Sakishima Islands
Encyclopedia
Okinawan language
Central Okinawan, or simply Okinawan , is a Northern Ryukyuan language spoken primarily in the southern half of the island of Okinawa, as well as in the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kumejima, Tonaki, Aguni, and a number of smaller peripheral islands...
: Sachishima) are an island chain located at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago
Japanese Archipelago
The , which forms the country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland, washing upon the northwestern shores of the Pacific Ocean...
. They are part of the Nansei Islands and include the Miyako Islands
Miyako Islands
The are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, east of the Yaeyama Islands.-Islands grouping:*Japanese Archipelago**Nansei Islands***Ryūkyū Shotō****Sakishima Islands*****Miyako Islands-Inhabited islands:*Miyako Islands...
and the Yaeyama Islands
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains Japan's most southern and most western inhabited islands.The islands form the southern part of the volcanic Nansei Islands...
. The islands are administered as part of Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Islands grouping
- Nansei Islands
- Ryūkyū ShotōRyūkyū Shotōis a geographic division of Japan refers to the islands of Ryukyu Islands under administration of Okinawa Prefecture.The Okinawa Prefecture is an archipelagic island prefecture.-Major islands:...
- Sakishima Islands
- Miyako IslandsMiyako IslandsThe are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, east of the Yaeyama Islands.-Islands grouping:*Japanese Archipelago**Nansei Islands***Ryūkyū Shotō****Sakishima Islands*****Miyako Islands-Inhabited islands:*Miyako Islands...
- Yaeyama IslandsYaeyama IslandsThe Yaeyama Islands are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains Japan's most southern and most western inhabited islands.The islands form the southern part of the volcanic Nansei Islands...
- Senkaku IslandsSenkaku IslandsThe , also known as the Diaoyu Islands or Diaoyutai Islands or the Pinnacle Islands, are a group of disputed uninhabited islands in the East China Sea...
(also claimed by the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and the Republic of ChinaRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
on Taiwan)
- Miyako Islands
- Sakishima Islands
- Ryūkyū Shotō
Inhabited islands
Sakishima Islands- Miyako IslandsMiyako IslandsThe are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, east of the Yaeyama Islands.-Islands grouping:*Japanese Archipelago**Nansei Islands***Ryūkyū Shotō****Sakishima Islands*****Miyako Islands-Inhabited islands:*Miyako Islands...
(former Miyako SubprefectureMiyako Subprefectureis a subprefecture of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.It includes the following cities and towns of Miyako Islands:*Miyakojima *Tarama...
)- Miyakojima City
Miyakojima, Okinawais a city on several islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It was formed on October 1, 2005 by the merger of the old city of Hirara, the towns of Gusukube, Irabu and Shimoji, and the village of Ueno, all from Miyako District, which as a result of the merger has one remaining village.Miyakojima has...
- Ikema IslandIkemajimais located to the north of the Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The surface area is 2.6 km². The island is connected with Miyako Island with a 1592 metre bridge. There is a pond in the centre of the island. To the north-east is the ....
(Ikema-jima) - Irabu Island (Irabu-jima)
- Kurima Island (Kurima-jima)
- Miyako IslandMiyako-jimaMiyakojima is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It lies approximately 400 kilometres east of Taipei, Taiwan...
(Miyako-jima) - Ōgami Island (Ōgami-jima)
- Shimoji IslandShimojishimais one of the Miyako Islands, a part of the Nansei Islands. The island is administered by Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.Shimojishima is the main setting for the anime series Stratos 4.Shimojishima Airport serves the island....
(Shimoji-shima)
- Ikema Island
- Tarama Village
Tarama, Okinawais a village located in Miyako District, Okinawa, Japan. The village consists of Tarama Island and Minna Island between Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island....
- Minna IslandMinnajima (Tarama, Okinawa)is an island in the Miyako Islands in the jurisdiction of Tarama, Miyako District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan....
