History of the Ryukyu Islands

The history of the Ryukyu Islands encompasses early island communities, the independent Ryukyu Kingdom, its subordination to Satsuma and incorporation into Japan, and its modern political and cultural development.

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Shell Mound Period: A prehistoric period in the Ryukyu Islands marked by shell-midden communities and distinctive pottery. Its island communities precede the political formations that later unified under the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Tributary system: A set of diplomatic and trade relationships in which states acknowledged China's imperial hierarchy through tribute missions. Ryukyu secured trade and diplomatic recognition through regular missions to Ming and Qing China.
Battle of Okinawa: A major 1945 battle between Japanese and Allied forces fought on Okinawa during World War II. The battle devastated the islands and caused extensive civilian deaths.
Ryukyu independence movement: Political advocacy for independence or greater self-determination for the Ryukyu Islands, especially Okinawa. Its claims challenge the legitimacy and consequences of the kingdom's incorporation into Japan.
Gusuku: A fortified site or castle in the Ryukyu Islands, often associated with local rulers and sacred spaces. Gusuku sites reflect the growth of local power before the kingdom's formation.
Ryukyu–Ming relations: The diplomatic and commercial relationship between the Ryukyu Kingdom and China's Ming dynasty. Ming recognition and trade helped sustain the kingdom's regional standing.
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands: The United States government that administered the Ryukyu Islands after World War II until Okinawa's reversion to Japan. U.S. rule followed the battle and reshaped the islands' political and military landscape.
Okinawa independence: The proposal that Okinawa should become a sovereign state separate from Japan. It turns historical arguments about annexation into a contemporary political alternative.
Sanzan Period: The fourteenth- and early fifteenth-century division of Okinawa Island among the polities of Hokuzan, Chūzan, and Nanzan. The three rival polities were unified into the Ryukyu Kingdom in the fifteenth century.
Invasion of Ryukyu: The 1609 invasion of the Ryukyu Kingdom by forces of the Japanese domain of Satsuma. The invasion began a long period of constrained sovereignty under Satsuma.