Ryukyu Islands Facts & Worksheets

The Ryukyu Islands, also called the Nansei Islands, is a chain of islands stretching from the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu to Taiwan.

See the fact file below for more information on the Ryukyu Islands, or you can download our 27-page Ryukyu Islands worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

NAMES AND EXTENTS

• The name “Ryūkyū” is derived from Chinese writings and means a  “glazed horn dragon”.
• The term “Ryukyu” has different meanings in English and Japanese. The name Ryukyu could be applied to the entire series of islands in English. In Japanese, Ryukyu typically refers to the islands which were originally part of the Ryukyu Kingdom after 1624.
• Nansei-shotō (南西諸島) is the official Japanese name for the entire island chain.
• The name Ryūkyū (琉球) is closely associated with the Ryukyu Kingdom, a kingdom that arose from the Okinawa Islands and conquered the Sakishima and Amami Islands. 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Early History. In the Prehistoric Period, the modern-day Ryukyuan people’s ancestry is disputed. The first inhabitants of these islands arrived through a prehistoric land bridge from modern-day China, with Austronesians, Micronesians, and Japanese later joining the population.
• In the Shunten Dynasty and the Eiso Dynasty, The first Ryukyu history was written in Chūzan Seikan (“Mirrors of Chūzan”), compiled by Shō Shōken (1617–75). The Ryukyuan creation myth is told, which includes the establishment of Tenson as the first king of the islands and the birth of the Noro, Ryukyuan female priestesses.
• In the Gusuku period, the porcelain trade between Okinawa and other countries became active. Ryukyuan kings, including Shunten and Eiso, were regarded as essential governors. Kublai Khan demanded that Ryukyu submit to Mongol suzerainty in 1272, but King Eiso refused. The Mongol envoys returned in 1276 but were chased off the island by the Ryukyuans.
• Three-Kingdom period. This period, also known as the  Sanzan period, lasted from 1322 until 1429.
• In 1404, Shō Hashi (1372–1439) conquered Chūzan, the middle kingdom, and equipped his father, Shō Shishō, as king. In 1416, he beat Hokuzan, the northern kingdom, and in 1429, he conquered Nanzan, the southern kingdom, uniting the three kingdoms into a single Ryukyu Kingdom.
• The Ryukyu Kingdom. In 1429, King Shō Hashi completed the unification of the three kingdoms and established the Ryukyu Kingdom, with Shuri Castle as its capital. Shō Shin was the third king of the Second Sho Dynasty. His reign is known as the “Great Days of Chūzan.”
• In April 1609, the Shimazu clan of Japan’s Satsuma Domain invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom. The Shimazu implemented a policy prohibiting commoners from owning swords. This resulted in the evolution of indigenous Okinawan martial arts, which employ household items as weapons.
• The Ryukyu Kingdom was reconfigured as a feudal domain in 1872. The people were described as a “connecting link” between the Chinese and the Japanese.
• Okinawa Prefecture. Japan declared its intention to annex the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879. China objected and requested that former U.S. President Ulysses Grant, who was on a diplomatic tour of Asia then, be asked to intervene. When the negotiation fell through, Japan annexed the entire Ryukyu archipelago. 
• Japan abolished Ryukyuan culture, including language, religion, and cultural practices. Japan established a system of public education that prohibited the use of any language other than standard Japanese and shamed students who did so by making them wear plaques around their necks, labeling them as “Dialect speakers”.
• Okinawa and World War II. During World War II, the US president asked its ally, the Republic of China, if it would claim the Ryukyus after the war. The President then addressed the Ryukyu Islands issue, inquiring several times whether China would want the Ryukyus.
• The Generalissimo responded that China would accept the joint occupation of the Ryukyus by China and the US, followed by joint administration by the two countries under the trusteeship of an international organization.
• Post-war Occupation. After the war, the islands were occupied by the United States and governed by the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands from 1945 to 1950, when it was replaced by the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, which also established the Ryukyu Islands Government in 1952.