(Minna-jima) - Tarama Island (Tarama-jima)
- Minna Island
- Yaeyama IslandsYaeyama IslandsThe Yaeyama Islands are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains Japan's most southern and most western inhabited islands.The islands form the southern part of the volcanic Nansei Islands...
(former Yaeyama SubprefectureYaeyama Subprefectureis a subprefecture of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.It includes the following cities and towns of Yaeyama and Senkaku Islands:*Ishigaki *Taketomi...
)- Ishigaki City
Ishigaki, OkinawaIshigaki is an island west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group. It is within the City of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago...
- Ishigaki IslandIshigaki*Ishigaki Island*Ishigaki, Okinawa*Ishigaki Airport*Japanese escort Ishigaki*Ai Ishigaki , guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets*Ishigaki Rin...
(Ishigaki-jima)
- Ishigaki Island
- Taketomi Town
Taketomi, Okinawais a town located in Yaeyama District, Okinawa, Japan. The town includes all of the islands in the Yaeyama District excluding Ishigaki, Yonaguni, and the Senkaku Islands. This includes the islands of Iriomote, Taketomi, Kohama, Kuroshima, Hateruma, and Hatoma...
- Aragusuku Island (Aragusuku-jima)
- Hateruma IslandHaterumaHateruma is an island in the Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Part of the town Taketomi, it is the southern-most inhabited island in Japan at 24°2’25” north latitude, 123°47’16” east longitude...
(Hateruma-jima) - Iriomote IslandIriomoteIriomote is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself....
(Iriomote-jima) - Kohama IslandKohamajima, or Kohama Island, is an island in the Yaeyama Islands group at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands chain, and part of Taketomi, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island has an area of 7.84km², with a surrounding area of 16.6km²...
(Kohama-jima) - Kuroshima IslandKuroshima, Taketomi, Okinawathumb|Kuroshima LighthouseKuroshima , also known as "Kuro Island", is an island in Taketomi Town, Okinawa, part of the Yaeyama archipelago...
(Kuroshima) - Taketomi IslandTaketomiTaketomi is an island in the Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Located a ten-minute boat ride away from Ishigaki island, this island has a village in the center, also named Taketomi. Taketomi has a population of approximately 361 and an area of 6.32 km²...
(Taketomi-jima) - Yubu Island (Yubu-jima)
- Yonaguni Town
Yonaguni, Okinawa-History:Presently, the oldest confirmed ruins are the Tuguru Beach ruins. Due to the southern style stone tools found, it is thought that a culture influenced by Southeast Asia existed here at one time....
- Yonaguni IslandYonaguniis one of the Yaeyama Islands. It is the westernmost inhabited island of Japan and lies from the east coast of Taiwan, between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean proper....
(Yonaguni-jima)
- Yonaguni Island
History
The Sakishima Islands were first documented in the Shoku NihongiShoku Nihongi
The is an imperially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the Six National Histories, coming directly after the Nihon Shoki and followed by Nihon Kōki. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi served as the primary editors...
(797), which says that in 714 paid tribute to Dazaifu
Dazaifu, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Nearby cities include Ōnojō and Chikushino. Although mostly urban, it does have arable land used for paddy fields and market gardening....
with 52 islanders from , , and other islands. Shigaki is believed to be the current , Kumi to be the current or settlement of Iriomote
Iriomote
Iriomote is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself....
. The History of Yuan
History of Yuan
The History of Yuan is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the Twenty-Four Histories of China. The historical work consists of 210 chapters chronicling the history of the Genghisid Yuan Dynasty from the time of Genghis Khan to the flight of the last Yuan Emperor Huizong from...
(1370) documented a castaway from Mìyágǔ (密牙古) arrived to Wenzhou
Wenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
in 1317. This is believed to be the first documentation of .
Stone tools and shell tools from 2,500 years ago have been excavated from shell mounds
Kaizuka
Kaizuka can refer to:*Kaizuka, Osaka,city located in Osaka*Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line, train lines*7475 Kaizuka, asteroid...
on the Sakishima Islands. Shell tools of the same era are also found in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, but not on Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
or Amami. Thus those islands are thought to have had a stronger or closer cultural relationship with Taiwan, the Philippines, and other regions.
