Ryukyuan people

Ryukyuan people (Japanese: 琉球民族, Ryūkyū minzoku; Okinawan: ウチナンチュ, Uchinanchu) are the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan between the islands of Kyūshū and Taiwan. The generally recognized subgroups of Ryukyuans are Amami people, Okinawans, Miyako people, and Yaeyama people. Geographically, they live in either Okinawa Prefecture or Kagoshima Prefecture. Their languages make up the Ryukyuan language family, one of the two branches of the Japonic language family, the other one being Japanese and its dialects. These languages are in fact, very different from Japanese and cannot be understood by a native Japanese speaker without some effort.

Ryukyuan ethnic identity and pride

The culture of Ryukyuans, though closely related to Japanese culture, is nonetheless distinctive in that it historically received much more influence from China and has separate political and religious traditions. The Ryukyuan people's marine environmental protection awareness is very strong. Traditionally, Okinawans have a very tightly-knit family life and enjoy close personal friendships, which contributes to dietary factors that make Uchinanchu among the longest-lived people in the world. Uchinanchu, while almost completely intermixed with Japanese, Chinese and other races, tend to see themselves as bound together by their home island and, especially among older Uchinanchu, will always consider themselves from Okinawa ("Uchinā" in Okinawan) first and Japan second.

Okinawan food is rich in vitamins and minerals and is a good balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Although rice is a staple food, pork, seaweed, rich miso (fermented soybean) pastes, and black sugar all feature prominently in native cuisine. Most famous to tourists is the bitter melon, gōya, which is often mixed into a rice dish called gōya champurū. The taste of goya can best be described as an acquired taste by some, but others will describe its unique flavor as one that is approximated by no other vegetable, as it has the taste of "a demon's bitter toenails."

Native Uchina religion places strong emphasis upon the role of the women in the community, with women holding positions as shamans and guardians of the home and hearth. Shi-shi lion dog statues can often be seen on or in front of houses—this relates to the ancient Uchina belief that the male spirit is the spirit of the outside and the female spirit is the spirit of the inside. To prevent the negative interaction or conquering of the inside spirit by the outside, the male spirits will go into the shi-shi statues while the man is inside and enter him again when he leaves. Most Okinawans are not serious adherents to this religion anymore, but many older Uchinanchu try to teach about the old ways, including dances and the language.

Uchinanchu are known as a peaceful people and have always considered the arts and music as more honorable than combat skills, but if need be they will defend their honour. This can be evidenced by the revelation that, in feudal Japan, it was almost mandatory to show martial awareness by keeping a daishō (matched pair of large and small swords) in the tokonoma (living room alcove), but Uchinanchu always had a sanshin (a sort of Asian guitar or lute) in their tokonoma.

In modern times, the old dances and songs are making a resurgence as young Uchinanchu and even foreigners with mixed blood get more into their unique culture. Once again the sanshin and chants can be heard over fires at the festivals.

During the occupation by Japan in the mid-15th–16th centuries, the Uchinanchu were completely disarmed of all bladed weapons by the Japanese (who feared revolt). The techniques of self-defense and using farm tools as weapons against armed opponents—called Karate by today's martial artists—was created totally by Uchinanchu who probably incorporated some gong fu and native techniques from China into a complete system of attack and defense known simply as Te (literally meaning "hand(s)," but with a strong connotation of "manoeuvre(s)"). There are several offshoots of this martial art, Shorin-Ryu being one of them. These martial arts are also making a resurgence in Okinawa as young people once again look to their ancient past for a proud tradition of self-defense and inner calm.

The kamekōbaka is the traditional Ryukyuan family tomb

History

Main article: History of Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu islands were unified by the Ryukyuan Kingdom in the 12th century. The islands paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty of China, and later to the Qing Dynasty. In the early 17th century, however, the Ryukyuan Kingdom was conquered by the Satsuma-han of Kyūshū. The Satsuma domain kept the kingdom nominally alive because of the benefit from trade with China, although the Amami Archipelago came under the full control of Satsuma. During the Meiji period, the kingdom was formally abolished and Okinawa prefecture was established.

After World War II, the Ryukyus, like the rest of Japan, were occupied by the U.S., but the U.S. maintained control of Okinawa even after the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco, which went into effect on April 28, 1952. Many soldiers stationed in the Ryukyu islands during World War II took aboriginal brides with them once the war ended. Twenty years later, in 1972, the Ryukyus were returned to Japan. However, social and political conflict persist concerning the perceived ongoing discrimination by mainland Japanese people. Furthermore, due in part to the intense fighting in the islands during World War II, many Ryukyuans are strongly anti-military. Okinawa comprises just 0.6% of Japan's total land mass, yet U.S. military bases use about 10% of all the land in the Ryukyus, including 18.8% of the land on Okinawa Island itself. Many feel that they bear more than their fair share of the U.S.-Japan security alliance, and the presence of the military remains an issue in local politics.

First documentation and origins of Ryukyuan people

Chinese historical writings first mentioned the Ryukyus during the 6th-7th centuries (the Sui Dynasty). The Ryukyu Islands were inhabited early in historical times, perhaps by sea-faring Austronesian peoples whose horticulture and navigation technologies spread from what is now the southeastern coast of China to Taiwan, the Philippines, the Malayo-Indonesian islands, Polynesia, Melanesia, and Madagascar. While there is evidence of early habitation, the current population of the Ryukyus is of the same basic genealogical stock as the mainland Japanese, though with a relatively higher contribution of Jōmon elements.

The kinship between the Ryukyuan languages and the Japanese language suggests a common origin in the language of immigrants from continental Asia to the archipelago. See the articles on the Yayoi and Kofun cultures for more.

Further reading

• Essays on Okinawa Problems by Masahide Ota. Yui Shuppan Co.: Gushikawa City, Okinawa, Japan, 2000. ISBN# 4-946539-10-7 C0036. An excellent collection of essays by a peace activist and former governor of Okinawa. Among the issues it discusses are those affecting the development of Ryukyuan identity.

See also

• Ryukyu independence movement
• List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
• Okinawan Samurai
• Okinawa prefecture
• History of Ryukyu Islands
• Ryukyuan religion
• Ryukyu Independent Party
• Ethnic issues in Japan
• Government of the Ryukyu Islands
• Jōmon people
  • Ainu people
• Yayoi people
  • Yamato people
• Battle of Okinawa
• Ethnocide

External links

• Okinawa Peace Network of Los Angeles, featuring information about Ryukyuan culture worldwide
• Inside Story: JAPAN, THE NEW BATTLE FOR OKINAWA (Asia Week)
• The Politics of Uchinau