大和民族
Genetic and anthropological studies indicate that the Ryukyuans are significantly related to the Ainu people and share the ancestry with the indigenous prehistoric Jōmon period (pre 10,000–1,000 BCE) people, who arrived from Southeast Asia and with the Yamato people. During the Meiji period, the Ryukyuans distinct culture was suppressed by the Meiji government and faced forced assimilation.