریوکیو" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipel_Nansei" title="Archipel Nansei – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Archipel Nansei" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fy mw-list-item"><a href="https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rj%C3%BBkj%C3%BB-eilannen" title="Rjûkjû-eilannen – Western Frisian" lang="fy" hreflang="fy" data-title="Rjûkjû-eilannen" data-language-autonym="Frysk" data-language-local-name="Western Frisian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Frysk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hak mw-list-item"><a href="https://hak.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li%C3%B9-khi%C3%B9_Khi%C3%B9n-t%C3%B3" title="Liù-khiù Khiùn-tó – Hakka Chinese" lang="hak" hreflang="hak" data-title="Liù-khiù Khiùn-tó" data-language-autonym="客家語 / Hak-kâ-ngî" data-language-local-name="Hakka Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>客家語 / Hak-kâ-ngî</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%82%9C%EC%84%B8%EC%9D%B4_%EC%A0%9C%EB%8F%84" title="난세이 제도 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="난세이 제도" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-haw mw-list-item"><a href="https://haw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokupuni_o_Liu_Kiu" title="Mokupuni o Liu Kiu – Hawaiian" lang="haw" hreflang="haw" data-title="Mokupuni o Liu Kiu" data-language-autonym="Hawaiʻi" data-language-local-name="Hawaiian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hawaiʻi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%8C%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%AF%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82" title="Ռյուկյու – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Ռյուկյու" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%81_%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%B9" title="रयुक्यु द्वीपसमूह – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="रयुक्यु द्वीपसमूह" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ilo mw-list-item"><a href="https://ilo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is-isla_ti_Ryukyu" title="Is-isla ti Ryukyu – Iloko" lang="ilo" hreflang="ilo" data-title="Is-isla ti Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Ilokano" data-language-local-name="Iloko" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ilokano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepulauan_Ryukyu" title="Kepulauan Ryukyu – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Kepulauan Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu-eyjar" title="Ryukyu-eyjar – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Ryukyu-eyjar" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Ryūkyū – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%99_%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%95" title="איי ריוקיו – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="איי ריוקיו" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pam mw-list-item"><a href="https://pam.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB_Islands" title="Ryūkyū Islands – Pampanga" lang="pam" hreflang="pam" data-title="Ryūkyū Islands" data-language-autonym="Kapampangan" data-language-local-name="Pampanga" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kapampangan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ka mw-list-item"><a href="https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98%E1%83%A3%E1%83%99%E1%83%98%E1%83%A3" title="რიუკიუ – Georgian" lang="ka" hreflang="ka" data-title="რიუკიუ" data-language-autonym="ქართული" data-language-local-name="Georgian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ქართული</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ky mw-list-item"><a href="https://ky.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%8E%D0%BA%D1%8E" title="Рюкю – Kyrgyz" lang="ky" hreflang="ky" data-title="Рюкю" data-language-autonym="Кыргызча" data-language-local-name="Kyrgyz" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Кыргызча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansei_salas" title="Nansei salas – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Nansei salas" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riukiu_salos" title="Riukiu salos – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Riukiu salos" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rj%C3%BAkj%C3%BA-szigetek" title="Rjúkjú-szigetek – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Rjúkjú-szigetek" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepulauan_Ryukyu" title="Kepulauan Ryukyu – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Kepulauan Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riukiu-eilanden" title="Riukiu-eilanden – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Riukiu-eilanden" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%97%E8%A5%BF%E8%AB%B8%E5%B3%B6" title="南西諸島 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="南西諸島" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-frr mw-list-item"><a href="https://frr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nansei_Eilunen" title="Nansei Eilunen – Northern Frisian" lang="frr" hreflang="frr" data-title="Nansei Eilunen" data-language-autonym="Nordfriisk" data-language-local-name="Northern Frisian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nordfriisk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu%C3%B8yene" title="Ryukyuøyene – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Ryukyuøyene" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu%C3%B8yene" title="Ryukyuøyene – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Ryukyuøyene" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu" title="Ryukyu – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pnb mw-list-item"><a href="https://pnb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%88%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%88_%D8%AC%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%92" title="ریوکیو جزیرے – Western Punjabi" lang="pnb" hreflang="pnb" data-title="ریوکیو جزیرے" data-language-autonym="پنجابی" data-language-local-name="Western Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پنجابی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riukiu" title="Riukiu – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Riukiu" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilhas_Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Ilhas Ryūkyū – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Ilhas Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%8D%D0%B9" title="Нансэй – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Нансэй" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sco mw-list-item"><a href="https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu_Isles" title="Ryukyu Isles – Scots" lang="sco" hreflang="sco" data-title="Ryukyu Isles" data-language-autonym="Scots" data-language-local-name="Scots" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Scots</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishujt_Ryukyu" title="Ishujt Ryukyu – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Ishujt Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB_Islands" title="Ryūkyū Islands – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Ryūkyū Islands" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rj%C3%BAkju" title="Rjúkju – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Rjúkju" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oto%C4%8Dje_Rjukju" title="Otočje Rjukju – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Otočje Rjukju" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb mw-list-item"><a href="https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%88%D8%B1%DA%AF%DB%95%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C_%DA%95%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%88%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%88" title="دوورگەکانی ڕیووکیوو – Central Kurdish" lang="ckb" hreflang="ckb" data-title="دوورگەکانی ڕیووکیوو" data-language-autonym="کوردی" data-language-local-name="Central Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>کوردی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%98%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%98%D1%83" title="Рјукју – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Рјукју" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB" title="Ryūkyū – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Ryūkyū" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riukiusaaret" title="Riukiusaaret – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Riukiusaaret" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu%C3%B6arna" title="Ryukyuöarna – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Ryukyuöarna" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tl mw-list-item"><a href="https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapuluan_ng_Ryukyu" title="Kapuluan ng Ryukyu – Tagalog" lang="tl" hreflang="tl" data-title="Kapuluan ng Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Tagalog" data-language-local-name="Tagalog" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tagalog</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%82%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%82_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D" title="இரியூக்கியூ தீவுகள் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="இரியூக்கியூ தீவுகள்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tt mw-list-item"><a href="https://tt.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D2%AF%D0%BA%D2%AF_%D1%83%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B" title="Рүкү утраулары – Tatar" lang="tt" hreflang="tt" data-title="Рүкү утраулары" data-language-autonym="Татарча / tatarça" data-language-local-name="Tatar" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Татарча / tatarça</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%88%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A7" title="หมู่เกาะรีวกีว – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="หมู่เกาะรีวกีว" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu_Adalar%C4%B1" title="Ryukyu Adaları – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Ryukyu Adaları" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%8E%D0%BA%D1%8E_(%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8)" title="Рюкю (острови) – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Рюкю (острови)" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1_%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%88%DA%A9%DB%8C%D9%88" title="جزائر ریوکیو – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="جزائر ریوکیو" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu%E1%BA%A7n_%C4%91%E1%BA%A3o_Nansei" title="Quần đảo Nansei – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Quần đảo Nansei" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-war mw-list-item"><a href="https://war.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapuropod-an_Ryukyu" title="Kapuropod-an Ryukyu – Waray" lang="war" hreflang="war" data-title="Kapuropod-an Ryukyu" data-language-autonym="Winaray" data-language-local-name="Waray" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Winaray</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wuu mw-list-item"><a href="https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%89%E7%90%83%E7%BE%A4%E5%B2%9B" title="琉球群岛 – Wu" lang="wuu" hreflang="wuu" data-title="琉球群岛" data-language-autonym="吴语" data-language-local-name="Wu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>吴语</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%90%89%E7%90%83%E7%BE%A4%E5%B2%9B" title="琉球群岛 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="琉球群岛" data-language-autonym="中文" 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id="mw-indicator-coordinates" class="mw-indicator"><div class="mw-parser-output"><span id="coordinates"><a href="/wiki/Geographic_coordinate_system" title="Geographic coordinate system">Coordinates</a>: <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1156832818">.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}</style><span class="plainlinks nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Ryukyu_Islands&params=26.5_N_127.9_E_type:isle_region:JP-46"><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">26°30′N</span> <span class="longitude">127°54′E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">26.5°N 127.9°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">26.5; 127.9</span></span></span></a></span></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Japanese island chain</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Ryukyu" redirects here. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Ryukyu (disambiguation)">Ryukyu (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Southwest Islands" redirects here. For the Palauan region, see <a href="/wiki/Southwest_Islands_(Palau)" title="Southwest Islands (Palau)">Southwest Islands (Palau)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129712854">.mw-parser-output .ib-islands-title-embed{background-color:#efefef;font-weight:bold;padding:0.3em 0}.mw-parser-output .ib-islands-nick,.mw-parser-output .ib-islands-native{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .ib-islands-native>div{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .ib-islands .infobox-header{background-color:#efefef}.mw-parser-output .ib-islands-country{border-top:1px solid black;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .ib-islands-country2{font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .ib-islands .infobox-below{text-align:left;border-top:#aaa 1px solid}</style><table class="infobox ib-islands vcard"><caption class="infobox-title fn org">Ryukyu Islands</caption><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above"><div class="nickname"><a href="/wiki/Okinawan_language" title="Okinawan language">Okinawan language</a>:<br /><span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ruuchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1163242311">.mw-parser-output .templateruby>rt{font-variant-east-asian:ruby;font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .templateruby.large{font-size:250%}.mw-parser-output .templateruby.large>rt{font-size:50%}</style><ruby lang="ja">琉球<rp>（</rp><rt>ルーチュー</rt><rp>）</rp></ruby></span></span>)</span><br /><a href="/wiki/Japanese_language" title="Japanese language">Japanese language</a>:<br /><span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Nansei-shotō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">南西諸島</span></span>, <span style="font-size:70%;">Southwest Islands</span>)</span><br /><span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū-rettō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球列島</span></span>, <span style="font-size:70%;">Ryukyu Islands</span>)</span><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Location of the Ryukyu Islands" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG/250px-Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG" decoding="async" width="250" height="229" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG/375px-Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG/500px-Location_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands.JPG 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="733" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Location of Ryukyu Islands</div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><a class="mw-kartographer-map notheme mw-kartographer-container center" style="width: 250px; height: 200px;" data-mw-kartographer="mapframe" data-style="osm-intl" data-width="250" data-height="200" data-zoom="7" data-overlays="["_654e7bad351f1100ea4b7b6e8af2215e5465a66e"]"><img src="https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,7,a,a,250x200.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=Ryukyu_Islands&revid=1274500306&groups=_654e7bad351f1100ea4b7b6e8af2215e5465a66e" width="250" height="200" decoding="async" srcset="https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,7,a,a,250x200@2x.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=Ryukyu_Islands&revid=1274500306&groups=_654e7bad351f1100ea4b7b6e8af2215e5465a66e 2x" alt="Map" /></a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Geography</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Location</th><td class="infobox-data">On the boundary between the <a href="/wiki/East_China_Sea" title="East China Sea">East China Sea</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Philippine_Sea" title="Philippine Sea">Philippine Sea</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Coordinates</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="geo-inline"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1156832818">.