Local earthenware was made beginning in the 11th century. Many local leaders, known as anji
Anji (Ryukyu)
thumb|AjiAn aji, anji, or azu was a ruler of a petty kingdom in the history of the Ryukyu Islands. The word later became a title and rank of nobility in the Ryūkyū Kingdom. It is said to be related to the Japanese aruji , and the pronunciation varied throughout the islands. It ranked next below a...
, appeared in the 15th century. At the same time, the political authorities on Okinawa saw the outlying islands as useful stopping points along a maritime trade route, and gradually enhanced their influence. unified Miyako in 1365, and paid tribute to Satto
Satto
Satto , also known as Chadu, was a king of Chūzan, one of three kingdoms formerly on the island of Okinawa. His reign was marked by expansion and development of Chūzan's trade relations with other states, and the beginning of Okinawa's tributary relations with Ming Dynasty China, a relationship...
, the king of the Chūzan
Chuzan
Chūzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years after...
kingdom of Okinawa.
In 1500, , the anji of Ishigaki, rose up in resistance against the Ryūkyū Kingdom
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
. King Shō Shin
Sho Shin
' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the third of the line of the Second Shō Dynasty. Shō Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of Chūzan", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of Shō En, the founder of the dynasty, by Yosoidon, Shō En's second wife,...
responded by sending troops, headed by , the anji of Miyako. Nakasone succeeded in suppressing Oyake's revolt, and the majority of the Sakishima Islands went under Ryūkyū's control. Yonaguni
Yonaguni
is one of the Yaeyama Islands. It is the westernmost inhabited island of Japan and lies from the east coast of Taiwan, between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean proper....
, however, remained independent until 1522, supposedly under the legendary female leader , though there is some debate as to whether the legendary figure ever existed.
The Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma invaded the kingdom in 1609. In the following centuries under Shimazu control, the Ryūkyū government was placed under extreme tax pressure, and instituted a heavy poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
in the Sakishimas. As a result of the extreme economic conditions, infanticide and other methods of population control became common, as they did throughout the Ryukyus; remains of the sites where this took place can still be found throughout the Sakishima Islands. Yaeyama
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.The isles are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains Japan's most southern and most western inhabited islands.The islands form the southern part of the volcanic Nansei Islands...
islanders were taxed even more heavily than those of Miyako
Miyako Islands
The are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, east of the Yaeyama Islands.-Islands grouping:*Japanese Archipelago**Nansei Islands***Ryūkyū Shotō****Sakishima Islands*****Miyako Islands-Inhabited islands:*Miyako Islands...
, as the rebel Oyake was from Yaeyama. The kingdom prohibited migration of islanders, isolating them to prevent group resistance. The Yaeyama Earthquake in 1771 caused a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
which killed 12,000, or a half of the entire Sakishima population. Because the soil was adversely affected by salination, famines were frequent, and the population of the islands further decreased until the early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
.
After the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, in 1872, the Japanese government abolished the Ryūkyū Kingdom and incorporated the islands as a part of Japan. The Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, however, opposed the action, claiming sovereignty over the former kingdom. Japan proposed to cede Sakishima Islands, provided China add "most favored nation" status of Japan to the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Amity. China agreed at first, but after objections from Viceroy Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
, the agreement was not made. China effectively conceded its claims to sovereignty over the Ryukyus, including the Sakishima Islands, following its defeat by Japan in the Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
of 1894-95.
The deserted Senkaku Islands were also incorporated into Japan around this time. Unlike the rest of the Sakishimas, the Senkaku Islands are currently also claimed by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
), both of which refer to the group as the Diaoyutai Islands.
The modernization of Sakishima by the Japanese government was slow compared with mainland Japan or even mainland Okinawa. The heavy poll tax continued until as late as 1903. Meanwhile, the islands, as well as Taiwan
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
, used Western Standard Time
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
(UTC+8
UTC+8
UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .With an estimated population of 1.53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22.5% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in world, as well as a possible...
