The legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom : an Okinawan history / written by Takara Kurayoshi, translated by Lina Terrell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Takara, Kurayoshi, 1947- author.

Contributor:

Terrell, Lina, translator.

Nihon Kokusai Mondai Kenkyūjo, sponsoring body.

Standardized Title:

Ryūkyū Ōkoku. English

琉球王国. English

Language:

English

Japanese

Subjects (All):

Ryukyuans--History.

Ryukyuans.

Ryukyu Islands--History--To 1879.

Ryukyu Islands.

Okinawa Island (Japan)--History.

Okinawa Island (Japan).

Ryukyu Islands--History.

Japan--Ryukyu Islands.

Japan--Okinawa Island.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

189 pages : illustrations, map ; 22 cm

monochrome

illustration

map

Edition:

First English edition.

Place of Publication:

Tokyo : Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC), 2025.

Summary:

"Before Okinawa, the unified and independent Ryukyu Kingdom existed for four hundred years-- from the fifteenth century until the kingdom's annexation by the Meiji government in 1879. What was this island nation like and what kind of world did it exist in? With maritime trade from China and Korea connecting Malacca and Siam at the heart of the kingdom's golden age, this book centers on the ancient Ryukyu period. Passionate historian and Okinawa native, Takara Kurayoshi plumbs the depths of Okinawa's distant and obscure past to piece together a comprehensive image of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The legacy of the Ryukyu kingdom is an ambitious work that raises penetrating questions with profound implications for contemporary concerns"-- Back cover.

Contents:

Foreword

Preface to the English edition

Introduction

Chapter I. Discovering the kingdom: 1. The pioneer of Okinawan studies ; 2. Kawakami Hajime's careless words ; 3. The origin of uniqueness

Chapter II. Ancient Ryukyu: 1. The period of transformation begins ; 2. The road to the kingdom ; 3. The era of King Shō Shin : establishment of the kingdom ; 4. Toward an era of change

Chapter III. Ryukyu in Asia: 1. The theater of engagement ; 2. Characteristics of overseas trade ; 3. In search of possible Ryukyuan history

Chapter IV. The kingdom of writs: 1. Rediscovery ; 2. What is reflected? ; 3. What the document format reveals

Chapter V. The organization of the kingdom: 1. Various officials ; 2. What were hiki? ; 3. The military defense structure and the kōri-hiki system

Conclusion: 1. What ancient Ryukyu represents ; 2. For the sake of restoration

Postscript

Historical timeline for Ryukyu/Okinawa

Key references

About the author and translator.

Notes:

Translation from the Japanese.

"This publication is the result of a collaborative effort between the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) and Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC)."--Title page verso

Includes bibliographical references (pages 187-188).

ISBN:

9784866582580

4866582588

OCLC:

1511792506