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The history of Karate-do, and other martial arts, extends back through many centuries, such that it is difficult to pinpoint the precise beginning with any accuracy. However, as many of you will be aware, we can trace modern Karate-do back to the prefecture of Okinawa when it was known as the Ryukyu Kingdom.
This page does not deal with the martial history of the islands; rather, it looks at Okinawa from a general interest point-of-view.
This first map describes the region of south-east Asia, giving a general impression of geographic scale. As you can see, the main island of Okinawa is very small.
Lying south-west off, but within the international borders of, modern Japan, native Okinawan people are very proud of their culture and heritage, and there is an undercurrent of opinion that considers independance from Japan to be a desirable goal, in much the same way that the Scots do in the U.K.
Okinawa Prefecture (capital Naha), the most south-westerly of Japans' prefectures, has some 50 inhabited, and over 100 uninhabited islands, covering an area around 400,000 square kilometers (though most of this is water!).
This next map shows the spread of the Okinawan Prefecture islands quite vividly.
The largest of the islands is, of course, Okinawa. Its' proximity to the Asian mainland has historically made Okinawa a vital point strategically, both in military and economic terms, and is very much the gateway connecting Communist China with Japan. Textiles, laquerware, and pottery have been staples of trade since the fourteenth century but, today, tourism is not the least important bringer of revenue. Fishing, as you would expect of an island culture, has always played a big part in the economy of the region.
This last map shows the relationship of the Okinawan Prefecture to the local geography.
Of course, when considering the history of Okinawa, and Japan, it is impossible to avoid the topic of the Second World War, and subsequent occupation of the islands by the United States. Okinawa saw a terrible battle in which around 260,000 died over a period of just 3 months. American military investment there after the war helped to restore the country, and today Okinawa thrives as a part of a modern, Oriental state.
