What do famous people like あらきゆ, あむろなみえ, and  なかまゆきえ have in common? Other than the fact that they’re famous in Japan and in the music/acting industry, they all have one thing in common. That commonality comes from being a group of people called りゅうきゅうみんぞく or the Ryūkyū People. Currently, many Ryūkyūans live in the おきなわ and かごしま Prefectures. The Ryūkyūans have assimilated into Japanese society and are pretty much considered “Japanese”. However, the Ryūkyūans are still considered by some Japanese people as an aboriginal group apart from “Japan”.

For one thing, the dialect used in northern Okinawa isn’t really a dialect at all, but a separate language called くにがみ. Culture wise, the Ryūkyūans are considered to be very different from the Japanese. For instance, women have a strong influence in Ryūkyūan society. In particular, women shamans and priestesses hold a revered postion in Ryūkyūan society. Religion wise the Ryūkyūans have a separate religion that focuses on ancestor worship. The myths and deities that are prominent in the Ryūkyūan culture are also distinctly different from the myths of the mainland Japanese. にらいかない is the birthplace of creation, which according to Ryūkyūan mythology, is where the gods reside.

The earliest historical references made about the Ryūkyūan people date back to the 6th and 7th centuries. Before the 17th century, the Ryūkyūan islands were considered an independent kingdom apart from the Japanese. To make a long story short, the Ryūkyūans were first integrated into Japanese society by the しまず family. In 1609, the しまず pretty much attacked the Ryūkyūans and made it a vassal state. However it was only until the late 1800s that the Ryūkyūan islands were formally annexed as a part of Japan, and renamed as Okinawa Prefecture.

Intrestingly, many Okinawans today consider themselves “Japanese”, but yet at the same time of Okinawan heritage. To be truthful, there are some tensions between the Okinawans and the Japanese government. The presence of the U.S. military in Okinawa, and the feeling among Okinawans that the Japanese government has done little to remove the military bases, is still a contentious and lingering debate. There are some voices that are calling for Okinawa’s independence from Japan, especially those of the りゅうきゅうどくりつうんどう or the Ryūkyū Independence Movement. So far though, no plans have materialized for Okinawa’s independence.