It is uncertain when Yoron Island was first settled. It was ruled by the Aji nobility from the 8th century onwards. From 1266 it was part of the Hokuzan Kingdom until its incorporation into the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1416. The samurai force from Satsuma Domain went around Yoron on their way to Okinawa during the 1609 Invasion of Ryukyu, after which its incorporation into the official holdings of that domain was recognized by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1624. Satsuma rule was harsh, with the inhabitants of the island reduced to serfdom and forced to raise sugar cane to meet high taxation, which often resulted in famine.