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Little is known of the early history of the Yaeyama Islands. Though we can presume there were local rulers or chieftains of some sort in earlier periods, even official histories produced by the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] and local legends in Yaeyama make no mention of specific notable, named, individuals prior to the 15th century. Trading ships from [[Okinawa Island]] are believed to have been regularly visiting the Miyakos and Yaeyamas at least as early as the late 15th century, however, with some sources indicating that the two island groups paid official [[tribute]] to the kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] based on Okinawa as early as [[1390]].

Little is known of the early history of the Yaeyama Islands. Though we can presume there were local rulers or chieftains of some sort in earlier periods, even official histories produced by the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] and local legends in Yaeyama make no mention of specific notable, named, individuals prior to the 15th century. Trading ships from [[Okinawa Island]] are believed to have been regularly visiting the Miyakos and Yaeyamas at least as early as the late 15th century, however, with some sources indicating that the two island groups paid official [[tribute]] to the kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] based on Okinawa as early as [[1390]].

The earliest leader indicated by name in local legends or official Ryûkyû Kingdom histories is [[Yonahasedo Tuyumya]], an individual from [[Miyako Island]] who in the late 14th or early 15th century became nominal head of the Yaeyamas; however, there is little historical evidence for his existence and some consider him a purely legendary figure.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 57.</ref> The names [[Naata Ufushu]], [[Taira Kubo]]<!--平久保-->, and [[Nakama Mitsukeima Eigyoku]]<!--仲間満慶山英極--> also appear in some sources as "[[Era of Rival Chiefs|rival chiefs]]" who vied for power in the Yaeyamas in the 15th century, before finally being defeated by [[Oyake Akahachi]].

The earliest leader indicated by name in local legends or official Ryûkyû Kingdom histories is [[Yonahasedo Tuyumya]], an individual from [[Miyako Island]] who in the late 14th or early 15th century became nominal head of the Yaeyamas; however, there is little historical evidence for his existence and some consider him a purely legendary figure.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 57.</ref> The names [[Naata Ufushu]], [[Hirakubo Kana]]<!--平久保-->, and [[Nakama Mitsukeima Eigyoku]]<!--仲間満慶山英極--> also appear in some sources as "[[Era of Rival Chiefs|rival chiefs]]" who vied for power in the Yaeyamas in the 15th century, before finally being defeated by [[Oyake Akahachi]]. Though most of these figures are represented in local legends as local heroes, as though they were born into indigenous communities distinctive and characteristic of each separate island, some scholars suggest that many of these prominent rivals were likely ''[[wako|wakô]]'' leaders, or descendants of ''wakô'' leaders, who made their way into the Ryûkyûs following the fall of the [[Southern Court]] in Japan in the 1390s; without support from the Southern Court and [[Seiseifu]] in Kyushu, and with the [[Joseon dynasty]] in Korea, [[Ming dynasty]] in China, and the [[Northern Court]] and [[Muromachi shogunate]] in Japan stepping up their efforts to suppress ''wakô'' activity, many made their way further south. While there is evidence of ''wakô'' activity in Okinawa and the Miyako Islands earlier, the earliest evidence of ''wakô'' activity in the Yaeyamas is from the 1430s.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 58.</ref>

Akahachi is perhaps the earliest Yaeyama figure whose existence can be verified. According to official histories produced by the royal court at Shuri, in [[1500]] he led the people of [[Ishigaki Island]] in rebellion against Shuri, refusing to pay taxes or tribute as they had done previously. In these accounts, which [[Gregory Smits]] has indicated "take on the qualities of a Chinese-style morality play,"<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 54.</ref> Oyake is presented as a villainous figure, taking advantage of chaos and disunity in the neighboring Miyako Islands as an opportunity to invade those islands. The virtuous [[Nakasone Tuyumya]] of Miyako then pushes Akahachi's forces back, not only defeating the invasion but going on to invade and conquer the Yaeyamas himself, even pushing as far as [[Yonaguni]], the westernmost of the Ryûkyû Islands; meanwhile, King [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] dispatches forces from Shuri to put an end to this violence. Nakasone then surrenders himself and all of the Miyakos and Yaeyamas to the forces from Shuri, willingly joining the Ryûkyû Kingdom and embracing peace, morality, and [[Confucianism|Confucian]] civilization.

Akahachi is perhaps the earliest Yaeyama figure whose existence can be verified. According to official histories produced by the royal court at Shuri, in [[1500]] he led the people of [[Ishigaki Island]] in rebellion against Shuri, refusing to pay taxes or tribute as they had done previously. In these accounts, which [[Gregory Smits]] has indicated "take on the qualities of a Chinese-style morality play,"<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 54.</ref> Oyake is presented as a villainous figure, taking advantage of chaos and disunity in the neighboring Miyako Islands as an opportunity to invade those islands. The virtuous [[Nakasone Tuyumya]] of Miyako then pushes Akahachi's forces back, not only defeating the invasion but going on to invade and conquer the Yaeyamas himself, even pushing as far as [[Yonaguni]], the westernmost of the Ryûkyû Islands; meanwhile, King [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] dispatches forces from Shuri to put an end to this violence. Nakasone then surrenders himself and all of the Miyakos and Yaeyamas to the forces from Shuri, willingly joining the Ryûkyû Kingdom and embracing peace, morality, and [[Confucianism|Confucian]] civilization.