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}</style><span class="plainlinks nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Ryukyu_Islands&params=26.5_N_127.9_E_type:isle_region:JP-46"><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">26°30′N</span> <span class="longitude">127°54′E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">26.5°N 127.9°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">26.5; 127.9</span></span></span></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Total islands</th><td class="infobox-data">100+</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Major islands</th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><div class="plainlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Amami_%C5%8Cshima" title="Amami Ōshima">Amami Ōshima</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Island" title="Okinawa Island">Okinawa Island</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Area</th><td class="infobox-data">4,642.11 km<sup>2</sup> (1,792.33 sq mi)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Highest elevation</th><td class="infobox-data">1,936 m (6352 ft)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Highest point</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Mount_Miyanoura" title="Mount Miyanoura">Mount Miyanoura</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Administration</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><div><b><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/23px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/35px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/45px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a></b></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/Prefectures_of_Japan" title="Prefectures of Japan">Prefecture</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1126788409"><div class="plainlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kagoshima_Prefecture" title="Kagoshima Prefecture">Kagoshima Prefecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa Prefecture</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Demographics</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Demonym</th><td class="infobox-data">Ryukyuan</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Population</th><td class="infobox-data">1,550,161 (2005)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Pop. density</th><td class="infobox-data">333.93/km<sup>2</sup> (864.87/sq mi)</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Ethnic groups</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Ryukyuans" title="Ryukyuans">Ryukyuans</a>, <a href="/wiki/Japanese_people" title="Japanese people">Japanese</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>Ryukyu Islands</b><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>note 1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球列島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū-rettō</i></span>)</span>, also known as the <b>Nansei Islands</b><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">南西諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Nansei-shotō</i></span>, lit. "Southwest Islands")</span> or the <b>Ryukyu Arc</b><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球弧</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū-ko</i></span>)</span>, are a chain of <a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japanese</a> islands that stretch southwest from <a href="/wiki/Kyushu" title="Kyushu">Kyushu</a> to <a href="/wiki/Geography_of_Taiwan" title="Geography of Taiwan">Taiwan</a>: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the <a href="/wiki/Satsunan_Islands" title="Satsunan Islands">Satsunan Islands</a> (<a href="/wiki/%C5%8Csumi_Islands" title="Ōsumi Islands">Ōsumi</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tokara_Islands" title="Tokara Islands">Tokara</a> and <a href="/wiki/Amami_Islands" title="Amami Islands">Amami</a>) and <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa Prefecture</a> (<a href="/wiki/Dait%C5%8D_Islands" title="Daitō Islands">Daitō</a>, <a href="/wiki/Miyako_Islands" title="Miyako Islands">Miyako</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yaeyama_Islands" title="Yaeyama Islands">Yaeyama</a>, <a href="/wiki/Senkaku_Islands" title="Senkaku Islands">Senkaku</a>, <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Islands" title="Okinawa Islands">Okinawa</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sakishima_Islands" title="Sakishima Islands">Sakishima Islands</a> (further divided into the <a href="/wiki/Miyako_Islands" title="Miyako Islands">Miyako</a> and <a href="/wiki/Yaeyama_Islands" title="Yaeyama Islands">Yaeyama Islands</a>), and <a href="/wiki/Yonaguni" title="Yonaguni">Yonaguni</a> as the westernmost). The larger ones are mostly <a href="/wiki/Volcanic_island" title="Volcanic island">volcanic islands</a> and the smaller mostly <a href="/wiki/Coral_island" title="Coral island">coral</a>. The largest is <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Island" title="Okinawa Island">Okinawa Island</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The climate of the islands ranges from <a href="/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate" title="Humid subtropical climate">humid subtropical climate</a> (<a href="/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification" title="Köppen climate classification">Köppen climate classification</a> <i>Cfa</i>) in the north to <a href="/wiki/Tropical_rainforest_climate" title="Tropical rainforest climate">tropical rainforest climate</a> (Köppen climate classification <i>Af</i>) in the south.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Precipitation" title="Precipitation">Precipitation</a> is very high and is affected by the rainy season and <a href="/wiki/Typhoon" title="Typhoon">typhoons</a>. Except the outlying <a href="/wiki/Dait%C5%8D_Islands" title="Daitō Islands">Daitō Islands</a>, the island chain has two major geologic boundaries, the Tokara Strait (between the Tokara and Amami Islands) and the <a href="/wiki/Kerama_Gap" class="mw-redirect" title="Kerama Gap">Kerama Gap</a> (between the Okinawa and <a href="/wiki/Miyako_Islands" title="Miyako Islands">Miyako Islands</a>). The islands beyond the Tokara Strait are characterized by their <a href="/wiki/Coral_reef" title="Coral reef">coral reefs</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The Ōsumi and Tokara Islands, the northernmost of the islands, fall under the cultural sphere of the Kyushu region of Japan; local inhabitants speak a variation of the <a href="/wiki/Kagoshima_dialect" title="Kagoshima dialect">Kagoshima dialect</a> of Japanese. The Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and <a href="/wiki/Yaeyama_Islands" title="Yaeyama Islands">Yaeyama Islands</a> have a native population collectively called the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyuan_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Ryukyuan people">Ryukyuan people</a>, named for the former <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_Kingdom" title="Ryukyu Kingdom">Ryukyu Kingdom</a> (1429–1875) that ruled them. The varied <a href="/wiki/Ryukyuan_languages" title="Ryukyuan languages">Ryukyuan languages</a> are traditionally spoken on these islands, and the major islands have their own distinct languages. In modern times, the Japanese language has been the primary language of the islands, with the <a href="/wiki/Okinawan_Japanese" title="Okinawan Japanese">Okinawan Japanese</a> dialect prevalently spoken. The outlying <a href="/wiki/Dait%C5%8D_Islands" title="Daitō Islands">Daitō Islands</a> were uninhabited until the <a href="/wiki/Meiji_period" class="mw-redirect" title="Meiji period">Meiji period</a>, when their development was started mainly by people from the <a href="/wiki/Izu_Islands" title="Izu Islands">Izu Islands</a> south of <a href="/wiki/Tokyo" title="Tokyo">Tokyo</a>, with the people there speaking the <a href="/wiki/Hachij%C5%8D_language" title="Hachijō language">Hachijō language</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The islands were held by the United States after the 1951 <a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_San_Francisco" title="Treaty of San Francisco">Treaty of San Francisco</a> concluded the <a href="/wiki/Pacific_War" title="Pacific War">Pacific War</a>. They were returned to Japan under the <a href="/wiki/1971_Okinawa_Reversion_Agreement" title="1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement">1971 Okinawa reversion agreement</a>, with China <a href="/wiki/Senkaku_Islands_dispute" title="Senkaku Islands dispute">disputing the Senkaku Islands</a>. </p><p>Administratively, the islands are divided between two <a href="/wiki/Prefectures_of_Japan" title="Prefectures of Japan">prefectures</a>: the northern islands, collectively called the <a href="/wiki/Satsunan_Islands" title="Satsunan Islands">Satsunan Islands</a>, are part of <a href="/wiki/Kagoshima_Prefecture" title="Kagoshima Prefecture">Kagoshima Prefecture</a> (specifically <a href="/wiki/Kagoshima_District,_Kagoshima" title="Kagoshima District, Kagoshima">Kagoshima District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kumage_Subprefecture" title="Kumage Subprefecture">Kumage Subprefecture</a>/<a href="/wiki/Kumage_District,_Kagoshima" title="Kumage District, Kagoshima">District</a>, and <a href="/wiki/%C5%8Cshima_Subprefecture_(Kagoshima)" title="Ōshima Subprefecture (Kagoshima)">Ōshima Subprefecture</a>/<a href="/wiki/%C5%8Cshima_District,_Kagoshima" title="Ōshima District, Kagoshima">District</a>), while the southern part of the chain makes up <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa Prefecture</a>. The divide is between the <a href="/wiki/Amami_Islands" title="Amami Islands">Amami</a> and <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Islands" title="Okinawa Islands">Okinawa Islands</a>, with the <a href="/wiki/Dait%C5%8D_Islands" title="Daitō Islands">Daitō Islands</a> part of Okinawa Prefecture. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Geography">Geography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Geography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png/240px-Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png" decoding="async" width="240" height="152" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png/360px-Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png/480px-Nansei-Islands-Japan-23-May-2019-NASA.png 2x" data-file-width="6115" data-file-height="3881" /></a><figcaption>Satellite photo of the Ryukyu islands (Nansei islands)</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Island_subgroups">Island subgroups</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Island subgroups"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/List_of_islands_in_the_Ryukyu_Archipelago" title="List of islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago">List of islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago</a></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Lastsunsetjapan.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Lastsunsetjapan.jpg/240px-Lastsunsetjapan.jpg" decoding="async" width="240" height="180" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Lastsunsetjapan.jpg/360px-Lastsunsetjapan.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Lastsunsetjapan.jpg/480px-Lastsunsetjapan.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>The last <a href="/wiki/Sunset" title="Sunset">sunset</a> in Japan is seen from <a href="/wiki/Yonaguni" title="Yonaguni">Yonaguni</a>.</figcaption></figure> <p>The Ryukyu islands are commonly divided into two or three primary groups: </p> <ul><li>either administratively, with the Northern Ryukyus being the islands in Kagoshima Prefecture (known in Japanese as the "Satsunan Islands") and the Southern Ryukyus being the islands in Okinawa Prefecture (known in Japanese as the "Ryukyu Islands"),</li> <li>or geographically, with the islands north of the Tokara Strait (Ōsumi and Tokara) being the Northern Ryukyus, those between the Tokara Strait and Kerama Gap (Amami and Okinawa) being the Central Ryukyus, and those south of the Kerama Gap (Miyako and Yaeyama) being the Southern Ryukyus.</li></ul> <p>The following are the grouping and names used by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the <a href="/wiki/Japan_Coast_Guard" title="Japan Coast Guard">Japan Coast Guard</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-mlit_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mlit-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The islands are listed from north to south where possible. </p> <ul><li>Nansei Islands<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">南西諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Nansei-shotō</i></span>)</span> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Satsunan_Islands" title="Satsunan Islands">Satsunan Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">薩南諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Satsunan-shotō</i></span>)</span> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C5%8Csumi_Islands" title="Ōsumi Islands">Ōsumi Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">大隅諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ōsumi-shotō</i></span>)</span> with: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tanegashima" title="Tanegashima">Tanegashima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yakushima" title="Yakushima">Yakushima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kuchinoerabu_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Kuchinoerabu Island">Kuchinoerabu</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mageshima" title="Mageshima">Mageshima</a> in the North-Eastern Group,</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Takeshima_(Kagoshima)" title="Takeshima (Kagoshima)">Takeshima</a>, <a href="/wiki/I%C5%8Djima,_Kagoshima" class="mw-redirect" title="Iōjima, Kagoshima">Iōjima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kuroshima_(Kagoshima)" title="Kuroshima (Kagoshima)">Kuroshima</a> in the North-Western Group.</li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tokara_Islands" title="Tokara Islands">Tokara Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">吐噶喇列島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Tokara-rettō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Kuchinoshima" title="Kuchinoshima">Kuchinoshima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Nakanoshima_(Kagoshima)" title="Nakanoshima (Kagoshima)">Nakanoshima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gajajima" title="Gajajima">Gajajima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Suwanosejima" title="Suwanosejima">Suwanosejima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Akusekijima" title="Akusekijima">Akusekijima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tairajima" title="Tairajima">Tairajima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kodakarajima" title="Kodakarajima">Kodakarajima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Takarajima" title="Takarajima">Takarajima</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Amami_Islands" title="Amami Islands">Amami Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">奄美群島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amami-guntō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Amami_%C5%8Cshima" title="Amami Ōshima">Amami Ōshima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kikaijima" title="Kikaijima">Kikaijima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kakeromajima" title="Kakeromajima">Kakeromajima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yoroshima" title="Yoroshima">Yoroshima</a>, Ukeshima, <a href="/wiki/Tokunoshima" title="Tokunoshima">Tokunoshima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Okinoerabujima" title="Okinoerabujima">Okinoerabujima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yoronjima" title="Yoronjima">Yoronjima</a></li></ul></li> <li>Ryukyu Islands<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū-shotō</i></span>)</span> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Islands" title="Okinawa Islands">Okinawa Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">沖縄諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Okinawa-shotō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Island" title="Okinawa Island">Okinawa Island</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kumejima_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Kumejima Island">Kume</a>, Iheya, <a href="/wiki/Izena_Island" title="Izena Island">Izena</a>, <a href="/wiki/Aguni_Island" title="Aguni Island">Aguni</a>, <a href="/wiki/Iejima" title="Iejima">Ie (Iejima)</a>, <a href="/wiki/I%C5%8Dtorishima" title="Iōtorishima">Iōtorishima</a><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kerama_Islands" title="Kerama Islands">Kerama Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">慶良間諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kerama-shotō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Tokashiki_Island" title="Tokashiki Island">Tokashiki</a>, <a href="/wiki/Zamami_Island" title="Zamami Island">Zamami</a>, <a href="/wiki/Aka_Island" title="Aka Island">Aka</a>, <a href="/wiki/Geruma_Island" title="Geruma Island">Geruma</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sakishima_Islands" title="Sakishima Islands">Sakishima Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">先島諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Sakishima-shotō</i></span>, the "Further Isles")</span> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Miyako_Islands" title="Miyako Islands">Miyako Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">宮古列島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Miyako-rettō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Miyakojima" class="mw-redirect" title="Miyakojima">Miyakojima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ikemajima" class="mw-redirect" title="Ikemajima">Ikema</a>, Ōgami, <a href="/wiki/Irabu_Island" title="Irabu Island">Irabu</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shimoji-shima" title="Shimoji-shima">Shimoji</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kurima-jima" title="Kurima-jima">Kurima-jima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Minnajima_(Tarama,_Okinawa)" class="mw-redirect" title="Minnajima (Tarama, Okinawa)">Minna</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tarama,_Okinawa" title="Tarama, Okinawa">Tarama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yaeyama_Islands" title="Yaeyama Islands">Yaeyama Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">八重山列島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Yaeyama-rettō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Iriomote" class="mw-redirect" title="Iriomote">Iriomote</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ishigaki_Island" title="Ishigaki Island">Ishigaki</a>, <a href="/wiki/Taketomi" class="mw-redirect" title="Taketomi">Taketomi</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kohamajima" class="mw-redirect" title="Kohamajima">Kohama</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kuroshima,_Okinawa" class="mw-redirect" title="Kuroshima, Okinawa">Kuroshima</a>, Aragusuku, <a href="/wiki/Hatoma" title="Hatoma">Hatoma</a>, Yubujima, <a href="/wiki/Hateruma" title="Hateruma">Hateruma</a>, <a href="/wiki/Yonaguni" title="Yonaguni">Yonaguni</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Senkaku_Islands" title="Senkaku Islands">Senkaku Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">尖閣諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Senkaku-shotō</i></span>, claimed by <a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> and <a href="/wiki/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Uotsurijima" class="mw-redirect" title="Uotsurijima">Uotsurijima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kuba_Jima" class="mw-redirect" title="Kuba Jima">Kuba Jima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Taisho_Jima" class="mw-redirect" title="Taisho Jima">Taisho Jima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kita_Kojima" class="mw-redirect" title="Kita Kojima">Kita Kojima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Minami_Kojima" class="mw-redirect" title="Minami Kojima">Minami Kojima</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dait%C5%8D_Islands" title="Daitō Islands">Daitō Islands</a><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">大東諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Daitō-shotō</i></span>)</span>: <a href="/wiki/Kita_Dait%C5%8D" class="mw-redirect" title="Kita Daitō">Kita Daitō</a>, <a href="/wiki/Minami_Dait%C5%8D" class="mw-redirect" title="Minami Daitō">Minami Daitō</a>, <a href="/wiki/Oki_Dait%C5%8D" class="mw-redirect" title="Oki Daitō">Oki Daitō</a></li></ul></li></ul> <p>The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, another government organization that is responsible for standardization of place names, disagrees with the Japan Coast Guard over some names and their extent, but the two are working on standardization.<sup id="cite_ref-mlit_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mlit-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They agreed on February 15, 2010, to use <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amami-guntō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">奄美群島</span></span>)</span> for the Amami Islands; prior to that, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amami-shotō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">奄美諸島</span></span>)</span> had also been used.