Independence movements

Ryukyu / Okinawan self-determination: current status

Where the question stood on 22 September 2026: Okinawa remains a prefecture of Japan, with a small but persistent independence movement.

Reading time
1 min read
Published
Status verified as of

Suggest a correction

Status verified as of 22 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.

Current position

Okinawa remains a prefecture of Japan. The Kariyushi Club continues to advocate independence on legal and historical grounds, but public support for full independence remains very small, with most Okinawans favouring greater autonomy or the status quo.[1]

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: 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