Like several of our other destinations, the Ryukyu Islands have more than one name. They are also known as the Nansei Shoto (Southwest Islands) and Ryukyu Retto. Alternatively, the northern bunch of the islands is known as the Satsunan Shoto and the southern half as Ryukyu Shoto. If that's not enough, from about 1829 until 1950, they were also known as Loo-Choo, Lu-Tchu, Lieu-Baeu, Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew (from Mandarin Liuqiu).
The islands kind of arc out from the southern tip of Japan and swing around nearly to Taiwan.
The islands were semi-independent for much of their history, though they lacked an organized military which made them quite literally sitting ducks for any world power that wanted to overtake them. In fact, China and Japan both colonized and claimed them and for a goodly portion of their history, the independent kingdoms in the Ryukyu Islands paid tribute both to the Chinese Emperor and the Japanese Shogun.
In 1879, Japan decided that the Ryukyu Islands were theirs. China appealed to President Ulysses S. Grant to arbitrate the claim, and USG decided Japan's claim was stronger. Ryukyu has been a part of Japan since.
Okinawa (above) and Yonaguni (below) are just two of these islands.
According to Wikipedia, "An article in the 1878 edition of the
'Globe Encyclopaedia of Universal Information' " (sounds like a handy thing to have, doesn't it?) states that "the islands enjoy a magnificent climate, and are highly cultivated and very productive."
Sounds nice, doesn't it?
Like several of our other destinations, the Ryukyu Islands have more than one name. They are also known as the Nansei Shoto (Southwest Islands) and Ryukyu Retto. Alternatively, the northern bunch of the islands is known as the Satsunan Shoto and the southern half as Ryukyu Shoto. If that's not enough, from about 1829 until 1950, they were also known as Loo-Choo, Lu-Tchu, Lieu-Baeu, Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew (from Mandarin Liuqiu).
The islands kind of arc out from the southern tip of Japan and swing around nearly to Taiwan.
The islands were semi-independent for much of their history, though they lacked an organized military which made them quite literally sitting ducks for any world power that wanted to overtake them. In fact, China and Japan both colonized and claimed them and for a goodly portion of their history, the independent kingdoms in the Ryukyu Islands paid tribute both to the Chinese Emperor and the Japanese Shogun.
In 1879, Japan decided that the Ryukyu Islands were theirs. China appealed to President Ulysses S. Grant to arbitrate the claim, and USG decided Japan's claim was stronger. Ryukyu has been a part of Japan since.
Okinawa (above) and Yonaguni (below) are just two of these islands.
According to Wikipedia, "An article in the 1878 edition of the 'Globe Encyclopaedia of Universal Information' " (sounds like a handy thing to have, doesn't it?) states that "the islands enjoy a magnificent climate, and are highly cultivated and very productive."
Sounds nice, doesn't it?