<sup id="cite_ref-amami-std_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-amami-std-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Climate">Climate</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Climate"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The climate of the Ryukyu islands is <a href="/wiki/Sub-tropical" class="mw-redirect" title="Sub-tropical">sub-tropical</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-fnd_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fnd-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It is significantly warmer than the main islands <a href="/wiki/Kyushu" title="Kyushu">Kyushu</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shikoku" title="Shikoku">Shikoku</a> and <a href="/wiki/Honshu" title="Honshu">Honshu</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-fnd_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fnd-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> There are occasional <a href="/wiki/Typhoons" class="mw-redirect" title="Typhoons">typhoons</a> during the summer.<sup id="cite_ref-fnd_8-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fnd-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Winter temperature is mild with optimal clearness of the ocean water.<sup id="cite_ref-fnd_8-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fnd-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Names_and_extents">Names and extents</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Names and extents"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The English and Japanese uses of the term "Ryukyu" differ. In English, the term Ryukyu may apply to the entire chain of islands, while in Japanese Ryukyu usually refers only to the islands that were previously part of the <a href="/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Ryūkyū Kingdom">Ryūkyū Kingdom</a> after 1624. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nansei_Islands">Nansei Islands</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Nansei Islands"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Nansei-shotō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">南西諸島</span></span>)</span> is the official name for the whole island chain in Japanese. Japan has used the name on nautical charts since 1907. Based on the Japanese charts, the <a href="/wiki/International_Hydrographic_Organization" title="International Hydrographic Organization">international chart series</a> uses <i>Nansei Shoto</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-mlit_5-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mlit-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><i>Nansei</i> literally means "southwest", the direction of the island chain relative to mainland Japan. Some humanities scholars prefer the uncommon term <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū-ko</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球弧</span></span>, "Ryukyu Arc")</span> for the entire island chain.<sup id="cite_ref-yoshinari2007intro_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-yoshinari2007intro-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In geology, however, the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_Arc" title="Ryukyu Arc">Ryukyu Arc</a> includes subsurface structures such as the <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Trough" title="Okinawa Trough">Okinawa Trough</a> and extends to Kyushu. </p><p>During the American occupation of Amami, the Japanese government objected to the islands being included under the name "Ryukyu" in English because they worried that this might mean that the return of the Amami Islands to Japanese control would be delayed until the return of Okinawa. However, the American occupational government on Amami continued to be called the "Provisional Government for the Northern Ryukyu Islands" in English, though it was translated as <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Rinji Hokubu Nansei-shotō Seichō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">臨時北部南西諸島政庁</span></span>, Provisional Government for the Northern Nansei Islands)</span> in Japanese.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ryukyu">Ryukyu</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Ryukyu"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The name of <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球</span></span>)</span> is strongly associated with the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_Kingdom" title="Ryukyu Kingdom">Ryukyu Kingdom</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> a kingdom that originated from the Okinawa Islands and subjugated the Sakishima and Amami Islands. The name is generally considered outdated in Japanese although some entities of Okinawa still bear the name, such as the local <a href="/wiki/University_of_the_Ryukyus" title="University of the Ryukyus">national university</a>. <a href="/wiki/FC_Ryukyu" title="FC Ryukyu">FC Ryukyu</a> is the maximum <a href="/wiki/Association_football" title="Association football">football</a> representative of the prefecture in the <a href="/wiki/Japanese_football_league_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Japanese football league system">Japanese football league system</a> and has played as high as the second-tier <a href="/wiki/J2_League" title="J2 League">J2 League</a>. </p><p>In Japanese, the "Ryukyu Islands"<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球諸島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū-shotō</i></span>)</span> cover only the Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands,<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> while in English it includes the Amami and Daitō Islands. The northern half of the island chain is referred to as the <a href="/wiki/Satsunan_Islands" title="Satsunan Islands">Satsunan</a> ("South of <a href="/wiki/Satsuma_Domain" title="Satsuma Domain">Satsuma</a>") Islands in Japanese, as opposed to Northern Ryukyu Islands in English. </p><p>Humanities scholars generally agree that the Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands share much cultural heritage, though they are characterized by a great degree of internal diversity as well. There is, however, no good name for the group.<sup id="cite_ref-yoshinari2007intro_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-yoshinari2007intro-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-takahashi2006_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takahashi2006-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The native population do not have their own name, since they do not recognize themselves as a group this size. <i>Ryukyu</i> is the principal candidate because it roughly corresponds to the maximum extent of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. However, it is not necessarily considered neutral by the people of Amami, Miyako, and Yaeyama, who were marginalized under the Okinawa-centered kingdom.<sup id="cite_ref-takahashi2006_13-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takahashi2006-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Ōsumi Islands are not included because they are culturally part of <a href="/wiki/Kyushu" title="Kyushu">Kyushu</a>. There is a high degree of confusion in use of Ryukyu in English literature. For example, <a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica" title="Encyclopædia Britannica">Encyclopædia Britannica</a> equates the Ryukyu Islands with Japanese <i>Ryūkyū-shotō</i> or <i>Nansei-shotō</i> in the definition but limits its scope to the Amami, Okinawa and Sakishima (Miyako and Yaeyama) in the content.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Historical_usage">Historical usage</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Historical usage"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>"<i>Ryūkyū</i>" is an exonym and is not a self-designation. The word first appeared in the <i><a href="/wiki/Book_of_Sui" title="Book of Sui">Book of Sui</a></i> (636). Its obscure description of <a href="/wiki/Liuqiu_(medieval)" title="Liuqiu (medieval)">Liuqiu</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">流求</span></span>) is the source of a never-ending scholarly debate about whether the name referred to Taiwan, Okinawa or both. Nevertheless, the <i>Book of Sui</i> shaped perceptions of Ryūkyū for a long time. Ryūkyū was considered a land of <a href="/wiki/Human_cannibalism" title="Human cannibalism">cannibals</a> and aroused a feeling of dread among surrounding people, from Buddhist monk <a href="/wiki/Enchin" title="Enchin">Enchin</a> who traveled to Tang China in 858 to an informant of the <i>Hyōtō Ryūkyū-koku ki</i> who traveled to Song China in 1243.<sup id="cite_ref-tanaka2008_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-tanaka2008-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Later, some Chinese sources used "Great Ryukyu" (<a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: <span lang="zh">大琉球</span>; <a href="/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: <i><span lang="zh-Latn">Dà Liúqiú</span></i>) for Okinawa and "Lesser Ryukyu" (<a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: <span lang="zh">小琉球</span>; <a href="/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: <i><span lang="zh-Latn">Xiǎo Liúqiú</span></i>) for Taiwan. Okinawan forms of "Ryūkyū" are <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ruuchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ルーチュー</span></span>)</span> or <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Duuchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ドゥーチュー</span></span>)</span> in <a href="/wiki/Okinawan_language" title="Okinawan language">Okinawan</a> and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ruuchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ルーチュー</span></span>)</span> in the <a href="/wiki/Kunigami_language" title="Kunigami language">Kunigami language</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> An Okinawan man was recorded as having referred to himself as a "Doo Choo man" during Commodore <a href="/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry" title="Matthew C. Perry">Matthew C. Perry</a>'s visit to the Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1852.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>From about 1829 until the mid-20th century, the islands' English name was spelled <i>Luchu</i>,<sup id="cite_ref-EB1911_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EB1911-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>Loochoo</i>, <i>Loo-choo</i>,<sup id="cite_ref-EB1911_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EB1911-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> or <i>Lewchew</i>, all pronounced <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span><span title="/uː/: 'oo' in 'goose'">uː</span><span title="/tʃ/: 'ch' in 'China'">tʃ</span><span title="/uː/: 'oo' in 'goose'">uː</span></span>/</a></span></span>.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> These spellings were based on the Okinawan form <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ruuchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ルーチュー</span></span>)</span>,<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> as well as the Chinese pronunciation of the characters "<span class="t_nihongo_kanji"><span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球</span></span></span>", which in Mandarin is <i>Liúqiú</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Okinawa">Okinawa</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Okinawa"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Uchinaa</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">沖縄</span></span>)</span>, <i>Okinawa</i> in Okinawan, is originally a native name for the largest island in the island chain. The island was referred to as <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Okinawa</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">阿児奈波</span></span>)</span> in the 8th century biography of <a href="/wiki/Jianzhen" title="Jianzhen">Jianzhen</a> (唐大和上東征傳). It is also specified as <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Okinawa</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">おきなわ</span></span>)</span> in hiragana in the collection of <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Umuru U Sōshi</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">おもろさうし</span></span>)</span>, known as Ryukyu's official poetry book. It was not until the 18th century that Okinawa was specified in its own script as 沖縄. </p><p>The Japanese map series known as the Ryukyu Kuniezu lists the island as <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Wokinaha Shima</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">悪鬼納嶋</span></span>)</span> in 1644 and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Okinawa Shima</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">沖縄嶋</span></span>)</span> after 1702. The name <i>Okinawa Shima</i> was chosen by the Meiji government for the new prefecture when they annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879. </p><p>Outside of Okinawa Prefecture, the word "Okinawa" is used to refer to Okinawa Prefecture and does not include Kagoshima Prefecture. (People from the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture object to being included in "Okinawa".) Inside Okinawa Prefecture, "Okinawa" is used to refer to Okinawa Island, and does not include the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. People in the Yaeyama Islands use the expression "go to Okinawa" when they visit Okinawa Island.<sup id="cite_ref-takahashi2006_13-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takahashi2006-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Some scholars group the Amami and Okinawa Islands together because in some respects (e.g. from a linguistic point of view) Amami is closer to Okinawa than to Miyako and Yaeyama, but there is no established single-word term for the group since the native population had not felt the need for such a concept.<sup id="cite_ref-takahashi2006_13-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takahashi2006-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Japanese scholars use "Amami–Okinawa"<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> while American and European scholars use "Northern Ryukyuan".<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Southern_Islands">Southern Islands</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Southern Islands"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The folklorist <a href="/wiki/Kunio_Yanagita" title="Kunio Yanagita">Kunio Yanagita</a> and his followers used <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Nantō</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">南島</span></span>, "Southern Islands")</span>. This term was originally used by the imperial court of Ancient Japan. Yanagita hypothesized that the southern islands were the origin of the Japanese people and preserved many elements that were subsequently lost in Japan. The term is outdated today.<sup id="cite_ref-takahashi2006_13-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takahashi2006-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/History_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands" title="History of the Ryukyu Islands">History of the Ryukyu Islands</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Eastern_Islands_of_Liuqiu">Eastern Islands of Liuqiu</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Eastern Islands of Liuqiu"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The first mention of the islands in Chinese literature occur in the <i><a href="/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Records of the Grand Historian">Records of the Grand Historian</a></i>. <a href="/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang" title="Qin Shi Huang">Qin Shi Huang</a> heard of "happy immortals" living on the Eastern Islands, so he sent expeditions there to find the <a href="/wiki/Elixir_of_life#China" title="Elixir of life">source of immortality</a>, to no avail.<sup id="cite_ref-Lee_1_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Lee_1-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This citation requires a reference to the specific page or range of pages in which the material appears. (November 2016)">page needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Based on Ryukyuan folklore on <a href="/wiki/Kudaka_Island" title="Kudaka Island">Kudaka Island</a>, some scholars believe that these expeditions succeeded in reaching Japan and launched a social and agricultural revolution there.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Eastern Islands are again mentioned as the land of immortals in the Annals of the <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a>. </p><p>In 601, the Chinese sent an expedition to the "Country of Liuqiu" (<span lang="zh-Hant">流求國</span>). They noted that the people were small but pugnacious. The Chinese could not understand the local language and returned to China. In 607, they sent another expedition to trade and brought back one of the islanders. A Japanese embassy was in <a href="/wiki/Luoyang" title="Luoyang">Luoyang</a> when the expedition returned, and one of the Japanese exclaimed that the islander wore the dress and spoke the language of <a href="/wiki/Yaku_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Yaku Island">Yaku Island</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ancient_Japan's_Southern_Islands"><span id="Ancient_Japan.27s_Southern_Islands"></span>Ancient Japan's Southern Islands</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Ancient Japan's Southern Islands"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The island chain appeared in Japanese written history as Southern Islands<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">南島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Nantō</i></span>)</span>. The first record of the Southern Islands is an article of 618 in the <i><a href="/wiki/Nihonshoki" class="mw-redirect" title="Nihonshoki">Nihonshoki</a></i> (720) which states that people of <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Yaku</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">掖玖<span title="English-language text"><span lang="en">,</span></span>夜勾</span></span>)</span> followed the Chinese emperor's virtue. In 629, the imperial court dispatched an expedition to <i>Yaku</i>. <i>Yaku</i> in historical sources was not limited to modern-day Yakushima but seems to have covered a broader area of the island chain. In 657, several persons from <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Tokara</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">都貨邏</span></span>, possibly <a href="/wiki/Dvaravati" title="Dvaravati">Dvaravati</a>)</span> arrived at Kyushu, reporting that they had first drifted to Amami Island<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">海見島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amamijima</i></span>)</span>, which is the first attested use of <i>Amami</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki1987_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki1987-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Articles of the late 7th century give a closer look at the southern islands. In 677, the imperial court gave a banquet to people from Tane Island<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">多禰島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Tanejima</i></span>)</span>. In 679, the imperial court sent a mission to Tane Island. The mission carried some people from the southern islands who were described as the peoples of Tane, Yaku, and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amami</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">阿麻彌</span></span>)</span> in the article of 682. According to the <i><a href="/wiki/Shoku_Nihongi" title="Shoku Nihongi">Shoku Nihongi</a></i> (797), the imperial court dispatched armed officers in 698 to explore the southern islands. As a result, people of Tane, Yaku, Amami and <i>Dokan</i> visited the capital (then <a href="/wiki/Fujiwara-ky%C5%8D" title="Fujiwara-kyō">Fujiwara-kyō</a>) to pay tribute in the next year. Historians identify <i>Dokan</i> as <a href="/wiki/Tokunoshima" title="Tokunoshima">Tokunoshima</a> of the Amami Islands. An article of 714 reports that an investigative team returned to the capital, together with people of Amami, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Shigaki</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">信覺</span></span>)</span>, and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kumi</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">球美</span></span>)</span> among others. <i>Shigaki</i> should be <a href="/wiki/Ishigaki_Island" title="Ishigaki Island">Ishigaki Island</a> of the Yaeyama Islands. Some identify <i>Kumi</i> as <a href="/wiki/Iriomote_Island" title="Iriomote Island">Iriomote Island</a> of the Yaeyama Islands because Komi is an older name for Iriomote. Others consider that <i>Kumi</i> corresponded to <a href="/wiki/Kume_Island" title="Kume Island">Kume Island</a> of the Okinawa Islands. Around this time "Southern Islands" replaced Yaku as a collective name for the southern islands.