) until 1937, 1 hour behind the Central Standard Time of Japan (UTC+9
UTC+9
UTC+09:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +09. This time is used in:-As standard time :*East Timor*Indonesia **Moluccas**Papua and West Papua *Japan - Japan Standard Time*North Korea...
).
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
, the Sakishima Islands did not suffer a ground war during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, they suffered air raids
Air raids on Japan
During World War II the Allied forces conducted many air raids on Japan which caused extensive destruction to the country's cities and killed over 300,000 people. These attacks began with the Doolittle Raid in mid-April 1942, but did not resume until June 1944 when United States Army Air Forces ...
and naval bombardment in 1945. From June, the Japanese government ordered locals to evacuate to northern Ishigaki and Iriomote, where 3,647 of them lost their lives to malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. (In contrast, air raids killed much fewer: 174.) Because of the disease, these areas had been sparsely populated throughout history. The disease was not eradicated until 1961. In June 1945, after the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
was defeated on Okinawa, there was a vacuum of military and government in the Sakishimas. Some garrison troops robbed crops from farms or engaged in violence against locals. To counter them, the residents of Ishigaki formed the . Since it acted as a temporal local government, some historians later described the association as the . United States Occupation authorities
USCAR
USCAR means:* United States Council for Automotive Research* US Climate Action Report* United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands...
declared the establishment of military rule in December 1945, restoring Miyako Subprefecture
Miyako Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.It includes the following cities and towns of Miyako Islands:*Miyakojima *Tarama...
and Yaeyama Subprefecture
Yaeyama Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.It includes the following cities and towns of Yaeyama and Senkaku Islands:*Ishigaki *Taketomi...
. The local association ceased. In 1952, the Treaty of San Francisco
Treaty of San Francisco
The Treaty of Peace with Japan , between Japan and part of the Allied Powers, was officially signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California...
confirmed these islands to be under American control.
The islands were restored to Japan in 1972, with other parts of Okinawa Prefecture.
Culture
There are three native languages on the islands; Miyako languageMiyako language
Miyako is a language spoken in the Miyako Islands, located southwest of Okinawa. The combined population of the islands is about 52,000 . Miyako is a Ryukyuan language, most closely related to Yaeyama...
on the Miyako Islands, Yonaguni language
Yonaguni language
Yonaguni is a Ryukyuan language spoken by around 800 people on the island of Yonaguni, in the Ryukyu Islands, just east of Taiwan. It is most closely related to Yaeyama..-Phonology:...
on Yonaguni, and Yaeyama language
Yaeyama language
Yaeyama is a Ryukyuan language that is spoken in the Yaeyama Islands, the southernmost inhabited island group in Japan, with a combined population of about 50,000 . The Yaeyama Islands are situated to the southwest of the Miyako area of the Ryukyus and to the east of Taiwan. Yaeyama is most...
on the other Yaeyama Islands. All these languages belong to the Ryūkyūan languages
Ryukyuan languages
The Ryukyuan languages are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, and make up a subgroup of the Japonic, itself controversially a subgroup of Altaic....
group, which in turn belong to the Japonic languages
Japonic languages
Japonic languages is a term which identifies and characterises the Japanese which is spoken on the main islands of Japan and the Ryukyuan languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands. This widely accepted linguistics term was coined by Leon Serafim....
group. These languages are not mutually intelligible. As on Okinawa, therefore, standard Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
is used in formal situations, while Okinawan Japanese
Okinawan Japanese
is the Japanese language as spoken by people of Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawan Japanese's accents and words are influenced by traditional Ryukyuan languages. Okinawan Japanese has some loanwords from American English due to the United States administration after the Battle of Okinawa.- Vocabulary and...
, that is, standard Japanese with native Ryukyuan words, pronunciation changes, etc. mixed in, is quite commonly used as well.