The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawa History
A new book by historian Kurayoshi Takara explores the history and resilience of the Ryukyu people and region with insights into today's Okinawa.
The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawa History (March 2025) is essential reading for anyone interested in East Asian history, maritime diplomacy, and indigenous identity. Available in both English and Japanese, Kurayoshi Takara's work is both a tribute to the resilience of the Ryukyuan people and a reminder of the enduring legacies of cultural encounter and adaptation. It is a vital contribution to the growing body of literature that seeks to restore Ryukyu to its rightful place in regional and global history.
I first met the author, Kurayoshi Takara, in 2000. It was around the time Okinawa Prefecture was preparing to help host that year's G8 Summit, as it was then called.
It was the fourth time for Japan to host the annual gathering of leaders of the major democratic industrial nations. However, it was the first time the summit was held outside the capital city of Tokyo. As a regular visitor to Okinawa and playing a minor role in some of the events, I vividly recall the excitement. Shuri Castle, Naha, Okinawa.
Takara, then a professor at the University of the Ryukyus, was closely involved with the local preparations. One event was a dinner at Shuri Castle. He had played a major role in its reconstruction in the late 1980s and early 1990s, after its destruction in the Battle of Okinawa. The summit was widely seen as a success, despite the passing of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who had chosen Okinawa as the main site shortly before.
I next met Takara in 2013, after he had retired from the university. He was serving as vice governor of the prefecture, and I was oneral Une of sevited States Marine Corps officials briefing him on an issue of mutual concern. We sat directly across from one another, two scholars-turned-public officials seeking to bridge the gap.
Whether as a scholar or an appointed official, I always found Takara, who has authored more than 20 books and countless reports, to be fair, knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. His love for Okinawan history and culture is sincere and deep. And so is his ability to penetrate to the heart of the matter while respecting other opinions.
A native of Izena Island, Takara has always been an independent thinker when it comes to his studies of Okinawan ー or Ryukyuan ー history. He asks questions, not knowing where the answers and documents will take him. This takes enormous courage and confidence.
As a result, he has been able to develop his own theories on the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom and its tributary and semi-suzerainty relationship under Japan. He makes clear that Okinawa was never a part of China. "Pines and Waves at Ryudo" from the series, "Eight Views of the Ryukyu Islands" by Hokusai (Urasoe Art Museum via Wikimedia Commons)
Previously, Takara was a specialist at the Okinawa Historical Materials Editorial Office. He was also director of the Urasoe City Library, chief examiner at Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum, and executive director of the Okinawa History Research Society. In his new book, he examines the formation of Ryukyuan identity over the course of nearly 200 pages.
The book was originally published in 1993, after the opening of Shuri Castle and the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan following 27 years of US occupation and administration. It is divided into seven chapters, including an Introduction and Conclusion, accompanied by a number of smaller essays. (Book cover)
ForewordPreface to the English EditionIntroductionI Discovering the KingdomII Ancient RyukyuIII Ryukyu in AsiaIV The Kingdom of WritsV The Organization of the KingdomConclusion
Postscript
Takara also includes a helpful 10-page historical timeline, which compares events in Okinawa to those of mainland Japan and the rest of the region, including China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In the meantime, he has been busy at work on the restoration of Shuri Castle after a tragic fire destroyed most of it in 2019.
The book offers a sweeping yet accessible chronicle of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which thrived from the 15th to the 19th century before its annexation by Japan in 1879. Takara traces the kingdom's development from its early formation under King Shō Hashi to its role as a tributary state to both Ming/Qing China and Tokugawa Japan.
One of the central themes is the kingdom's unique position as a maritime hub. It is a small island polity that skillfully navigated the regional power dynamics of East Asia.
This history is particularly accessible because Takara and his colleagues carefully gathered documents throughout Okinawa and other parts of the world over the years. Takara personally visited homes in remote locations to uncover writs of appointment to analyze how the Ryukyuan Kingdom was administered. He also traveled to Southeast Asia starting in 1974, and China beginning in 1981, to see how overseas trade developed.
As a fellow "boots on the ground" type of writer, I also understand the time, work, and money involved in that kind of research. As such, it would not be an exaggeration to say that without Takara's efforts, much of what we know about Okinawan history would be unknown or long since forgotten. Or worse, it would be misrepresented and misappropriated by China.
At the same time, Takara also does not shy away from the more painful aspects of Ryukyuan history. He critically examines the annexation by Meiji Japan and the subsequent erasure of Ryukyuan identity, language, and autonomy. This adds a further poignant layer to the book, inviting readers to reflect on the legacy of colonization and cultural survival in modern Okinawa. US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma reclamation work also continues in Oura Bay off the coast of Henoko, Nago City, in Okinawa. August, 2024.
The writing is clear and elegant, with an outstanding translation by Lina J Terrell that retains the nuance of the original Japanese. The inclusion of historical documents, maps, and artwork enriches the text and also offers a more immersive reading experience.
Readers will certainly enjoy and benefit from this book, which came out in 2025 on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa.
Title: The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawa History
Author: Kurayoshi Takara
Translator: Lina J Terrell
Publisher: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC International)
Versions: Hardcover and E-book, English and Japanese
ISBN: 9784866582580
For additional information: Visit the publisher's website or any online bookseller.
Reviewed by: Robert D Eldridge, PhD
Dr Eldridge is a former political advisor to the US Marine Corps in Japan and author of numerous books on Japanese political and diplomatic history. Previously, he was a 2024 Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fellow at Tamkang University and is a consultant on a broad spectrum of Japan-related matters.
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