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki1987_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki1987-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the early 8th century, the northern end of the island chain was formally incorporated into the Japanese administrative system. After a rebellion was crushed, <a href="/wiki/Tane_Province" title="Tane Province">Tane Province</a> was established around 702. Tane Province consisted of four districts and covered Tanegashima and Yakushima. Although the tiny province faced financial difficulties from the very beginning, it was maintained until 824 when it was merged into <a href="/wiki/%C5%8Csumi_Province" title="Ōsumi Province">Ōsumi Province</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-haraguchi1999_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haraguchi1999-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Ancient Japan's commitment to the southern islands is attributed to ideological and strategic factors. Japan applied to herself the Chinese ideology of emperorship that required "barbarian people" who longed for the great virtue of the emperor. Thus Japan treated people on its periphery, i.e., the <a href="/wiki/Emishi" title="Emishi">Emishi</a> to the east and the <a href="/wiki/Hayato_people" title="Hayato people">Hayato</a> and the Southern Islanders to the south, as "barbarians". The imperial court brought some of them to the capital to serve the emperor. The <i><a href="/wiki/New_Book_of_Tang" title="New Book of Tang">New Book of Tang</a></i> (1060) states at the end of the chapter of Japan that there were three little princes of <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Yaku</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">邪古</span></span>)</span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Haya</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">波邪</span></span>)</span>, and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Tane</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">多尼</span></span>)</span>. This statement should have been based on a report by Japanese envoys in the early 8th century who would have claimed the Japanese emperor's virtue. At the site of <a href="/wiki/Dazaifu_(term)" class="mw-redirect" title="Dazaifu (term)">Dazaifu</a>, the administrative center of Kyushu, two wooden tags dated in the early 8th century were unearthed in 1984, which read "Amami Island"<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">㭺美嶋</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amamijima</i></span>)</span> and "Iran Island"<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">伊藍嶋</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Iran no Shima</i></span>)</span> respectively. The latter seems to correspond to <a href="/wiki/Okinoerabu_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Okinoerabu Island">Okinoerabu Island</a>. These tags might have been attached to "red woods", which, according to the <i><a href="/wiki/Engishiki" title="Engishiki">Engishiki</a></i> (927), Dazaifu was to offer when they were obtained from the southern islands.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki1987_27-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki1987-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Kentoshi_route.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Kentoshi_route.png/220px-Kentoshi_route.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="169" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Kentoshi_route.png/330px-Kentoshi_route.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Kentoshi_route.png/440px-Kentoshi_route.png 2x" data-file-width="486" data-file-height="374" /></a><figcaption>Sea routes used by Japanese missions to Tang China</figcaption></figure> <p>The southern islands had strategic importance for Japan because they were on one of the three major routes used by <a href="/wiki/Japanese_missions_to_Tang_China" title="Japanese missions to Tang China">Japanese missions to Tang China</a> (630–840). The 702 mission seems to have been the first to successfully switch from the earlier route via Korea to the southern island route. The missions of 714, 733 and 752 probably took the same route. In 754, the Chinese monk <a href="/wiki/Jianzhen" title="Jianzhen">Jianzhen</a> managed to reach Japan. His biography <i>Tō Daiwajō Tōseiden</i> (779) makes reference to <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Akonaha</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">阿兒奈波</span></span>)</span> on the route, which may refer to modern-day Okinawa Island. An article of 754 states that the government repaired mileposts that had originally been set in the southern islands in 735. However, the missions from 777 onward chose another route that directly connected Kyūshū to China. Thereafter the central government lost its interest in the southern islands.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki1987_27-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki1987-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Kikaigashima_and_Iōgashima"><span id="Kikaigashima_and_I.C5.8Dgashima"></span>Kikaigashima and Iōgashima</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Kikaigashima and Iōgashima"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The southern islands reappeared in written history at the end of the 10th century. According to the <i>Nihongi ryaku</i> (c. 11th–12th centuries), <a href="/wiki/Dazaifu_(term)" class="mw-redirect" title="Dazaifu (term)">Dazaifu</a>, the administrative center of Kyushu, reported that the <i>Nanban</i> (southern barbarians) pirates, who were identified as Amami islanders by the <i>Shōyūki</i> (982–1032 for the extant portion), pillaged a wide area of Kyūshū in 997. In response, Dazaifu ordered "Kika Island"<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">貴駕島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kikashima</i></span>)</span> to arrest the <i>Nanban</i>. This is the first attested use of <i>Kikaigashima</i>, which is often used in subsequent sources.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki2008_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki2008-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The series of reports suggest that there were groups of people with advanced sailing technology in Amami and that Dazaifu had a stronghold on <a href="/wiki/Kikai_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Kikai Island">Kikai Island</a>. In fact, historians hypothesize that the Amami Islands were incorporated into a trade network that connected it to Kyūshū, Song China and Goryeo. In fact, the <i>Shōyūki</i> recorded that in the 1020s, local governors of southern Kyūshū presented to the author, a court aristocrat, local specialties of the southern islands including the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_fan_palm" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinese fan palm">Chinese fan palm</a>, redwoods, and shells of <a href="/wiki/Turbo_marmoratus" title="Turbo marmoratus">Green Turban Shell</a>. The <i><a href="/wiki/Shinsarugakuki" title="Shinsarugakuki">Shinsarugakuki</a></i>, a fictional work written in the mid-11th century, introduced a merchant named Hachirō-mauto, who traveled all the way to the land of the Fushū in the east and to Kika Island<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">貴賀之島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kikanoshima</i></span>)</span> in the west. The goods he obtained from the southern islands included shells of Green Turban Shell and <a href="/wiki/Sulfur" title="Sulfur">sulfur</a>. The <i>Shinsarugakuki</i> was not mere fiction; the Golden Hall of <a href="/wiki/Ch%C5%ABson-ji" title="Chūson-ji">Chūson-ji</a> (c. 1124) in northeastern Japan was decorated with tens of thousands of green turban shells.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki2008_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki2008-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Some articles of 1187 of the <i><a href="/wiki/Azuma_Kagami" title="Azuma Kagami">Azuma Kagami</a></i> state that <a href="/wiki/Ata_Tadakage" title="Ata Tadakage">Ata Tadakage</a> of <a href="/wiki/Satsuma_Province" title="Satsuma Province">Satsuma Province</a> fled to Kikai Island<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">貴海島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kikaishima</i></span>)</span> sometime around 1160. The <i>Azuma Kagami</i> also states that in 1188 <a href="/wiki/Minamoto_no_Yoritomo" title="Minamoto no Yoritomo">Minamoto no Yoritomo</a>, who soon became the <i><a href="/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun" class="mw-redirect" title="Shōgun">shōgun</a></i>, dispatched troops to pacify Kikai Island<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">貴賀井島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kikaishima</i></span>)</span>. It was noted that the imperial court objected the military expedition claiming that it was beyond Japan's administration.<sup id="cite_ref-suzuki2008_29-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-suzuki2008-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <i><a href="/wiki/Tale_of_the_Heike" class="mw-redirect" title="Tale of the Heike">Tale of the Heike</a></i> (13th century) depicted Kikai Island<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">鬼界島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kikaishima</i></span>)</span>, where <a href="/wiki/Shunkan" title="Shunkan">Shunkan</a>, Taira no Yasuyori, and <a href="/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Naritsune" title="Fujiwara no Naritsune">Fujiwara no Naritsune</a> were exiled following the <a href="/wiki/Shishigatani_Incident" class="mw-redirect" title="Shishigatani Incident">Shishigatani Incident</a> of 1177. The island depicted, characterized by sulfur, is identified as <a href="/wiki/I%C5%8Djima,_Kagoshima" class="mw-redirect" title="Iōjima, Kagoshima">Iōjima</a> of the <a href="/wiki/%C5%8Csumi_Islands" title="Ōsumi Islands">Ōsumi Islands</a>, which is part of <a href="/wiki/Kikai_Caldera" title="Kikai Caldera">Kikai Caldera</a>. Since China's invention of <a href="/wiki/Gunpowder" title="Gunpowder">gunpowder</a> made sulfur Japan's major export, Sulfur Island or <i>Iōgashima</i> became another representative of the southern islands. It is noted by scholars that the character representing the first syllable of <i>Kikai</i> changed from <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">ki</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">貴</span></span>, noble)</span> to <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">ki</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">鬼</span></span>, ogre)</span> from the end of the 12th century to the early 13th century.<sup id="cite_ref-takanashi2008_30-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takanashi2008-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The literature-based theory that Kikai Island was Japan's trade center of the southern islands is supported by the discovery of the Gusuku Site Complex in 2006. The group of archaeological sites on the plateau of Kikai Island is one of the largest sites of the era. It lasted from 9th to 13th centuries and at its height from the second half of the 11th to the first half of the 12th century. It was characterized by a near-total absence of the native Kaneku Type pottery, which prevailed in coastal communities. What were found instead were goods imported from mainland Japan, China and Korea. Also found was the <a href="/wiki/Kamuiyaki" class="mw-redirect" title="Kamuiyaki">Kamuiyaki</a> pottery, which was produced in <a href="/wiki/Tokunoshima" title="Tokunoshima">Tokunoshima</a> from the 11th to 14th centuries. The skewed distribution of Kamuiyaki peaked at Kikai and Tokunoshima suggests that the purpose of Kamuiyaki production was to serve it to Kikai.<sup id="cite_ref-takanashi2010_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takanashi2010-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Shimazu_Estate_and_Kamakura_shogunate's_expansion"><span id="Shimazu_Estate_and_Kamakura_shogunate.27s_expansion"></span>Shimazu Estate and Kamakura shogunate's expansion</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Shimazu Estate and Kamakura shogunate's expansion"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Around the <a href="/wiki/H%C5%8Den" title="Hōen">Hōen</a> era (1135–1141), Tanegashima became part of Shimazu Estate on southern Kyūshū. The Shimazu Estate was said to have established at Shimazu, <a href="/wiki/Hy%C5%ABga_Province" title="Hyūga Province">Hyūga Province</a> in 1020s and dedicated to <i><a href="/wiki/Kanpaku" class="mw-redirect" title="Kanpaku">Kanpaku</a></i> <a href="/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Yorimichi" title="Fujiwara no Yorimichi">Fujiwara no Yorimichi</a>. In the 12th century, Shimazu Estate expanded to a large portion of the <a href="/wiki/Satsuma_Province" title="Satsuma Province">Satsuma</a> and <a href="/wiki/%C5%8Csumi_Province" title="Ōsumi Province">Ōsumi Provinces</a> including Tanegashima.<sup id="cite_ref-haraguchi1999_28-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haraguchi1999-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Shimazu_Tadahisa" title="Shimazu Tadahisa">Koremune no Tadahisa</a>, a retainer of the Fujiwara family, was appointed as a steward of Shimazu Estate in 1185. He was then named <i><a href="/wiki/Shugo" title="Shugo">shugo</a></i> of Satsuma and Ōsumi (and later Hyūga) Provinces by first <i><a href="/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun" class="mw-redirect" title="Shōgun">shōgun</a></i> <a href="/wiki/Minamoto_no_Yoritomo" title="Minamoto no Yoritomo">Minamoto no Yoritomo</a> in 1197. He became the founder of the <a href="/wiki/Shimazu_clan" title="Shimazu clan">Shimazu clan</a>. Tadahisa lost power when his powerful relative <a href="/wiki/Hiki_Yoshikazu" title="Hiki Yoshikazu">Hiki Yoshikazu</a> was overthrown in 1203. He lost the positions of <i>shugo</i> and <i><a href="/wiki/Jit%C5%8D" title="Jitō">jitō</a></i> and only regained the posts of <i>shugo</i> of Satsuma Province and <i>jitō</i> of the Satsuma portion of Shimazu Estate. The <i>shugo</i> of Ōsumi Province and <i>jitō</i> of the Ōsumi portion of Shimazu Estate, both of which controlled Tanegashima, were succeeded by the <a href="/wiki/H%C5%8Dj%C5%8D_clan" title="Hōjō clan">Hōjō clan</a> (especially its Nagoe branch). The Nagoe family sent the Higo clan to rule Ōsumi. A branch family of the Higo clan settled in Tanegashima and became the <a href="/wiki/Tanegashima_clan" title="Tanegashima clan">Tanegashima clan</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-haraguchi1999_28-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haraguchi1999-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The islands other than Tanegashima were grouped as the Twelve Islands and treated as part of Kawanabe District, Satsuma Province. The Twelve Islands were subdivided into the Near Five<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">口五島<span title="English-language text"><span lang="en">/</span></span>端五島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Kuchigoshima/Hajigoshima</i></span>)</span> and the Remote Seven<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">奥七島</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Okunanashima</i></span>)</span>. The Near Five consisted of the Ōsumi Islands except Tanegashima while the Remote Seven corresponded to the Tokara Islands. After the <a href="/wiki/J%C5%8Dky%C5%AB_War" title="Jōkyū War">Jōkyū War</a> in 1221, the <i>jitō</i> of Kawanabe District was assumed by the Hōjō <a href="/wiki/Tokus%C5%8D" title="Tokusō">Tokusō</a> family. The Tokusō family let its retainer Chikama clan rule Kawanabe District. In 1306, <a href="/wiki/Chikama_Tokiie" title="Chikama Tokiie">Chikama Tokiie</a> created a set of inheritance documents that made reference to various southern islands. The islands mentioned were not limited to the Twelve but included <a href="/wiki/Amami_%C5%8Cshima" title="Amami Ōshima">Amami Ōshima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kikai_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Kikai Island">Kikai Island</a> and <a href="/wiki/Tokunoshima" title="Tokunoshima">Tokunoshima</a> (and possibly <a href="/wiki/Okinoerabu_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Okinoerabu Island">Okinoerabu Island</a>) of the <a href="/wiki/Amami_Islands" title="Amami Islands">Amami Islands</a>. An extant <a href="/wiki/Map_of_Japan_(Kanazawa_Bunko)" title="Map of Japan (Kanazawa Bunko)">map of Japan</a> held by the Hōjō clan describes Amami as a "privately owned district". The Shimazu clan also claimed the rights to the Twelve. In 1227 <i>Shōgun</i> <a href="/wiki/Kuj%C5%8D_Yoritsune" title="Kujō Yoritsune">Kujō Yoritsune</a> affirmed <a href="/wiki/Shimazu_Tadayoshi" title="Shimazu Tadayoshi">Shimazu Tadayoshi</a>'s position as the <i>jitō</i> of the Twelve Islands among others. After the Kamakura shogunate was destroyed, the Shimazu clan increased its rights. In 1364, it claimed the "eighteen islands" of Kawanabe District. In the same year, the clan's head Shimazu Sadahisa gave his son Morohisa properties in Satsuma Province including the Twelve Islands and the "extra five" islands. The latter must be the Amami Islands.