Independence movements

History of Ryukyu / Okinawan self-determination

From the 1879 Japanese annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the modern Kariyushi Club independence movement.

Reading time
1 min read
Published
Status verified as of

Suggest a correction

1879 annexation

Japan annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879, reconstituting it as Okinawa Prefecture and exiling its last king.[1]

1945-1972: US administration and reversion

The US administered the islands from 1945; some groups sought independence during this period, but the islands reverted to Japan on 15 May 1972.[2]

· Agreement

Reversion of Okinawa to Japan, 1972

US administration of the Ryukyu Islands ended with their return to Japan, despite local protest over unaddressed base concerns.

The modern Kariyushi Club movement

The Kariyushi Club continues to advocate independence, arguing the 1879 annexation was illegal under international law.[3]

A 2022 poll found only about 3% public support for independence.[4]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: The Ryukyu Kingdom, founded in 1429 and a semi-independent vassal state of the Japanese Satsuma Domain from 1609 while maintaining tributary relations with China, was formally annexed by the Meiji government of Japan in 1879 and reconstituted as Okinawa Prefecture, with the last Ryukyu king, Shō Tai, forcibly exiled to Tokyo; Ryukyuan aristocrats resisted the annexation for nearly two decades, and Okinawans were subsequently subject to assimilation policies.

    • History of the Ryukyu Islands (Wikipedia) link, 1609 Satsuma Invasion and 1879 Annexation sections. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: Following the Second World War, the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands administered the territory from 1945 to 1950, a period during which several political groups advocated independence from Japan; the islands were nonetheless returned to Japan on 15 May 1972 as Okinawa Prefecture, a reversion agreement that a 1971 general strike in Okinawa protested for not addressing residents' demands regarding continued US military bases.

    • Ryukyu independence movement (Wikipedia) link, 1945 US Occupation and 1972 Reversion sections. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The Ryukyu Independence Party, active in the 1970s, was reformed in 2005 and has operated since 2008 as the Kariyushi Club, continuing to advocate for Ryukyuan independence; advocates, including Professor Yasukatsu Matsushima, have argued that the 1879 annexation was illegal under international law and that UN self-determination provisions do not require Japanese approval for independence.

    • Ryukyu independence movement (Wikipedia) link, Kariyushi Club and UN Self-Determination Arguments sections. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: A 2022 public opinion poll in Okinawa found that only about 3% of respondents supported full independence, while 48% favoured a municipality with strong autonomous authority within Japan and 42% preferred maintaining the current status quo.

    • Ryukyu independence movement (Wikipedia) link, Current Public Support section. Source record

Source note

Show in the notes list

Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/ryukyu-okinawa/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.