Okinawa Prefecture

is traditionally a prefecture in the Kyūshū region of Japan.Kanno, Eiji. (1998). New Japan Solo, p. 397; excerpt, "Administratively, Okinawa is part of Kyushu Region, even though it is l .000 km (625 miles) southwest of Kagoshima."   Okinawa Prefecture is made up of islands which are southwest of the island of Kyushu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okinawa-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 746-747.  Recent government proposals recognize the prefecture as its own region.Hook, Glenn D. (2011).  Decoding Boundaries in Contemporary Japan: The Koizumi Administration and Beyond, pp. 145-146.

The capital city is Naha which is on the island of Okinawa.Nussbaum, "Naha" at p. 686.

History
Timeline
 1429: Shō Hashi founded the Ryūkyū Kingdom
 1609: Shimazu of Satsuma Province invade Ryukyu Kingdom
 1853: Commodore Mathew Perry and US Navy ships at Naha
 1875 (Meiji 5): Ryūkyū Domain is created
 1879 (Meiji 12): Okinawa Prefecture was established.
 1945 (Shōwa 20): US administration after World War IINussbaum, "Ryukyu Islands" at p. 801.
 1953 (Shōwa 28): Partial reversion to Japan
 1972 (Shōwa 47): Reversion to Japan
 2000 (Heisei 12): 26th G8 summit at Kyushu and OkinawaJapan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA): 26th G8 summit, overview.

Geography
Okinawa is a grouping of many islands along the border at the edge of the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean from Kyūshū to Taiwan.  It is the southernmost prefecture in Japan.

Cities
Okinawa Prefecture has eleven cities. Okinawan names are in parentheses.
 Ginowan (Jinoon)
 Ishigaki (Ishigachi)
 Itoman (Ichuman)
 Miyakojima (Naaku)
 Nago (Nagu)
 Naha (Naafa) (capital)
 Nanjō (Nanjoo)
 Okinawa (Uchinaa) (formerly Koza)
 Tomigusuku (Timigushiku)
 Urasoe (Urashii)
 Uruma (Uruma)

Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district.
 Kunigami District (Kunjan)
Ginoza (Jinuja)
Higashi (Agarijima)
Ie (Iijima)
Kin (Chin)
Kunigami (Kunjan)
Motobu (Mutubu)
Nakijin (Nachijin)
Onna (Unna)
Ōgimi (Ujimi) Miyako District (Naaku)
Tarama (Tarama)
 Nakagami District (Nakajan)
Chatan (Chatan)
Kadena (Kadina)
Kitanakagusuku
Nakagusuku (Nakagushiku)
Nishihara (Nishibaru)
Yomitan (Yuntan) Shimajiri District (Shimajiri)
Aguni (Aguni)
Haebaru (Feebaru)
Iheya (Ihyaa)
Izena (Ijina)
Kitadaitō (Ufuagarijima)
Kumejima (Kumijima)
Minamidaitō
Tokashiki (Tukashichi)
Tonaki (Tunachi)
Yaese
Yonabaru (Yunabaru)
Zamami (Jamami)
 Yaeyama District (Eema)
Taketomi (Dakidun)
Yonaguni (Yunaguni)

National Parks
National Parks are established in about 19% of the total land area of the prefecture.Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture". Retrieved 2012-3-13.

Shrines and Temples
Naminouegū was the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of the Ryukyu Islands.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 127.  In 1890, the shrine was recognized in the system of State Shinto.  It is among the ranked, nationally significant shrines or  which includes five sanctuaries. List of Kankokuheisha (官国幣社), p. 3 . Retrieved 2012-8-26.

Related pages
 Provinces of Japan
 Prefectures of Japan
 List of regions of Japan
 List of islands of Japan

References

More reading
 Kerr, George H. (1958). Okinawa: the History of an Island People. Rutland, Vermont: Charles Tuttle Co. OCLC 722356
 ___________. (1953). Ryukyu Kingdom and Province before 1945. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. OCLC 5455582

 Other websites

Okinawa Prefecture 
Okinawa Tourist Information 
Ryukyu Cultural Archives
Okinawa Prefecture Official Home-page 


Category:Ryukyu Islands