<sup id="cite_ref-nagayama2008_32-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-nagayama2008-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Tanegashima_under_the_Tanegashima_clan">Tanegashima under the Tanegashima clan</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Tanegashima under the Tanegashima clan"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Tanegashima_clan" title="Tanegashima clan">Tanegashima clan</a> came to rule Tanegashima on behalf of the Nagoe family but soon became autonomous. It usually allied with, sometimes submitted itself to, and sometimes antagonized the Shimazu clan on mainland Kyūshū. The Tanegashima clan was given Yakushima and <a href="/wiki/Kuchinoerabu_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Kuchinoerabu Island">Kuchinoerabu Island</a> by Shimazu Motohisa in 1415. In 1436, it was given the Seven Islands of Kawanabe District, Satsuma Province (the Tokara Islands) and other two islands by Shimazu Mochihisa, the head of a branch family.<sup id="cite_ref-kagoshima_33-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-kagoshima-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:TanegashimaGun.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/TanegashimaGun.jpg/220px-TanegashimaGun.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="43" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/TanegashimaGun.jpg/330px-TanegashimaGun.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/TanegashimaGun.jpg/440px-TanegashimaGun.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2685" data-file-height="521" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Tanegashima_(gun)" title="Tanegashima (gun)">Tanegashima</a> <a href="/wiki/Matchlock" title="Matchlock">matchlock</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Tanegashima is known in Japanese history for the introduction of European firearms to Japan. Around 1543, a Chinese junk with Portuguese merchants on board was driven to Tanegashima. Tanegashima Tokitaka succeeded in reproducing matchlock rifles obtained from the Portuguese. Within a few decades, firearms, then known as <i><a href="/wiki/Tanegashima_(Japanese_matchlock)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tanegashima (Japanese matchlock)">tanegashima</a></i>, were spread across <a href="/wiki/Sengoku_period" title="Sengoku period">Sengoku Japan</a>. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi" title="Toyotomi Hideyoshi">Toyotomi Hideyoshi</a>'s reunification of Japan finalized the Tanegashima clan's status as a senior vassal of the Shimazu clan. It was relocated to <a href="/wiki/Chiran,_Kagoshima" title="Chiran, Kagoshima">Chiran</a> of mainland Kyūshū in 1595. Although it moved back to Tanegashima in 1599, Yakushima and Kuchinoerabu Island fall under the direct control of the Shimazu clan. These islands all constituted <a href="/wiki/Satsuma_Domain" title="Satsuma Domain">Satsuma Domain</a> during the <a href="/wiki/Edo_period" title="Edo period">Edo period</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Amami_and_Tokara_Islands">Amami and Tokara Islands</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Amami and Tokara Islands"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Amami Islands were a focal point for dispute between the southward-expanding Satsuma Domain and the northward-expanding Ryukyu Kingdom. In 1453, a group of Koreans were shipwrecked on <a href="/wiki/Gajajima" title="Gajajima">Gaja Island</a>, where they found the island half under the control of Satsuma and half under the control of Ryukyu. Gaja Island is only 80 miles from Satsuma's capital at <a href="/wiki/Kagoshima_City" class="mw-redirect" title="Kagoshima City">Kagoshima City</a>. It was noted by the Koreans that the Ryukyuans used guns "as advanced as in [Korea]".<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other records of activity in the Amami Islands show <a href="/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Toku" title="Shō Toku">Shō Toku</a>'s conquest of Kikai Island in 1466, a failed Satsuma invasion of Amami Ōshima in 1493, and two rebellions on Amami Ōshima during the 16th century. The islands were finally conquered by Satsuma during the 1609 <a href="/wiki/Invasion_of_Ryukyu" title="Invasion of Ryukyu">Invasion of Ryukyu</a>. The Tokugawa shogunate granted Satsuma the islands in 1624. During the Edo Period, Ryukyuans referred to Satsuma's ships as "Tokara ships". </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Okinawa_Islands">Okinawa Islands</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Okinawa Islands"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Islands" title="Okinawa Islands">Okinawa Islands</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg/220px-Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="279" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg/330px-Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg/440px-Ryukyu_Kingdoms_of_Sanzan_era.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1165" data-file-height="1476" /></a><figcaption>Okinawa Islands during the Sanzan Period</figcaption></figure> <p>Various polities of the Okinawa Islands were unified as the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_Kingdom" title="Ryukyu Kingdom">Ryūkyū Kingdom</a> in 1429, a tributary state of <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming Imperial China</a>. The kingdom conquered the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. At its peak, it also subjected the Amami Islands to its rule. In 1609, <a href="/wiki/Shimazu_Tadatsune" title="Shimazu Tadatsune">Shimazu Tadatsune</a>, Lord of Satsuma, invaded the Ryūkyū Kingdom with a fleet of 13 <a href="/wiki/Junk_(ship)" title="Junk (ship)">junks</a> and 2,500 <a href="/wiki/Samurai" title="Samurai">samurai</a>, thereby establishing <a href="/wiki/Suzerainty" title="Suzerainty">suzerainty</a> over the islands. They faced little opposition from the Ryukyuans, who lacked any significant military capabilities, and who were ordered by King <a href="/wiki/Sh%C5%8D_Nei" title="Shō Nei">Shō Nei</a> to surrender rather than to suffer the loss of precious lives.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After that, the kings of the Ryukyus paid tribute to the Japanese <i><a href="/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun" class="mw-redirect" title="Shōgun">shōgun</a></i> as well as to the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_emperor" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinese emperor">Chinese emperor</a>. During this period, Ryukyu kings were selected by a Japanese clan, unbeknownst to the Chinese, who believed the Ryukyus to be a loyal tributary.<sup id="cite_ref-Economy_36-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Economy-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1655, the tributary relations between Ryukyu and Qing were formally approved by the shogunate.<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1874, the Ryukyus terminated tribute relations with China.<sup id="cite_ref-lin2006_38-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lin2006-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1872, the Japanese government established the Ryukyu <i><a href="/wiki/Han_system" title="Han system">han</a></i> under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry. In 1875, jurisdiction over the Ryukyus changed from the Foreign Ministry to the Home Ministry.<sup id="cite_ref-lin2006_38-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lin2006-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1879, the <a href="/wiki/Meiji_government" class="mw-redirect" title="Meiji government">Meiji government</a> announced the <a href="/wiki/History_of_Ryukyu_Islands" class="mw-redirect" title="History of Ryukyu Islands">annexation of the Ryukyus</a>, establishing it as <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa Prefecture</a> and forcing the Ryukyu king to move to Tokyo.<sup id="cite_ref-lin2006_38-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lin2006-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> When China signed the <a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_Shimonoseki" title="Treaty of Shimonoseki">Treaty of Shimonoseki</a> after its 1895 defeat in the <a href="/wiki/First_Sino-Japanese_War" title="First Sino-Japanese War">First Sino-Japanese War</a>, China officially abandoned its claims to the Ryukyus.<sup id="cite_ref-lin2006_38-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lin2006-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>American military control over Okinawa began in 1945 with the establishment of the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Military_Government_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands" title="United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands">United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands</a>, which became the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Civil_Administration_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands" title="United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands">United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands</a> in 1950. Also in 1950, the Interim Ryukyus Advisory Council<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">臨時琉球諮詢委員会</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Rinji Ryūkyū Shijun Iinkai</i></span><span style="margin-left:.09em">)</span></span> was formed, which evolved into the Ryukyu Provisional Central Government<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球臨時中央政府</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyū Rinji Chūō Seifu</i></span>)</span> in 1951. In 1952, the U.S. was formally granted control over Ryukyu Islands south of 29°N latitude, and other Pacific islands, under the <a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_San_Francisco" title="Treaty of San Francisco">San Francisco Peace Treaty</a> between the Allied Powers and Japan. The Ryukyu Provisional Central Government then became the <a href="/wiki/Government_of_the_Ryukyu_Islands" title="Government of the Ryukyu Islands">Government of the Ryukyu Islands</a> which existed from 1952 to 1972. Administrative rights reverted to Japan in 1972, under the <a href="/wiki/1971_Okinawa_Reversion_Agreement" title="1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement">1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement</a>. </p><p>Today, numerous issues arise from Okinawan history. Some Ryukyuans and some Japanese feel that people from the Ryukyus are different from the majority <a href="/wiki/Yamato_people" title="Yamato people">Yamato people</a>. Some natives of the Ryukyus claim that the central government is discriminating against the islanders by allowing so many American soldiers to be stationed on bases in <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Island" title="Okinawa Island">Okinawa</a> with a minimal presence on the mainland. Additionally, there is some discussion of <a href="/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB_independence_movement" class="mw-redirect" title="Ryūkyū independence movement">secession</a> from Japan.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As the <a href="/wiki/Senkaku_Islands_dispute" title="Senkaku Islands dispute">territorial dispute</a> between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands intensified in the early 21st century, <a href="/wiki/Chinese_Communist_Party" title="Chinese Communist Party">Chinese Communist Party</a>-backed scholars published essays calling for a reexamination of Japan's sovereignty over the Ryukyus.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2013, <i><a href="/wiki/The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times">The New York Times</a></i> described the comments by said scholars as well as military figures as appearing to constitute "a semiofficial campaign in China to question Japanese rule of the islands", noting that "almost all the voices in China pressing the Okinawa issue are affiliated in some way with the government".<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Taiwan also claims the Senkaku islands but made it clear on multiple occasions that they will not work with China over the Senkaku Islands dispute.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Many <a href="/wiki/Ryukyuan_music" title="Ryukyuan music">popular singers and musical groups</a> come from Okinawa Prefecture. These include the groups <a href="/wiki/Speed_(Japanese_band)" title="Speed (Japanese band)">Speed</a> and <a href="/wiki/Orange_Range" title="Orange Range">Orange Range</a>, as well as solo singers <a href="/wiki/Namie_Amuro" title="Namie Amuro">Namie Amuro</a> and <a href="/wiki/Gackt" title="Gackt">Gackt</a>, among many others. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Historical_description_of_the_"Loo-Choo"_islands"><span id="Historical_description_of_the_.22Loo-Choo.22_islands"></span>Historical description of the "<i>Loo-Choo</i>" islands</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Historical description of the "Loo-Choo" islands"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_(Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_%28Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761%29.jpg/220px-%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_%28Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="280" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_%28Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761%29.jpg/330px-%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_%28Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_%28Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761%29.jpg/440px-%E4%B8%87%E5%9B%BD%E6%9D%A5%E6%9C%9D%E5%9B%BE_%28Liu-Kyu_delegates_in_Peking_in_1761%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="808" data-file-height="1028" /></a><figcaption>Ryukyu delegates in Peking in 1761. 万国来朝图</figcaption></figure> <p>The islands were described by <a href="/wiki/Hayashi_Shihei" title="Hayashi Shihei">Hayashi Shihei</a> in <i><a href="/wiki/Sangoku_Ts%C5%ABran_Zusetsu" title="Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu">Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu</a></i>, which was published in 1785.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>An article in the 1878 edition of the <i>Globe Encyclopaedia of Universal Information</i> describes the islands:<sup id="cite_ref-Globe_45-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Globe-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <dl><dd><blockquote><p><i>Loo-Choo, Lu-Tchu</i>, or <i>Lieu-Kieu</i>, a group of thirty-six islands stretching from Japan to Formosa, in 26°–27°40′ N. lat., 126°10′–129°5′ E. long., and tributary to Japan. The largest, Tsju San ('middle island'), is about 60 miles long and 12 [miles] broad; others are Sannan in the [south] and Sanbok in the [north]. Nawa, the chief port of Tsju San, is open to foreign commerce. The islands enjoy a magnificent climate and are highly cultivated and very productive. Among the productions are tea, rice, sugar, tobacco, camphor, fruits, and silk. The principal manufactures are cotton, paper, porcelain, and lacquered ware. The people, who are small, seem a link between the Chinese and Japanese.<sup id="cite_ref-Globe_45-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Globe-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote></dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Population">Population</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Population"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ryukyuan_native_people">Ryukyuan native people</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: Ryukyuan native people"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Ryukyuan_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Ryukyuan people">Ryukyuan people</a></div> <p>During the <a href="/wiki/Meiji_Period" class="mw-redirect" title="Meiji Period">Meiji Period</a>, Ryukyuan ethnic identity, tradition, culture and language were suppressed by the <a href="/wiki/Meiji_government" class="mw-redirect" title="Meiji government">Meiji government</a>, which sought to assimilate the Ryukyuan people as Japanese (<a href="/wiki/Yamato_people" title="Yamato people">Yamato</a>).<sup id="cite_ref-Minahan_46-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Minahan-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChristy2004173–175_47-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChristy2004173–175-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTERabson20084_48-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERabson20084-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDubinskyDavies201315–16_49-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDubinskyDavies201315–16-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTECaprio201449–50,_63,_66–67_50-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTECaprio201449–50,_63,_66–67-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEInoue20173_51-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEInoue20173-51"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Many ethnic Japanese migrated to the Ryukyu Islands and mixed with the Ryukyuan people. </p><p>The residents of the island chain are <a href="/wiki/Japanese_citizens" class="mw-redirect" title="Japanese citizens">Japanese citizens</a>. Labeling them as Japanese poses no problem with regard to the <a href="/wiki/%C5%8Csumi_Islands" title="Ōsumi Islands">Ōsumi Islands</a> and <a href="/wiki/Tokara_Islands" title="Tokara Islands">Tokara Islands</a> in the north, but there are problems about the ethnicity of the residents of the central and southern groups of the island chain. </p><p>Scholars who recognize shared heritage among the native population of the Amami, Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama Islands label them as Ryukyuans<span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">琉球人</span></span>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Ryūkyūjin</i></span>)</span>. But nowadays, the residents of these Ryukyu Islands do not identify themselves as such, although they share the notion that they are somewhat different from Japanese, whom they call "Yamato" or "Naicha". Now, they usually express self-identity as the native of a particular island. Their identity can extend to an island and then to Japan as a whole, but rarely to intermediate regions.