Okinawa

Consisting of the main island and the Nansei Islands, Okinawa is blessed with abundant nature and is home to mangrove forests and rare species such as the Iriomote wild cat. After three kingdoms emerged in the late 14th century(the Gusuku period), King Shobashi established the unified Ryukyu Kingdom in 1429, which flourished for 450 years until 1879 through trade with Southeast Asian countries. The royal capital was Shuri Castle. Unfortunately, it was severely damaged by fire in 2019, but restoration work is progressing steadily with completion scheduled for 2026. At the end of World War II, around 200,000 people lost their lives in the Battle of Okinawa, known as "the largest ground battle in Japan". After 27 years of direct U.S. rule, Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972.

Historic Sites