GEOGRAPHY

•  The Ryukyu Islands extend 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) southwestward from Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island, to northeastern Taiwan. The island chain separates the East China Sea to the west and the Philippine Sea to the east. 
• The Ryukyus are made up of 55 islands and islets that are separated into three main categories with an overall surface of 1,193 square miles (3,090 square kilometers): the Amami island group in the northwest, the central Okinawa islands, and the Sakishima islands in the southeast.

CLIMATE

• The climate in the Ryukyu Islands is subtropical, with heavy rainfall, and the archipelago is subject to typhoons every year.
• The islands’ climate varies from humid subtropical in the north to tropical rainforest in the south. The rainy season and typhoons have a high impact on precipitation.

POPULATION

•  The Meiji government suppressed Ryukyuan ethnic identity, tradition, culture, and language during the Meiji Period to assimilate the Ryukyuan people as Japanese.
• The island chain’s residents are Japanese nationals. Labeling them as Japanese has no problems with the Osumi and Tokara Islands in the north. Still, there are issues with the ethnicity of the residents of the island chain’s central and southern groups.
• Ryukyuans (琉球人, Ryūkyūjin) are natives of the Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands who share a common ancestry. 
• However, the residents of the Ryukyu Islands no longer identify as such, although they believe they are distinct from the Japanese, whom they refer to as “Yamato” or “Naicha.” They now usually express themselves as natives of a specific island. 

RELIGION

• Ancestor worship (more precisely, “ancestor respect”) and the reverence of connections among the living, deceased, and the deities and spirits of the natural world define the indigenous Ryukyuan religion. 
• Most of its beliefs, including those relating to local spirits and a variety of other beings classed as gods or people, serve as reminders of its animistic origins.
• Ryukyuan religious practice has been influenced by Chinese religions (Taoism, Confucianism, and folk beliefs), Buddhism, and Japanese Shinto.

LANGUAGE

• The Ryukyuan languages are prevalent on Japan’s southernmost archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands.
• Lewchewan or Luchuan are the indigenous languages of the Ryukyu Islands, the southernmost part of the Japanese archipelago. They are part of the Japonic language family, along with the Japanese and Hachijō languages.
• Although Japanese is spoken on the Ryukyu Islands, the Ryukyu and Japanese languages are incomprehensible to one another. 
• It is unidentified how many speakers of these languages remain, but language shifts toward Standard Japanese and dialects such as Okinawan Japanese have resulted in their extinction.

Ryukyu Islands Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Rhukyu Islands across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Rhukyu Islands, a chain of islands stretching from the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu to Taiwan.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Ryukyu Islands Facts 
2. Sailing Time!
3. Fact Tags
4. EYEdentify the eyeLAND
5. Mark The Year
6. Wave of FLAGS
7. Vlog #1: Ryukyu Islands
8. Island Slam Book
9. Ryukyu-Haiku
10. My Goddess of Ryukyu
11. Between The Two 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the Ryukyu Islands located?

The Ryukyu Islands are a chain of islands located in the western Pacific Ocean, between Japan and Taiwan. They stretch from Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan, to within a short distance of Taiwan.

What is the capital city of Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands?

The capital city of Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, is Naha. Naha is not only the political and economic center of Okinawa Prefecture but also a major cultural and transportation hub.

What is the traditional culture of the Ryukyu Islands known for?

The traditional culture of the Ryukyu Islands, often referred to as Ryukyuan culture, is known for its unique blend of indigenous Okinawan customs, Chinese influences, and Japanese traditions. It includes distinctive music, dance, cuisine, and martial arts.

What is the historical significance of the Ryukyu Kingdom?

The Ryukyu Kingdom, which existed from the 15th to the 19th century, played a crucial role as a maritime trading and cultural intermediary between Japan, China, and other Southeast Asian nations. It served as a vital link in East Asian trade routes.

What is the modern status of the Ryukyu Islands within Japan?

Today, the Ryukyu Islands are part of Japan and make up Okinawa Prefecture. However, there has been historical and ongoing debate and activism regarding the status of the Ryukyu Islands, with some advocating for increased autonomy or even independence from Japan.

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