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2019)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>For example, the people of Okinawa Island refer to themselves as <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Uchinaanchu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ウチナーンチュ</span></span>, people of Okinawa)</span> and the people of <a href="/wiki/Okinoerabujima" title="Okinoerabujima">Okinoerabujima</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Amami_Islands" title="Amami Islands">Amami Islands</a> call themselves the <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Erabunchu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">エラブンチュ</span></span>, people of Erabu)</span>, while referring to the Okinawans as <i>Uchinaanchu</i> or <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Naafanchu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ナーファンチュ</span></span>, people of <a href="/wiki/Naha" title="Naha">Naha</a>)</span>, as they consider themselves distinct from the Okinawans.<sup id="cite_ref-takahashi2006_13-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-takahashi2006-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other terms used include <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Amaminchu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">アマミンチュ</span></span>)</span> and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Shimanchu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">シマンチュ</span></span>)</span> in the Amami Islands, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Yeeyamabitu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">イェーヤマビトゥ</span></span>)</span> in the <a href="/wiki/Yaeyama_Islands" title="Yaeyama Islands">Yaeyama Islands</a>, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Yunnunchu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ユンヌンチュ</span></span>)</span> on <a href="/wiki/Yoronjima" title="Yoronjima">Yoronjima</a> and <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Myaakunchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ミャークンチュー</span></span>)</span> in the <a href="/wiki/Miyako_Islands" title="Miyako Islands">Miyako Islands</a>. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg/220px-Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg/330px-Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg/440px-Miyako_harimizu_utaki.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1200" /></a><figcaption><i>Harimizu <a href="/wiki/Utaki" title="Utaki">utaki</a></i> (Harimizu Shrine), a Ryukyuan shrine in <a href="/wiki/Miyakojima,_Okinawa" title="Miyakojima, Okinawa">Miyakojima</a>, <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa Prefecture</a></figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Religion">Religion</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Religion"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Ryukyuan_religion" title="Ryukyuan religion">Ryukyuan religion</a></div> <p>The indigenous Ryukyuan religion is generally characterized by <a href="/wiki/Veneration_of_the_dead" title="Veneration of the dead">ancestor worship</a> (more accurately termed "ancestor respect") and the respecting of relationships between the living, the dead, and the gods and spirits of the natural world. Some of its beliefs are indicative of its ancient <a href="/wiki/Animism" title="Animism">animistic</a> roots, such as those concerning <i><a href="/wiki/Genius_loci" title="Genius loci">local spirits</a></i> and many other beings classified between gods and humans. </p><p>Ryukyuan religious practice has been influenced by <a href="/wiki/Religion_in_China" title="Religion in China">Chinese religions</a> (<a href="/wiki/Taoism" title="Taoism">Taoism</a>, <a href="/wiki/Confucianism" title="Confucianism">Confucianism</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion" title="Chinese folk religion">folk beliefs</a>), <a href="/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a> and Japanese <a href="/wiki/Shinto" title="Shinto">Shinto</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-52" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-52"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>51<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Roman Catholics are pastorally served by their own <a href="/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Naha" title="Roman Catholic Diocese of Naha">Roman Catholic Diocese of Naha</a>, which was founded in 1947 as the "Apostolic Administration of Okinawa and the Southern Islands". </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Ecology">Ecology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Ecology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Nansei_Islands_subtropical_evergreen_forests" title="Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests">Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests</a></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Ryukyu_Islands" title="Special:EditPage/Ryukyu Islands">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a> in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">June 2017</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Biogeographic_boundaries">Biogeographic boundaries</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: Biogeographic boundaries"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/w/index.php?title=Watase%27s_Line&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Watase's Line (page does not exist)">Watase's Line</a> marks a major biogeographic boundary. The Ōsumi islands north of the line belong to the <a href="/wiki/Palearctic_realm" title="Palearctic realm">Palearctic realm</a> while the Amami islands south of it are at the northern limit of the <a href="/wiki/Indomalayan_realm" title="Indomalayan realm">Indomalayan realm</a>. A deep undersea canyon, the Tokara Gap, lies to the east of the Tokara islands, but where the line crosses the island chain is disputed. It has been "placed between <a href="/wiki/Akusekijima" title="Akusekijima">Akusekijima</a> and <a href="/wiki/Kodakarajima" title="Kodakarajima">Kodakarajima</a> islands of the <a href="/wiki/Tokara_Islands" title="Tokara Islands">Tokara archipelago</a>", but there is variation throughout the Tokaras, with multiple inter-island gaps having similar influence. Species diffusion among the Tokara islands is thought to have been over sea, not via land bridge, and their faunal composition also depends on other factors such as island size.<sup id="cite_ref-Komaki2017_53-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Komaki2017-53"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>52<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Miyake's line for insects lies between Kyūshū and the Ōsumi island groups, and Hachisuka's line for birds between the Okinawa and Miyako groups.<sup id="cite_ref-54" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-54"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>53<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Yakushima">Yakushima</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: Yakushima"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG/220px-Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG/330px-Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG/440px-Jhomonsugi_in_Yaku_Island_Japan_001.JPG 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_Sugi" title="Jōmon Sugi">Jōmon Sugi</a> in Yakushima</figcaption></figure> <p>Yakushima in Ōsumi is the southern limit of the Palearctic realm. It features millennium-old cedar trees. The island is part of <a href="/wiki/Kirishima-Yaku_National_Park" class="mw-redirect" title="Kirishima-Yaku National Park">Kirishima-Yaku National Park</a> and was designated as <a href="/wiki/World_Heritage_Site" title="World Heritage Site">World Heritage Site</a> by <a href="/wiki/UNESCO" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a> in 1993.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Amami,_Okinawa,_Miyako,_and_Yaeyama"><span id="Amami.2C_Okinawa.2C_Miyako.2C_and_Yaeyama"></span>Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg/220px-Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg/330px-Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg/440px-Yonaguni_Ruins_Scuba.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Yonaguni_Monument" title="Yonaguni Monument">Yonaguni Monument</a>, a rock formation along the south coast of <a href="/wiki/Yonaguni_Island" class="mw-redirect" title="Yonaguni Island">Yonaguni Island</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The south of Watase's Line is recognized by ecologists as a distinct <a href="/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_moist_broadleaf_forests" title="Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests">subtropical moist broadleaf forest</a> <a href="/wiki/Ecoregion" title="Ecoregion">ecoregion</a>. The flora and fauna of the islands have much in common with <a href="/wiki/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Southeast_Asia" title="Southeast Asia">Southeast Asia</a>, and are part of the <a href="/wiki/Indomalayan_realm" title="Indomalayan realm">Indomalayan realm</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The coral reefs are among the <a href="/wiki/World_Wildlife_Fund" class="mw-redirect" title="World Wildlife Fund">World Wildlife Fund</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Global_200" title="Global 200">Global 200</a> ecoregions. The reefs are endangered by <a href="/wiki/Sedimentation" title="Sedimentation">sedimentation</a> and <a href="/wiki/Eutrophication" title="Eutrophication">eutrophication</a>, which result from <a href="/wiki/Agriculture" title="Agriculture">agriculture</a> as well as <a href="/wiki/Fishing" title="Fishing">fishing</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The coral-reef related porcelaneous larger foraminiferal species <i>Borelis matsudai</i> Bassi and Iryu, 2023 (<a href="/w/index.php?title=Alveolinoidea&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alveolinoidea (page does not exist)">Alveolinoidea</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Borelinae&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Borelinae (page does not exist)">Borelinae</a>) is based on specimens discovered in present-day shallow-water sediments from <a href="/w/index.php?title=Sekisei_Lagoon&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sekisei Lagoon (page does not exist)">Sekisei Lagoon</a>, southern Ryukyu Islands (<a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a>). This is the northernmost record of the genus <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Borelis&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Borelis (page does not exist)">Borelis</a></i> in the western Indo-Pacific Warm Pool.<sup id="cite_ref-bassi2023_55-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bassi2023-55"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>54<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Mammals endemic to the islands include <a href="/wiki/Amami_Rabbit" class="mw-redirect" title="Amami Rabbit">Amami Rabbit</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_flying_fox" title="Ryukyu flying fox">Ryukyu flying fox</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_long-tailed_giant_rat" title="Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat">Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_shrew" title="Ryukyu shrew">Ryukyu shrew</a> and perhaps <a href="/wiki/Iriomote_cat" title="Iriomote cat">Iriomote cat</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Birds found in the Ryukyus include the <a href="/wiki/Amami_woodcock" title="Amami woodcock">Amami woodcock</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Izu_thrush" title="Izu thrush">Izu thrush</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Japanese_paradise_flycatcher" class="mw-redirect" title="Japanese paradise flycatcher">Japanese paradise flycatcher</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Narcissus_flycatcher" title="Narcissus flycatcher">narcissus flycatcher</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_rail" title="Okinawa rail">Okinawa rail</a> (<i>yanbaru kuina</i>), the <a href="/wiki/Lidth%27s_Jay" class="mw-redirect" title="Lidth's Jay">Lidth's Jay</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_kingfisher" title="Ryukyu kingfisher">Ryukyu kingfisher</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_minivet" title="Ryukyu minivet">Ryukyu minivet</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_robin" title="Ryukyu robin">Ryukyu robin</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB_scops_owl" title="Ryūkyū scops owl">Ryūkyū scops owl</a>, the extinct <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_wood_pigeon" title="Ryukyu wood pigeon">Ryukyu wood pigeon</a>, <a href="/wiki/Amami_woodpecker" class="mw-redirect" title="Amami woodpecker">Amami woodpecker</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Okinawa_woodpecker" title="Okinawa woodpecker">Okinawa woodpecker</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Approximately one half of the <a href="/wiki/Amphibian" title="Amphibian">amphibian</a> species of the islands are <a href="/wiki/Endemic" class="mw-redirect" title="Endemic">endemic</a>. Endemic amphibians include the <a href="/wiki/Sword-tail_newt" title="Sword-tail newt">sword-tail newt</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/Hyla_hallowellii" class="mw-redirect" title="Hyla hallowellii">Hyla hallowellii</a></i>, <a href="/wiki/Holst%27s_frog" title="Holst's frog">Holst's frog</a>, <a href="/wiki/Otton_frog" title="Otton frog">Otton frog</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ishikawa%27s_frog" title="Ishikawa's frog">Ishikawa's frog</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_tip-nosed_frog" title="Ryukyu tip-nosed frog">Ryukyu tip-nosed frog</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Namiye%27s_frog" class="mw-redirect" title="Namiye's frog">Namiye's frog</a>. Other rare amphibians include <a href="/wiki/Anderson%27s_crocodile_newt" title="Anderson's crocodile newt">Anderson's crocodile newt</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Kampira_Falls_frog" title="Kampira Falls frog">Kampira Falls frog</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Inger_56-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Inger-56"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>55<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Various venomous species of viper known locally as <i>habu</i> also inhabit the Ryukyus, including <i><a href="/wiki/Protobothrops_elegans" title="Protobothrops elegans">Protobothrops elegans</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Protobothrops_flavoviridis" title="Protobothrops flavoviridis">Protobothrops flavoviridis</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Protobothrops_tokarensis" class="mw-redirect" title="Protobothrops tokarensis">Protobothrops tokarensis</a></i>, and <i><a href="/wiki/Ovophis_okinavensis" title="Ovophis okinavensis">Ovophis okinavensis</a></i>. Other snakes native to the Ryukyus are <i><a href="/wiki/Achalinus_werneri" title="Achalinus werneri">Achalinus werneri</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Achalinus_formosanus" title="Achalinus formosanus">Achalinus formosanus</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Elaphe_carinata" title="Elaphe carinata">Elaphe carinata</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Elaphe_taeniura" class="mw-redirect" title="Elaphe taeniura">Elaphe taeniura</a></i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cyclophiops_semicarinatus&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cyclophiops semicarinatus (page does not exist)">Cyclophiops semicarinatus</a></i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cyclophiops_herminae&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cyclophiops herminae (page does not exist)">Cyclophiops herminae</a></i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Dinodon_semicarinatum&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Dinodon semicarinatum (page does not exist)">Dinodon semicarinatum</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Lycodon_rufozonatus" title="Lycodon rufozonatus">Lycodon rufozonatus</a></i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Calamaria_pfefferri&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Calamaria pfefferri (page does not exist)">Calamaria pfefferri</a></i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Amphiesma_pryeri&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Amphiesma pryeri (page does not exist)">Amphiesma pryeri</a></i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Calliophis_japonicus&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Calliophis japonicus (page does not exist)">Calliophis japonicus</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Laticauda_semifasciata" class="mw-redirect" title="Laticauda semifasciata">Laticauda semifasciata</a></i>, and <i><a href="/wiki/Hydrophis_ornatus" title="Hydrophis ornatus">Hydrophis ornatus</a></i>. </p><p>Lizards native to the islands include <a href="/wiki/Kishinoue%27s_giant_skink" title="Kishinoue's giant skink">Kishinoue's giant skink</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kuroiwa%27s_ground_gecko" title="Kuroiwa's ground gecko">Kuroiwa's ground gecko</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/Japalura_polygonata" class="mw-redirect" title="Japalura polygonata">Japalura polygonata</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Plestiodon_stimpsonii" title="Plestiodon stimpsonii">Plestiodon stimpsonii</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Plestiodon_marginatus" title="Plestiodon marginatus">Plestiodon marginatus</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Scincella_boettgeri" title="Scincella boettgeri">Scincella boettgeri</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Scincella_vandenburghi" title="Scincella vandenburghi">Scincella vandenburghi</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Ateuchosaurus_pellopleurus" title="Ateuchosaurus pellopleurus">Ateuchosaurus pellopleurus</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Cryptoblepharus_boutonii" title="Cryptoblepharus boutonii">Cryptoblepharus boutonii</a> nigropunctatus</i>, <i><a href="/w/index.php?title=Apeltonotus_dorsalis&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Apeltonotus dorsalis (page does not exist)">Apeltonotus dorsalis</a></i>, and <i><a href="/wiki/Takydromus_toyamai" title="Takydromus toyamai">Takydromus toyamai</a></i>. </p><p>Subspecies of the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_box_turtle" title="Chinese box turtle">Chinese box turtle</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Yellow_pond_turtle" title="Yellow pond turtle">yellow pond turtle</a> are native to the islands, as is the <a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_black-breasted_leaf_turtle" title="Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle">Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1266661725">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/32px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png" decoding="async" width="32" height="21" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/48px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/64px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Japan" title="Portal:Japan">Japan portal</a></span></li><li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg/28px-Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg/42px-Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg/56px-Ic%C3%B4ne_Ile.