Ryūkyū Domain facts for kids
The Ryūkyū Domain was a special area in Japan, located on the beautiful Ryukyu Islands. These islands are now known as Okinawa Prefecture, found in the Pacific Ocean near the East China Sea.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The Invasion of 1609
A long time ago, in 1609, soldiers from Japan invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom. Before this, the Ryūkyū Kingdom was independent. After the invasion, the kings of Ryūkyū had to pay money and goods every year to a powerful Japanese family called the Shimazu clan. This clan was from a part of Japan known as Satsuma Province. It was like a yearly tax they had to pay to show they were under Japanese influence.
Becoming a Japanese Domain
Later, Japan went through a big change called the Meiji Restoration. This was a time when Japan modernized and changed its government. Because of these changes, the Ryūkyū Kingdom became the Ryūkyū Domain. This happened in 1872. The Ryūkyū Domain then existed for seven years.
The Birth of Okinawa Prefecture
In 1879, the Ryūkyū Domain was officially changed into Okinawa Prefecture. This meant the islands became a regular part of Japan, just like other prefectures.
Important Places: Shrines and Temples
Naminoue Shrine
Naminoue Shrine was a very important Shinto shrine for the Ryukyu Islands. A Shinto shrine is a place of worship in the Shinto religion, which is native to Japan. Naminoue Shrine was considered the chief shrine, or ichinomiya, of the area.
In 1890, the shrine was officially recognized by the Japanese government as part of the State Shinto system. It was also listed among the nationally important shrines called Kanpei-shōsha. This group included five special sanctuaries.
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