Population Ryukyu Islands

the residents of island chain japanese citizens. labeling them japanese poses no problem regard Ōsumi islands , tokara islands in north, there problems ethnicity of residents of central , southern groups of island chain.

scholars recognize shared heritage among native population of amami, okinawa, miyako , yaeyama islands label them ryukyuans (琉球人, ryūkyūjin). nowadays, residents of these ryukyu islands not identify such, although share notion different japanese, whom call yamato or naicha . now, express self-identity native of particular island. identity can extend island , japan whole, intermediate regions.

for example, people of okinawa island refer uchinaanchu (ウチナーンチュ, people of okinawa) , people of okinoerabujima in amami islands call erabunchu (エラブンチュ, people of erabu), while referring okinawans uchinaanchu or naafanchu (ナーファンチュ, people of naha), consider distinct okinawans. other terms used include amaminchu (アマミンチュ) , shimanchu (シマンチュ) in amami islands, yeeyamabitu (イェーヤマビトゥ) in yaeyama islands, yunnunchu (ユンヌンチュ) on yoronjima , myaakunchuu (ミャークンチュー) in miyako islands.

religion


harimizu utaki (harimizu shrine), ryukyuan shrine in miyakojima, okinawa prefecture.

the indigenous ryukyuan religion characterized ancestor worship (more accurately termed ancestor respect ) , respecting of relationships between living, dead, , gods , spirits of natural world. of beliefs indicative of ancient animistic roots, such concerning local spirits , many other beings classified between gods , humans.

ryukyuan religious practice has been influenced chinese religions (taoism, confucianism, , folk beliefs), buddhism , japanese shinto.

roman catholics pastorally served own roman catholic diocese of naha, founded in 1947 apostolic administration of okinawa , southern islands .