Ryukyuan people
Although not officially recognized by the Japanese government as a distinct ethnic group from the Yamato people of the Japanese mainland, the indigenous Ryukyuan people make up the majority of Okinawa Prefecture's population. Ryukyuans are also the main ethnic group of the Amami Islands to the north, and large Okinawan diaspora communities persist in places such as South America and Hawaii. With the introduction of American military bases, there are an increasing number of half-American children in Okinawa, including prefecture governor Denny Tamaki. There is also a sizable mainland Japanese minority in the prefecture.