Nansei Shoto Ryuku Islands-Loochoo Islands: A Pocket Guide Page: 16
39 p. : ill. ; 14 cm.View a full description of this pamphlet.
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islands was Tinsunshi, and he was considered the
"Grandson of Heaven." This left him a bit fur"
ther removed from heaven than the Emperor of Ja-
pan, who is its "Son." Tinsunshi's decendants
ruled the Nansei islands until a young Japanese
gangster named Shunten muscled in after having
been kicked out of his own country as a juvenile
delinquent.
Through the centuries the islands were
known as the Kingdom of Loochoo. They tried to
keep out of trouble by paying tribute to China
and being nice to Japan. But, in the 16th cen-
tury, the Japanese wanted the King of Loochoo to
help fight the Koreans, and he refused. After
finishing the war with Korea, the Japanese came
down to get the Loochooans. After that Loochoo
acknowledged both Japanese and Chinese rules. It
was like having two gangs to pay off for "pro-
tection," two sets of tax collectors, two drafts
in time of war.
Not until 1879 did Japan realize how impor-
tant the Nansei Shoto could be. In that year the
King of Loochoo was made a non-imperial prince
of Japan. He got a house and 30,000 yen a year
out of the deal. The Japanese Empire got the
Nansei Shoto out of the deal. China got a dip-
lomatic runaround out of the deal. Historians
do not record what the Okinawas got out of the
deal, but when you get there you can learn for
yourself.16
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Special Publications Branch. Nansei Shoto Ryuku Islands-Loochoo Islands: A Pocket Guide, pamphlet, [1941..1946]; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1677274/m1/18/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.