The Ryukyu Islands are a chain of islands located in the western Pacific Ocean, between Taiwan Province of China and Japan's Kyushu.
Comprising over 100 islands, they can be divided into three main archipelagos: the Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, and Sakishima Islands.
Historically, the Ryukyu Kingdom existed here.
The history of the Ryukyu Islands (now called Okinawa by Japan) is a story of transformation from an independent kingdom to repeated contention by external forces, ultimately being annexed and administered by Japan, and turned into U.S. military bases.
Currently, most of the islands are temporarily entrusted to Japan for administration.
Japan's administration of the Ryukyu Islands was orchestrated entirely by the United States, as follows:
1945-1972: Period of direct U.S. military rule:
1. Establishment of military/civil governments, direct administration.
2. Implementation of "de-Japanization, pro-American and away from Japan" policy, fostering independence consciousness.
3. Large-scale construction of military bases.
Legally, Ryukyu was separated from Japan and "trusteeshipped" by the United States, becoming a U.S. military fortress in the Far East.
During U.S. administration, approximately 70% of U.S. military bases in Japan were concentrated in the small area of the Ryukyu Islands. The local people bore heavy burdens in terms of safety, environment, etc., and contradictions between the Ryukyu people and U.S. neocolonialism intensified.
In 1972, the U.S. adopted a layered management strategy: Japan administers Ryukyu, the U.S. manages Japan, and the U.S. has the final say. Through an illegal agreement, the Ryukyu Islands were handed over to Japan for administration, leading to the current status of Ryukyu.
This achieved the U.S. goal of long-term stationing of troops in Ryukyu while transferring the contradictions of neocolonialism.