Ryukyu Islands

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Japan

The archipelago defines the boundary between the East China Sea (west) and the Philippine Sea (east). With a total land area of 1,193 square miles (3,090 square km), the Ryukyus consist of 55 islands and islets divided into three major groups: the Amami island chain in the north, the central Okinawa islands, and the Sakishima islands in the south.

Typhoon Chaba over the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Administratively, the Ryukyus are part of Japan, the Amami group constituting a southern extension of Kyushu's Kagoshima prefecture (ken) and the Okinawa and Sakishima islands making up Okinawa prefecture. The two largest islands are Okinawa (465 square miles [1,204 square km]) and Amami Great Island (275 square miles [712 square km]). The larger islands are generally volcanic in origin and have mountainous terrain, while most of the smaller islands are coralline and relatively flat. The climate is subtropical with considerable rainfall, and the archipelago is subject to annual typhoons.

The people of the islands are thought to be descendants of Japanese and Southeast Asians who migrated to the Ryukyus in prehistoric times.

The Ryukyuan language, which is classified with Japanese, consists of three dialect groups corresponding to the main island clusters. There is no mutual intelligibility between these dialects and Japanese nor among the dialect groups. Japanese is commonly spoken by the majority of the Ryukyuans, but local dialects are also used.

The descent of the modern-day Ryukyuanis disputed. One theory claims that the earliest inhabitants of these islands crossed a prehistoric land bridge from modern-day China, with later additions of Malays, Micronesians, and Japanese merging into the population. Another theory, based mostly on evidence from studies of physical anthropology and genetic research, proposes that the modern Ryukyuans and people of Southern Kyushu are more closely related to the prehistoric inhabitants of the Japanese islands.

Near the end of the sixteenth century, Japanese feudal leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the Ryukyu kingdom to support Hideyoshi’s invasions of Korea with men and arms. However, the kingdom was already a tribute state of China. The kingdom’s policy was to not participate in military efforts against China, and they certainly did not wish to risk losing their Chinese trade. The Japanese proceeded with their attack on the Korean peninsula without the aid of the Ryukyu kingdom. During this same period a ferocious battle of succession arose in the Ryukyu kingdom due to the death of Hideyoshi. The Shimazu clan of Satsuma, the nearest Japanese neighbors of the kingdom, were the victors.

The Shimazu introduced the policy of banning sword ownership by commoners, which was already well established on the mainland. This lead to the development of the indigenous martial art karate, which utilizes domestic items as weapons. Perry’s “black ships”, official envoys from the United States, came in 1853. The Ryukyu kingdom was formally annexed to Japan, as Okinawa Prefecture, by the Meiji government in 1879. The monarchy in Shuri was abolished. Hostility against mainland Japan increased in the Ryukyus immediately after its annexation to Japan. Japan introduced modern institutions, based on Western models, including public education using standard Japanese. This increased the number of Japanese language speakers on the islands, creating a link with the mainland. When Japan became the dominant power of the Far East, many Ryukyuans were proud of being citizens of the Empire. However, there was always an undercurrent of dissatisfaction for being treated as a second class citizens. For example, during an earlier part of the Meiji era, Japan offered the Ryukyu islands to the Qing Dynasty in exchange for treaty concessions, though the negotiation eventually failed.

January 27, 1855, Atlas, London, United Kingdom

TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE LOO-CHOO ISLANDS.

Commodore Perry in the Ryukyu Islands.

This treaty, made by Commodore Perry, and now before the American Senate, guarantees to citizens of the United States who visit the islands courteous and friendly treatment, and provides that they may purchase whatever they desire, at reasonable prices. Ships of the United States are permitted to go into any of the ports under Loo-Choo jurisdiction, for wood and water; but the port of Napa only is opened for purposes of general trade.

Lew Chew, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, 1856

Citizens of the United States visiting the islands in ships are to be allowed to ramble freely on shore, without surveillance; but if they "violently entger any house, or trifle with women, or force people to sell them things," or do any other illegal act, they are subject to arrest by the local authorities, and to be delivered up to the commander of their vessels for punishment.

Pilots to take vessels in and out of port are to be provided by the Government, a pilotage fee of 5 dollars in each case to be charged. If American vessels are wrecked upon the Loo-Choo coasts, the local authorities are to afford prompt assistance to save lives and property, the expenses thereof to be refunded by the United States. The price of wood for vessels is fixed at Napa at "3,600 copper cash per thousand catties;" and of water at "600 copper cash," or 43 cents., for 1,000 catties, or six barrels, full, each containing 30 gallons. Finally, a burial place for Americans is provided at Tumai.

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1899. World's Fleet. Boston Daily Globe

Lloyds Register of Shipping gives the entire fleet of the world as 28,180 steamers and sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,673,628, of which 39 perent are British.

Great Britain	10,990 vessels, total tonnage of 10,792,714
United States	3,010 vessels, total tonnage of 2,405,887
Norway	2,528 vessels, tonnage of 1,604,230
Germany	1,676 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,453,334, in which are included her particularly large ships.
Sweden	1,408 vessels with a tonnage of 643, 527
Italy	1,150 vessels
France	1,182 vessels

For Historical Comparison
Top 10 Maritime Nations Ranked by Value (2017)

	Country	# of Vessels	Gross Tonnage (m)	Total Value (USDbn)
1	Greece	4,453	206.47	$88.0
2	Japan	4,317	150.26	$79.8
3	China	4,938	159.71	$71.7
4	USA	2,399	55.92	$46.5
5	Singapore	2,662	64.03	$41.7
6	Norway	1,668	39.68	$41.1
7	Germany	2,923	81.17	$30.3
8	UK	883	28.78	$24.3
9	Denmark	1,040	36.17	$23.4
10	South Korea	1,484	49.88	$20.1
Total		26,767	87.21	$466.9