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Okinawa prefecture is the southernmost of the 47 [[prefectures of Japan]]. It is governed from the prefectural capital of [[Naha]], on the [[Okinawa Island|island of Okinawa]], and includes a section of the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]], stretching from Okinawa and its immediately surrounding islands southward, nearly to [[Taiwan]], including the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands (collectively known as the [[Sakishima Islands]]), plus [[Io Torishima|Iô Torishima]]. The territory of the prefecture is essentially identical to that held by the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] between [[1609]], when [[Satsuma han]] annexed nearly all the islands north of Okinawa Island, and [[1879]], when the kingdom was [[Ryukyu Shobun|abolished]].

Okinawa prefecture is the southernmost of the 47 [[prefectures of Japan]]. It is governed from the prefectural capital of [[Naha]], on the [[Okinawa Island|island of Okinawa]], and includes a section of the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]], stretching from Okinawa and its immediately surrounding islands southward, nearly to [[Taiwan]], including the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands (collectively known as the [[Sakishima Islands]]), plus [[Io Torishima|Iô Torishima]]. The territory of the prefecture is essentially identical to that held by the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] between [[1609]], when [[Satsuma han]] annexed nearly all the islands north of Okinawa Island, and [[1879]], when the kingdom was [[Ryukyu Shobun|abolished]].

The population of Okinawa prefecture today is around 1.3 million, the same as the State of Hawaii.<ref>[[Richard Pearson]], ''Ancient Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2013), 8.; ''Hawaii'', Lonely Planet (2009), 52.</ref>

The population of Okinawa prefecture today is around 1.3 million, the same as the State of Hawaii.<ref>[[Richard Pearson]], ''Ancient Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2013), 8.; ''Hawaii'', Lonely Planet (2009), 52.</ref> The prefecture's economy relies chiefly on activities surrounding the US military bases (incl. civilian employment on-base, restaurants and entertainment, etc.), and tourism.

==History==

==History==

Where many Okinawans had previously emphasized their Japanese identity, flying Japanese flags in defiance of American occupation, many now turned to an Okinawan or Ryukyuan identity as separate from, or even opposed to, Japanese identity. Activist Chibana Shôichi famously burned a Japanese flag at a national sports event in 1987 in his hometown of [[Yomitan]], at which the Crown Prince, Akihito, was in attendance.<ref name=siddle136/>

Where many Okinawans had previously emphasized their Japanese identity, flying Japanese flags in defiance of American occupation, many now turned to an Okinawan or Ryukyuan identity as separate from, or even opposed to, Japanese identity. Activist Chibana Shôichi famously burned a Japanese flag at a national sports event in 1987 in his hometown of [[Yomitan]], at which the Crown Prince, Akihito, was in attendance.<ref name=siddle136/>

Shuri castle was rebuilt in 1992, and many other sites, including Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and the like have similarly been rebuilt and serve today either as active temples & shrines, or as museums and community centers. The castle, along with the royal mausolea at [[Tamaudun]], the reconstructed royal villas at [[Shikinaen]], and a number of [[gusuku]] ruins elsewhere on the island, were named a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] in 2000, and a G8 Summit was held in [[Nago]] that same year. Continuing on from the 1975 Ocean Expo, this marks certain significant discourses, as to acknowledging and celebrating Ryukyuan history and culture, and its membership within Japan.

Shuri castle was rebuilt in 1992, and many other sites, including Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and the like have similarly been rebuilt and serve today either as active temples & shrines, or as museums and community centers. The castle, along with the royal mausolea at [[Tamaudun]], the reconstructed royal villas at [[Shikinaen]], and a number of [[gusuku]] ruins elsewhere on the island, were named a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] in 2000, and a G8 Summit was held in [[Nago]] that same year. Continuing on from the 1975 Ocean Expo, this marks certain significant discourses, as to acknowledging and celebrating Ryukyuan history and culture, and its membership within Japan. Tourism remains one of the prefecture's chief industries, and numbers increased steadily over the course of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The prefecture saw some 500,000 visitors each year in the early 1970s. Numbers spiked to around 1.5 million in 1975, the year of the Ocean Expo [[World's Fair]] before falling below one million again the following year, but recovered and grew steadily from then on; over six million people visited Okinawa in 2008.<ref>"Okinawa kankô kyaku no suii," gallery label, National Museum of Japanese History.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/11881501296/in/photostream/]</ref>

While newspaper polls regularly show that the vast majority of people in Okinawa support remaining a part of Japan (only a very small percentage support any sort of independence or sovereignty movement), the issue of the US military bases remains a hot-button issue. US bases continue to occupy around 20% of the land area of the tiny island of Okinawa, and constitute over 70% of the US military presence in Japan. Though rapes, crashes, and other incidents are infrequent, each is one too many, and protests have become not only a regular occurrence, but a major portion of the mainstream political issues in the prefecture. As of 2014, authorities have been speaking for years of shutting down Futenma Air Base in [[Ginowan]], but have yet to do so, while protests and political opposition has so far been successful in significantly slowing, but not yet successful in blocking entirely, the construction of a replacement base at Henoko Bay, which threatens the delicate coral reef & dugong habitat there.

While newspaper polls regularly show that the vast majority of people in Okinawa support remaining a part of Japan (only a very small percentage support any sort of independence or sovereignty movement), the issue of the US military bases remains a hot-button issue. US bases continue to occupy around 20% of the land area of the tiny island of Okinawa, and constitute over 70% of the US military presence in Japan. Though rapes, crashes, and other incidents are infrequent, each is one too many, and protests have become not only a regular occurrence, but a major portion of the mainstream political issues in the prefecture. As of 2014, authorities have been speaking for years of shutting down Futenma Air Base in [[Ginowan]], but have yet to do so, while protests and political opposition has so far been successful in significantly slowing, but not yet successful in blocking entirely, the construction of a replacement base at Henoko Bay, which threatens the delicate coral reef & dugong habitat there.