Changes

Following the [[ryukyu shobun|abolition]] of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] and establishment of the prefecture in 1879, it was believed that elements of the kingdom's administrative structure, and certain other traditions or customs, should be kept in place for a time, in order to guard against widespread dissatisfaction within Ryukyu, and to avoid angering [[China]].

Following the [[ryukyu shobun|abolition]] of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] and establishment of the prefecture in 1879, it was believed that elements of the kingdom's administrative structure, and certain other traditions or customs, should be kept in place for a time, in order to guard against widespread dissatisfaction within Ryukyu, and to avoid angering [[China]].

The "preserving of old customs" policies covered, largely, four spheres: land tenure, taxes, local administration, and education. The ''[[yukatchu]]'' (low-ranking aristocrats) and other local officials were allowed to keep their positions, and their government stipends, and the ''[[magiri]]'' and ''[[jiwari]]'' systems of land division was kept in place for a time. Under this system, agricultural production was assessed by village, and within each village, land was occasionally redistributed among the villagers, albeit unequally. The taxation structure and local laws, similarly, were left in place initially, and only later abandoned and reformed.

The "preserving of old customs" policies covered, largely, four spheres: land tenure, taxes, local administration, and education. The ''[[yukatchu]]'' (low-ranking aristocrats) and other local officials were allowed to keep their positions, and some their government stipends, and the ''[[magiri]]'' and ''[[jiwari]]'' systems of land division was kept in place for a time. Under this system, agricultural production was assessed by village, and within each village, land was occasionally redistributed among the villagers, albeit unequally. The taxation structure and local laws, similarly, were left in place initially, and only later abandoned and reformed. Stipends were paid out of the prefecture's budget, and not out of any additional funds from Tokyo; no Ryukyuan aristocrats were incorporated into the ''[[kazoku]]'' or ''[[shizoku]]'' nobilities under which former ''daimyô'', other samurai, and the king of Ryûkyû had been able to retain much of their prestige.<ref>[[Gregory Smits]], "Jahana Noboru: Okinawan Activist and Scholar," in [[Anne Walthall]] (ed.) ''The Human Tradition in Modern Japan'', Scholarly Resources, Inc. (2002), 102.</ref>

Education in Ryukyuan languages and customs was permitted to continue through the end of the 19th century, alongside the [[education in the Meiji period|public school]] system that was being put into place nationwide.

Education in Ryukyuan languages and customs was permitted to continue through the end of the 19th century, alongside the [[education in the Meiji period|public school]] system that was being put into place nationwide.