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="200" /></a></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Islands" title="Portal:Islands">Islands portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Nanp%C5%8D_Islands" title="Nanpō Islands">Nanpō Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ryukyu_Trench" title="Ryukyu Trench">Ryukyu Trench</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tanegashima_Space_Center" title="Tanegashima Space Center">Tanegashima Space Center</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Pronunciation: <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1177148991">.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}</style><span class="IPA-label IPA-label-small">Japanese:</span> <span class="IPA nowrap" lang="ja-Latn-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Japanese" title="Help:IPA/Japanese">[ɾʲɯːkʲɯꜜː]</a></span>, <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1177148991"><span class="IPA-label IPA-label-small">English: </span><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="'r' in 'rye'">r</span><span title="/i/: 'y' in 'happy'">i</span><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="/uː/: 'oo' in 'goose'">uː</span><span title="'k' in 'kind'">k</span><span title="/juː/: 'u' in 'cute'">juː</span></span>/</a></span></span><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=28" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=29" title="Edit section: Citations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output 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Pp 159.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-EB1911-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-EB1911_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-EB1911_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChisholm1911" class="citation encyclopaedia cs1"><a href="/wiki/Hugh_Chisholm" title="Hugh Chisholm">Chisholm, Hugh</a>, ed. (1911). <span class="cs1-ws-icon" title="s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Luchu Archipelago"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Luchu_Archipelago">"Luchu Archipelago" </a></span>. <i><a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition" title="Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition">Encyclopædia Britannica</a></i>. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 99.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Luchu+Archipelago&rft.btitle=Encyclop%C3%A6dia+Britannica&rft.pages=99&rft.edition=11th&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1911&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">G. Marin (1939) tounz in luːtʃu. <i>Le Maître Phonétique</i>, vol. 17 (54), no. 68, p. 66</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Or, rarely, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">Duuchuu</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">ドゥーチュー</span></span>)</span>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120111084819/http://ryukyu-lang.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/srnh/details.php?ID=SN44063">"語彙詳細 ― 首里・那覇方言"</a>. <a href="/wiki/University_of_the_Ryukyus" title="University of the Ryukyus">University of the Ryukyus</a>. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2007-05-06</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Radar+AMeDAS+Live%3A+Amami-Okinawa+Region+%28%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A1%E3%83%80%E3%82%B9%E5%AE%9F%E6%B3%81+%E5%A5%84%E7%BE%8E%E3%83%BB%E6%B2%96%E7%B8%84%E5%9C%B0%E6%96%B9%29&rft.pub=Weather+Service+Inc.+%28%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.otenki.co.jp%2Fre-ame%2Fhtml%2Fokinawa100.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Heinrich, Patrick et al. <i>Handbook of the Ryukyuan Languages</i>. 2015. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">June 13,</span> 2013</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Times&rft.atitle=Sentiment+Builds+in+China+to+Press+Claim+for+Okinawa&rft.date=2013-06-13&rft.aulast=Perlez&rft.aufirst=Jane&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2013%2F06%2F14%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsentiment-builds-in-china-to-press-claim-for-okinawa.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWelle_(www.dw.com)" class="citation web cs1">Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-wants-a-say-in-senkaku-talks/a-16684170">"Taiwan wants a say in Senkaku talks | DW | 09.04.2013"</a>. <i>DW.COM</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210506205808/https://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-wants-a-say-in-senkaku-talks/a-16684170">Archived</a> from the original on 2021-05-06<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2021-05-05</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=thediplomat.com&rft.atitle=Taiwan+President+Asserts+Sovereignty+Over+Disputed+Islands+Claimed+by+Japan+and+China&rft.aulast=Aspinwall&rft.aufirst=Nick&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fthediplomat.com%2F2020%2F06%2Ftaiwan-president-asserts-sovereignty-over-disputed-islands-claimed-by-japan-and-china%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Julius_Klaproth" title="Julius Klaproth">Klaproth, Julius</a>. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-03-09</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.env.go.jp&rft.atitle=Nature+in+Japan%3B+2-1%29+Topography%3B+2-1-1%29+Geographical+Features+and+Geological+History&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.env.go.jp%2Fearth%2Fcoop%2Fcoop%2Fmaterials%2F08-ttmnce%2F08-ttmnce-21.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bassi2023-55"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-bassi2023_55-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBassiIryuKinoshitaFujita2023" class="citation journal cs1">Bassi, Davide; Iryu, Yasufumi; Kinoshita, Shunichi; Fujita, Kazuhiko; Pignatti, Johannes (2023-10-15). Elliot, M. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">8 September</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Fieldiana%3AZool.+Vol.+32&rft.atitle=Preliminary+survey+of+the+amphibians+of+the+Riu+Kiu+Islands&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E297-%3C%2Fspan%3E352&rft.date=1947&rft.aulast=Inger&rft.aufirst=Robert+F.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.biodiversitylibrary.org%2Fitem%2F20957%23page%2F10%2Fmode%2F1up&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sources">Sources</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=30" title="Edit section: Sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239549316">.mw-parser-output .refbegin{margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul{margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{margin-left:0;padding-left:3.2em;text-indent:-3.2em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul,.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul li{list-style:none}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{padding-left:1.6em;text-indent:-1.6em}}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .refbegin{font-size:90%}}</style><div class="refbegin" style=""> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCaprio2014" class="citation book cs1">Caprio, Mark (2014). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=oj_IhRConN8C"><i>Japanese Assimilation Policies in Colonial Korea, 1910–1945</i></a>. University of Washington Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-295-99040-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-295-99040-8"><bdi>978-0-295-99040-8</bdi></a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210519232535/https://books.google.com/books?id=oj_IhRConN8C">Archived</a> from the original on 2021-05-19<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-07-15</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Japanese+Assimilation+Policies+in+Colonial+Korea%2C+1910%E2%80%931945&rft.pub=University+of+Washington+Press&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-0-295-99040-8&rft.aulast=Caprio&rft.aufirst=Mark&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Doj_IhRConN8C&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChristy2004" class="citation book cs1">Christy, Alan S. (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=4z_JJfG-hyYC">"The making of imperial subjects in Okinawa"</a>. In <a href="/wiki/Michael_Weiner_(professor)" title="Michael Weiner (professor)">Weiner, Michael</a> (ed.). <i>Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Modern Japan: Imagined and imaginary minorities</i>. Taylor & Francis. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-20857-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-415-20857-4"><bdi>978-0-415-20857-4</bdi></a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210519232532/https://books.google.com/books?id=4z_JJfG-hyYC">Archived</a> from the original on 2021-05-19<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-07-15</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=The+making+of+imperial+subjects+in+Okinawa&rft.btitle=Race%2C+Ethnicity+and+Migration+in+Modern+Japan%3A+Imagined+and+imaginary+minorities&rft.pub=Taylor+%26+Francis&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=978-0-415-20857-4&rft.aulast=Christy&rft.aufirst=Alan+S.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D4z_JJfG-hyYC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKang2010" class="citation book cs1">Kang, David C. (2010). <i>East Asia Before the West: Five Centuries of Trade and Tribute</i>. New York: Columbia University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780231153188" title="Special:BookSources/9780231153188"><bdi>9780231153188</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/562768984">562768984</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=East+Asia+Before+the+West%3A+Five+Centuries+of+Trade+and+Tribute&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=Columbia+University+Press&rft.date=2010&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F562768984&rft.isbn=9780231153188&rft.aulast=Kang&rft.aufirst=David+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDubinskyDavies2013" class="citation journal cs1">Dubinsky, Stanley; Davies, William (2013). <a href="/wiki/Steven_Heine" title="Steven Heine">Steven Heine</a> (ed.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278729134">"Language Conflict and Language Rights: The Ainu, Ryūkyūans, and Koreans in Japan"</a>. <i>Japan Studies Review</i>. <b>17</b>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1550-0713">1550-0713</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181023034728/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278729134">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-10-23<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-07-15</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Japan+Studies+Review&rft.atitle=Language+Conflict+and+Language+Rights%3A+The+Ainu%2C+Ry%C5%ABky%C5%ABans%2C+and+Koreans+in+Japan&rft.volume=17&rft.date=2013&rft.issn=1550-0713&rft.aulast=Dubinsky&rft.aufirst=Stanley&rft.au=Davies%2C+William&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F278729134&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFInoue2017" class="citation book cs1">Inoue, Masamichi S. (2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=TnsVoSw8hRgC"><i>Okinawa and the U.S. Military: Identity Making in the Age of Globalization</i></a>. Columbia University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-231-51114-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-231-51114-8"><bdi>978-0-231-51114-8</bdi></a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170217032309/https://books.google.com/books?id=TnsVoSw8hRgC">Archived</a> from the original on 2017-02-17<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-07-15</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Okinawa+and+the+U.S.+Military%3A+Identity+Making+in+the+Age+of+Globalization&rft.pub=Columbia+University+Press&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=978-0-231-51114-8&rft.aulast=Inoue&rft.aufirst=Masamichi+S.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DTnsVoSw8hRgC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRabson2008" class="citation journal cs1">Rabson, Steve (February 2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://apjjf.org/-Steve-Rabson/2667/article.html">"Okinawan Perspectives on Japan's Imperial Institution"</a>. <i>The Asia-Pacific Journal</i>. <b>6</b> (2). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812092152/https://apjjf.org/-Steve-Rabson/2667/article.html">Archived</a> from the original on 12 August 2020<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">8 February</span> 2017</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Asia-Pacific+Journal&rft.atitle=Okinawan+Perspectives+on+Japan%27s+Imperial+Institution&rft.volume=6&rft.issue=2&rft.date=2008-02&rft.aulast=Rabson&rft.aufirst=Steve&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fapjjf.org%2F-Steve-Rabson%2F2667%2Farticle.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNussbaumRoth2005" class="citation book cs1">Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric; Roth, Käthe (2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC"><i>Japan encyclopedia</i></a>. Cambridge, MA: <a href="/wiki/Harvard_University_Press" title="Harvard University Press">Harvard University Press</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-01753-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-674-01753-5"><bdi>978-0-674-01753-5</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/58053128">58053128</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161121092356/https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-11-21<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-10-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Japan+encyclopedia&rft.place=Cambridge%2C+MA&rft.pub=Harvard+University+Press&rft.date=2005&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F58053128&rft.isbn=978-0-674-01753-5&rft.aulast=Nussbaum&rft.aufirst=Louis-Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric&rft.au=Roth%2C+K%C3%A4the&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Dp2QnPijAEmEC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARyukyu+Islands" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><i>This article incorporates text from the 1878 edition of the </i>Globe Encyclopaedia of Universal Information<i>, a work in the public domain</i></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Ryukyu_Islands&action=edit&section=31" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.uchinanchu.org/uchinanchu/history_of_uchinanchu.htm">A Brief History of the Uchinanchu (Okinawans)</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160825091350/http://www.uchinanchu.org/uchinanchu/history_of_uchinanchu.htm">Archived</a> 2016-08-25 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Archives_of_Japan" title="National Archives of Japan">National Archives of Japan</a>: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080403190540/http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/kouseisai/category/emaki/ryukyutyuzan_e.html"><i>Ryukyu Chuzano ryoshisha tojogyoretsu</i>, scroll illustrating procession of Ryukyu emissary to Edo, <i>Hōei</i> 7 (1710)</a></li> <li>Historic maps in the <a href="/wiki/Perry%E2%80%93Casta%C3%B1eda_Library_Map_Collection" title="Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection">Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection</a> by the <a href="/wiki/Army_Map_Service" title="Army Map Service">Army Map Service</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/ryukyu_retto_50k/index.html">Ryukyu Retto 1:50,000 Series L791, 1943–1945 </a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol 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0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hokkaid%C5%8D" class="mw-redirect" title="Hokkaidō">Hokkaidō</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region" title="Tōhoku region">Tōhoku</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_region" title="Kantō region">Kantō</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Nanp%C5%8D_Islands" title="Nanpō Islands">Nanpō Islands</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ch%C5%ABbu_region" title="Chūbu region">Chūbu</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hokuriku_region" title="Hokuriku region">Hokuriku</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/K%C5%8Dshin%27etsu_region" title="Kōshin'etsu region">Kōshin'etsu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shin%27etsu_region" title="Shin'etsu region">Shin'etsu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/T%C5%8Dkai_region" title="Tōkai region">Tōkai</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kansai_region" title="Kansai region">Kansai</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ch%C5%ABgoku_region" title="Chūgoku region">Chūgoku</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/San%27in_region" title="San'in region">San'in</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/San%27y%C5%8D_region" title="San'yō region">San'yō</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shikoku" title="Shikoku">Shikoku</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ky%C5%ABsh%C5%AB" class="mw-redirect" title="Kyūshū">Kyūshū</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Northern_Kyushu" title="Northern Kyushu">Northern</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Southern_Kyushu" title="Southern Kyushu">Southern</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="2" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg/160px-Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg.png" decoding="async" width="160" height="212" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg/240px-Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg/320px-Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_-_blank.