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The Ryukyu Islands

A New History from the Stone Age to the Present
By Gregory Smits
Series: Silk Roads
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Brief Description
The first comprehensive history of the Ryukyu Islands region in English. The Ryukyu Islands between Japan and Taiwan consist of around 160 islands and host over one and a half million inhabitants. Across the islands' history, sea-lanes and trade patterns have connected them to the East... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$6699
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The first comprehensive history of the Ryukyu Islands region in English.

The Ryukyu Islands between Japan and Taiwan consist of around 160 islands and host over one and a half million inhabitants. Across the islands' history, sea-lanes and trade patterns have connected them to the East China Sea region, giving them a unique vantage point on the region's changes and making them a useful lens through which to view and understand those transformations.

In this book, Gregory Smits marshals his expertise to canvass the environmental, political, and social history of this fascinating area, emphasizing the diversity of influences from China, Japan, and Korea that have shaped it.

Smits begins by tracing the islands' early history from the time of the oldest extant human remains, through massive inflows of population from Japan, until the emergence of a centralized state in the sixteenth century. He then traces the development of the Ryukyu Kingdom from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century, illustrating its defining cultural forms and the ways they were shaped by Chinese and Japanese influences.

Finally, Smits ushers readers to the modern era, from the end of the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879 through WWII, the era of American military control, and on to the present. He concludes with their present-day status as a tourist destination affected by ongoing geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges.

Synthesizing decades of research, this book is an indispensable, comprehensive guide to the islands' history for scholars and nonspecialists alike.

Series: Silk Roads

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    The first comprehensive history of the Ryukyu Islands region in English. The Ryukyu Islands between Japan and Taiwan consist of around 160 islands and host over one and a half million inhabitants. Across the islands' history, sea-lanes and trade patterns have connected them to the East China Sea region, giving them a unique vantage point on the region's changes and...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226843216

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 December 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Illustration: 66 halftones, 4 tables

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 653g

Pages: 464

Collections

Gregory Smits History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Series: Silk Roads

About the Author

Gregory Smits is professor of history and Asian studies at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of several books, including, most recently, Early Ryukyuan History: A New Model.

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