Ruben Terlou along the South China Sea: Ryukyu Islands

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, once the independent Ryukyu Kingdom, Chinese influences clash with Japanese and American presence. While Chinese day-trippers relive old ties on the island, Japanese and American troops prepare for a possible confrontation with China. On Ishigaki, close to Taiwan, Japan is building up its military presence. Ruben meets Setsuko, an 88-year-old peace activist protesting against this, fearing that history will repeat itself. She recounts how she lost her mother and sister during World War II and now has nightmares again about a new nuclear war. Broadcast NPO 2, March 1, 2026, 20:20 – 21:05. Do you know the history of the Ryukyu Islands?

Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands are a chain of 98 islands in the East China Sea (Pacific Ocean) southwest of Japan. The islands belong to Japan and lie between Kyushu and Taiwan, spanning a distance of 1200 kilometers. The most important island is Okinawa. The island group also includes the westernmost part of Japan: the small island of Yonaguni, which made headlines around 1990 because it was believed that the extremely ancient so-called Yonaguni Monument found there was man-made. However, closer inspections revealed it to consist of completely natural rock formations.

The Northern Ryukyu Islands, consisting of the Osumi Islands, the Tokara Islands, and the Amami Islands, belong to Kagoshima Prefecture. The Southern Ryukyu Islands, consisting of the Okinawa Islands and the Sakishima Islands, together form Okinawa Prefecture.

 

Population

The population numbers approximately 1,5 million. Of these, 90% live on Okinawa, where the capital, Naha, is also located. Most inhabitants are ethnic Ryukyans and Japanese, but there are also Chinese and Indonesian minorities. The original Ryukyan languages, which are related to Japanese, are hardly used in daily life anymore and are spoken by fewer and fewer people.

 

History

Until the 20th century

Skeletal finds such as Minatogawa 1 speak of an initial settlement of the islands during the Jomon period. Genetic studies suggest that the Ryukyuans were genetically isolated for a long time, and that there was little interbreeding with the bearers of the Yayoi culture, which migrated from the Korean Peninsula to Japan about 2000 years ago and had a lasting impact on the population there.

In the seventh century, the Chinese settled on the islands. The Japanese followed later. According to a legend, the independent Ryukyu Kingdom was founded in 1187 by a member of the Minamoto clan. In the thirteenth century, Okinawa consisted of three rival principalities, which were united in 1429. Thus, the Ryukyu Kingdom was formed. It extended to the Amami Islands, the Miyako Islands, and the Yaeyama Islands and was tributary to China. Trade with China led to increased prosperity on the islands. The population also traded with Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Siam, Malacca, and Luzon.

As a result of pirate raids, prosperity declined sharply during the sixteenth century. In 1609, the Japanese Satsuma clan invaded Okinawa. The Ryukyu Kingdom was incorporated into the Japanese shogunate but remained semi-independent and also maintained relations with China. In June 1859, the Dutch naval ship Bali, with Commander Van de Capellen, visited the islands, and a treaty was concluded with the Netherlands. From 1872, the islands belonged to the Japanese Empire. In 1879, they were fully annexed and incorporated into the Okinawa Prefecture. This marked the end of centuries of Chinese dominance.

 

Conquest by the US

The islands remained partly Japanese until the Second World War. At the end of the war (April–June 1945), fierce fighting took place between the Japanese and American armies, particularly on Okinawa.

In 1951, the United States recognized Japanese sovereignty over the strategically located island group. Under the San Francisco Treaty, Okinawa came under the temporary administration of the U.S. government. Starting in 1953, the Americans transferred sovereignty over the islands to Japan in stages; first the Amami Islands in the north, and on May 15, 1972 , the other islands as well, including Okinawa . The U.S. military bases on Okinawa will be transferred to Japan before 2008.

 

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Ruben along the South China Sea, season 1:

https://npo.nl/start/serie/ruben-langs-de-zuid-chinese-zee/afleveringen/seizoen-1