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="570" data-file-height="755" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Prefectures_of_Japan" title="Prefectures of Japan">Prefectures</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #FF8585"><a href="/wiki/Hokkaid%C5%8D" class="mw-redirect" title="Hokkaidō">Hokkaidō</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hokkaido" title="Hokkaido">Hokkaido</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #FFFB91"><a href="/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region" title="Tōhoku region">Tōhoku</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aomori_Prefecture" title="Aomori Prefecture">Aomori</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Akita_Prefecture" title="Akita Prefecture">Akita</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fukushima_Prefecture" title="Fukushima Prefecture">Fukushima</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iwate_Prefecture" title="Iwate Prefecture">Iwate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Miyagi_Prefecture" title="Miyagi Prefecture">Miyagi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yamagata_Prefecture" title="Yamagata Prefecture">Yamagata</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #79FF76"><a href="/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_region" title="Kantō region">Kantō</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Chiba_Prefecture" title="Chiba Prefecture">Chiba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gunma_Prefecture" title="Gunma Prefecture">Gunma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ibaraki_Prefecture" title="Ibaraki Prefecture">Ibaraki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kanagawa_Prefecture" title="Kanagawa Prefecture">Kanagawa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saitama_Prefecture" title="Saitama Prefecture">Saitama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tochigi_Prefecture" title="Tochigi Prefecture">Tochigi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tokyo" title="Tokyo">Tokyo</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #8BFFE8"><a href="/wiki/Ch%C5%ABbu_region" title="Chūbu region">Chūbu</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aichi_Prefecture" title="Aichi Prefecture">Aichi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fukui_Prefecture" title="Fukui Prefecture">Fukui</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gifu_Prefecture" title="Gifu Prefecture">Gifu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ishikawa_Prefecture" title="Ishikawa Prefecture">Ishikawa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nagano_Prefecture" title="Nagano Prefecture">Nagano</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Niigata_Prefecture" title="Niigata Prefecture">Niigata</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Toyama_Prefecture" title="Toyama Prefecture">Toyama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shizuoka_Prefecture" title="Shizuoka Prefecture">Shizuoka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yamanashi_Prefecture" title="Yamanashi Prefecture">Yamanashi</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #7272FF"><a href="/wiki/Kansai_region" title="Kansai region">Kansai</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hy%C5%8Dgo_Prefecture" title="Hyōgo Prefecture">Hyōgo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kyoto_Prefecture" title="Kyoto Prefecture">Kyoto</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mie_Prefecture" title="Mie Prefecture">Mie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shiga_Prefecture" title="Shiga Prefecture">Shiga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nara_Prefecture" title="Nara Prefecture">Nara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Osaka_Prefecture" title="Osaka Prefecture">Osaka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wakayama_Prefecture" title="Wakayama Prefecture">Wakayama</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #FF9148"><a href="/wiki/Ch%C5%ABgoku_region" title="Chūgoku region">Chūgoku</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hiroshima_Prefecture" title="Hiroshima Prefecture">Hiroshima</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Okayama_Prefecture" title="Okayama Prefecture">Okayama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shimane_Prefecture" title="Shimane Prefecture">Shimane</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tottori_Prefecture" title="Tottori Prefecture">Tottori</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yamaguchi_Prefecture" title="Yamaguchi Prefecture">Yamaguchi</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #D16EFF"><a href="/wiki/Shikoku" title="Shikoku">Shikoku</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ehime_Prefecture" title="Ehime Prefecture">Ehime</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kagawa_Prefecture" title="Kagawa Prefecture">Kagawa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/K%C5%8Dchi_Prefecture" title="Kōchi Prefecture">Kōchi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tokushima_Prefecture" title="Tokushima Prefecture">Tokushima</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;border-right: 4px solid #C5C5C5"><a href="/wiki/Ky%C5%ABsh%C5%AB" class="mw-redirect" title="Kyūshū">Kyūshū</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fukuoka_Prefecture" title="Fukuoka Prefecture">Fukuoka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kagoshima_Prefecture" title="Kagoshima Prefecture">Kagoshima</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kumamoto_Prefecture" title="Kumamoto Prefecture">Kumamoto</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Miyazaki_Prefecture" title="Miyazaki Prefecture">Miyazaki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nagasaki_Prefecture" title="Nagasaki Prefecture">Nagasaki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C5%8Cita_Prefecture" title="Ōita Prefecture">Ōita</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture" title="Okinawa Prefecture">Okinawa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saga_Prefecture" title="Saga Prefecture">Saga</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="3"><div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Regions_of_Japan" title="Category:Regions of Japan">Category</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="East_Asia500" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:East_Asian_topics" title="Template:East Asian topics"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:East_Asian_topics" title="Template talk:East Asian topics"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:East_Asian_topics" title="Special:EditPage/Template:East Asian topics"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="East_Asia500" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/East_Asia" title="East Asia">East Asia</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:East_Asian_countries" title="Category:East Asian countries">Countries and regions</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hong_Kong" title="Hong Kong">Hong Kong</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Macau" title="Macau">Macau</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mainland_China" title="Mainland China">Mainland</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Ryukyu</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mongolia" title="Mongolia">Mongolia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/North_Korea" title="North Korea">North Korea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/South_Korea" title="South Korea">South Korea</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Jeju_Province" title="Jeju Province">Jeju</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="10" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/East_Asia" title="East Asia"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/East_Asia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/80px-East_Asia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="80" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/East_Asia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/120px-East_Asia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/East_Asia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/160px-East_Asia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="541" data-file-height="541" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_people" title="East Asian people">Ethnic groups</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ainu_people" title="Ainu people">Ainu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Han_Chinese" title="Han Chinese">Han Chinese</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Han_Chinese_subgroups" title="Han Chinese subgroups">subgroups</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hui_people" title="Hui people">Hui</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Japanese_people" title="Japanese people">Japanese</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Yamato_people" title="Yamato people">Yamato</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Koreans" title="Koreans">Koreans</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Koreans_in_China" title="Koreans in China">in China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Koreans_in_Japan" title="Koreans in Japan">in Japan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sakhalin_Koreans" title="Sakhalin Koreans">in Sakhalin</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manchu_people" title="Manchu people">Manchu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Miao_people" title="Miao people">Miao</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mongolic_peoples" title="Mongolic peoples">Mongolic</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mongols" title="Mongols">Mongols</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mongols_in_China" title="Mongols in China">in China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khalkha_Mongols" title="Khalkha Mongols">Khalkha in Mongolia</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qiang_people" title="Qiang people">Qiang</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ryukyuans" title="Ryukyuans">Ryukyuans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taiwanese_indigenous_peoples" title="Taiwanese indigenous peoples">Indigenous Taiwanese</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tibetan_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Tibetan people">Tibetans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tujia_people" title="Tujia people">Tujia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Uyghurs" title="Uyghurs">Uyghurs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yi_people" title="Yi people">Yi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zhuang_people" title="Zhuang people">Zhuang</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_China" title="List of ethnic groups in China">other ethnic groups in China</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Unrecognized_ethnic_groups_in_China" title="Unrecognized ethnic groups in China">unrecognized</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Chinese_history" title="Ethnic groups in Chinese history">historical</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Culture_of_East_Asia" class="mw-redirect" title="Culture of East Asia">Culture</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning" title="East Asian age reckoning">Age reckoning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:East_Asian_architecture" title="Category:East Asian architecture">Architecture‎</a></li> <li>Art <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_art" title="Chinese art">Chinese</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Japanese_art" title="Japanese art">Japanese</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Korean_art" title="Korean art">Korean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taiwanese_art" title="Taiwanese art">Taiwanese</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_blepharoplasty" title="East Asian blepharoplasty">Blepharoplasty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Buddhism" title="East Asian Buddhism">Buddhism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_calligraphy" class="mw-redirect" title="East Asian calligraphy">Calligraphy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_cinema" class="mw-redirect" title="East Asian cinema">Cinema</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_cuisine" class="mw-redirect" title="East Asian cuisine">Cuisine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sinosphere" title="Sinosphere">Sinosphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Dance_in_East_Asia" title="Category:Dance in East Asia">Dance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_knotting" title="Chinese knotting">Chinese knotting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_dragon" title="Chinese dragon">Chinese dragon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Cultural_festivals_in_East_Asia" title="Category:Cultural festivals in East Asia">Festivals</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Garden_design#East_Asian_gardens" title="Garden design">Gardens</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_characters" title="Chinese characters">Chinese characters</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_hip-and-gable_roof" title="East Asian hip-and-gable roof">Hip-and-gable roof</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Languages_of_East_Asia" title="Languages of East Asia">Languages</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_literature" title="East Asian literature">Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_M%C4%81dhyamaka" title="East Asian Mādhyamaka">Mādhyamaka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Music_of_East_Asia" title="Category:Music of East Asia">Music</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:East_Asian_mythology" title="Category:East Asian mythology">Mythology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eastern_philosophy" title="Eastern philosophy">Philosophy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_religions" title="East Asian religions">Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Horizontal_and_vertical_writing_in_East_Asian_scripts" title="Horizontal and vertical writing in East Asian scripts">Scripts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seal_(East_Asia)" class="mw-redirect" title="Seal (East Asia)">Seal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sino-Xenic_pronunciations" class="mw-redirect" title="Sino-Xenic pronunciations">Sino-Xenic pronunciations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lists_of_East_Asian_surnames" title="Lists of East Asian surnames">Surnames</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Television_in_East_Asia" title="Category:Television in East Asia">Television</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_typography" title="East Asian typography">Typography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Yog%C4%81c%C4%81ra" title="East Asian Yogācāra">Yogācāra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_zodiac" title="Chinese zodiac">Chinese zodiac</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Environment_of_East_Asia" title="Category:Environment of East Asia">Environment</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/East_Asia_Climate_Partnership" title="East Asia Climate Partnership">East Asia Climate Partnership</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Monsoon" class="mw-redirect" title="East Asian Monsoon">Monsoon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_rainy_season" title="East Asian rainy season">Rainy season</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Asiatic_Region" class="mw-redirect" title="Eastern Asiatic Region">Flora</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Economy_of_East_Asia" title="Economy of East Asia">Economy</a> and <a href="/wiki/Category:Politics_of_East_Asia" title="Category:Politics of East Asia">Politics</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/China%E2%80%93Japan%E2%80%93South_Korea_trilateral_summit" title="China–Japan–South Korea trilateral summit">China–Japan–South Korea trilateral summit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comprehensive_Economic_Partnership_for_East_Asia" title="Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia">Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_model" title="East Asian model">Capitalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asia_Summit" title="East Asia Summit">East Asia Summit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Bureau_of_Economic_Research" title="East Asian Bureau of Economic Research">East Asian Bureau of Economic Research</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Community" title="East Asian Community">East Asian Community</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Four_Asian_Tigers" title="Four Asian Tigers">Four Asian Tigers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_rights_in_East_Asia" title="Human rights in East Asia">Human rights in East Asia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_ports_and_harbors_of_the_Pacific_Ocean" title="List of ports and harbors of the Pacific Ocean">Ports</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Asian_stock_exchanges#East_Asian" title="List of Asian stock exchanges">Stock exchanges</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/History_of_East_Asia" title="History of East Asia">History</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Archaeology_of_East_Asia" title="Category:Archaeology of East Asia">Archaeology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Archaeological_cultures_of_East_Asia" title="Category:Archaeological cultures of East Asia">Archaeological cultures</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Bronze_Age" class="mw-redirect" title="East Asian Bronze Age">Bronze Age</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iron_Age#East_Asia" title="Iron Age">Iron Age</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Former_countries_in_East_Asia" title="Category:Former countries in East Asia">Former countries</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Sport_in_East_Asia" title="Category:Sport in East Asia">Sports</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/China%E2%80%93Japan%E2%80%93Korea_Friendship_Athletic_Meeting" title="China–Japan–Korea Friendship Athletic Meeting">China–Japan–Korea Friendship Athletic Meeting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Football_Federation" title="East Asian Football Federation">East Asian Football Federation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Games" title="East Asian Games">East Asian Games</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Judo_Championships" title="East Asian Judo Championships">East Asian Judo Championships</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:East_Asian_martial_arts" title="Category:East Asian martial arts">East Asian martial arts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Youth_Games" title="East Asian Youth Games">East Asian Youth Games</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/EAFF_E-1_Football_Championship" title="EAFF E-1 Football Championship">EAFF E-1 Football Championship</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Education_in_East_Asia" title="Category:Education in East Asia">Education</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Association_of_East_Asian_Research_Universities" title="Association of East Asian Research Universities">Association of East Asian Research Universities</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CrossAsia" title="CrossAsia">CrossAsia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Asian_Economic_Review" title="East Asian Economic 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