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''Nantôshi'' is a volume about the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]] and its people. Written in [[1719]] by [[Arai Hakuseki]] in ''[[kanbun]]'', the volume later circulated quite widely and became one of the chief sources of knowledge about Ryûkyû in [[Edo period]] Japan. It may be the first text to employ the term "Okinawa" (沖縄).

''Nantôshi'' is a volume about the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]] and its people. Written in [[1719]] by [[Arai Hakuseki]] in ''[[kanbun]]'', the volume later circulated quite widely and became one of the chief sources of knowledge about Ryûkyû in [[Edo period]] Japan. It may be the first text to employ the term "Okinawa" (沖縄).

The text was likely written in large part out of a desire to expand knowledge about Ryûkyû in preparation for the possibility of some foreign relations crisis that would require such knowledge. The content was based chiefly on a combination of Hakuseki's in-person conversations with [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|Ryukyuan envoys]] in [[1710]] and [[1714]], and extensive research in historical texts; Hakuseki makes direct reference within the text to more than 25 sources, including the [[Book of Sui]], the [[Book of Later Han]], the [[History of Wu]]<!--呉史-->, the [[Book of Tang]]<!--唐書-->, the ''[[Shoku Nihongi]]'', ''[[Nihon Shoki]]'', ''[[Engishiki]]'', ''[[Ryukyu Shinto ki|Ryûkyû Shintô ki]]'', and ''[[Shi liuqiu lu|Shǐ liúqiú lù]]''.

The text was likely written in large part out of a desire to expand knowledge about Ryûkyû in preparation for the possibility of some foreign relations crisis that would require such knowledge. The content was based chiefly on a combination of Hakuseki's in-person conversations with [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|Ryukyuan envoys]] in [[1710]] and [[1714]], and extensive research in historical texts; Hakuseki makes direct reference within the text to more than 25 sources, including the [[Book of Sui]], the [[Book of Later Han]], the [[Records of the Three Kingdoms|Record of Wu]]<!--呉史 or 呉志 or 呉書-->, the [[Book of Tang]]<!--唐書-->, the ''[[Shoku Nihongi]]'', ''[[Nihon Shoki]]'', ''[[Engishiki]]'', ''[[Ryukyu Shinto ki|Ryûkyû Shintô ki]]'', and ''[[Shi liuqiu lu|Shǐ liúqiú lù]]''.

No original version in Hakuseki's own hand is known to survive; however, a manuscript copy in the Sakamaki-Hawley Collection at the University of Hawaii Library, in two volumes, bears several of Hakuseki's seals and is believed to be quite close to the original. It is divided into two volumes, with 38 ''chô'' (帳) in the first, or "upper" 上, volume, and 20 ''chô'' in the second, or "lower" 下 volume.

No original version in Hakuseki's own hand is known to survive; however, a manuscript copy in the Sakamaki-Hawley Collection at the University of Hawaii Library, in two volumes, bears several of Hakuseki's seals and is believed to be quite close to the original. It is divided into two volumes, with 38 ''chô'' (帳) in the first, or "upper" 上, volume, and 20 ''chô'' in the second, or "lower" 下 volume.