The Ryukyu Islands
A New History from the Stone Age to the Present
Book •
Gregory Smits' 'The Ryukyu Islands: A New History from the Stone Age to the Present' offers a sweeping synthesis of the islands' environmental, political, and social history, tracing human presence from the earliest known remains to contemporary issues.
Smits integrates archaeology, documentary sources, and recent DNA research to challenge longstanding myths about continuous indigenous continuity and to show multiple waves of settlement and cultural change.
He examines the development of distinct political formations, the maritime networks linking Ryukyu to Korea, China, and Japan, and the evolution of the Ryukyu Kingdom into its modern transformations.
The book also covers the late nineteenth-century annexation by Japan, World War II, American occupation, and contemporary tourism, geopolitics, and environmental challenges.
Positioned for both scholars and nonspecialists, it updates and corrects earlier English-language narratives about the islands.
Smits integrates archaeology, documentary sources, and recent DNA research to challenge longstanding myths about continuous indigenous continuity and to show multiple waves of settlement and cultural change.
He examines the development of distinct political formations, the maritime networks linking Ryukyu to Korea, China, and Japan, and the evolution of the Ryukyu Kingdom into its modern transformations.
The book also covers the late nineteenth-century annexation by Japan, World War II, American occupation, and contemporary tourism, geopolitics, and environmental challenges.
Positioned for both scholars and nonspecialists, it updates and corrects earlier English-language narratives about the islands.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 0 episodes
Mentioned by ![undefined]()
Gregory Smits
Gregory Smits, "The Ryukyu Islands: A New History from the Stone Age to the Present" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
Mentioned by ![undefined]()
Hans Weigenberg
Gregory Smits, "The Ryukyu Islands: A New History from the Stone Age to the Present" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
