Agena Castle
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Agena Castle
is a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' located in the north of Agena district of Uruma, Okinawa, in former Gushikawa City. It was built on a base of Ryukyuan limestone and occupies . Agena Castle sits at an altitude of , and is naturally protected by the Tengan River to the north."安慶名城" gena Castle Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. . Retrieved 2014-05-23. History The Ōgawa Aji, or regional ruler of the Ōgawa Magiri of the Ryukyu Kingdom, occupied the castle for several generations. For this reason the castle is also known as . Details of the history of both the castle and the Aji are unclear, and no archaeological excavation has been carried out on the castle. It was likely built in the 14th century. The Ōgawa reached their greatest period of prosperity in the 15th century."安慶名城" gena Castle Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. . Retrieved 2014-05-23. At some point the castle was destroyed by the Ry ...
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Gusuku
often refers to castles or fortresses in the Ryukyu Islands that feature stone walls. However, the origin and essence of ''gusuku'' remain controversial. In the archaeology of Okinawa Prefecture, the '' Gusuku period'' refers to an archaeological epoch of the Okinawa Islands that follows the shell-mound period and precedes the Sanzan period, when most ''gusuku'' are thought to have been built. Many ''gusuku'' and related cultural remains on Okinawa Island have been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites under the title '' Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu''. Philological analysis The '' Yarazamori Gusuku Inscription'' (1554) contains phrases, "pile ''gusuku''" (くすくつませ) and "pile up ''gusuku'' and ..." (くすくつみつけて); apparently, ''gusuku'' in these phrases refers to stone walls. In the '' Omoro Sōshi'' (16th–17th centuries), the term ''gusuku'' is written as "くすく," or "ぐすく" in hiragana. Occasionally, the Chinese c ...
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The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. The United States is also in free association with three Pacific Island sovereign states: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. It is the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With a population of over 333 million, it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City. Paleo-Ameri ...
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United States Military Government Of The Ryukyu Islands
The , also referred to as U.S. Ryukyu Islands, was the government in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (centered on the Okinawa Island) from 1945 to 1950, whereupon it was replaced by the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR). Background The first prolonged American presence in the Ryukyu Islands commenced with the arrival of Commodore Matthew C. Perry in May 1853, on Okinawa. A bit more than one year later, this presence ended when Perry left. Perry had hoped to use Okinawa as a springboard to opening up relations with Japan during the Bakumatsu period. Almost 100 years later, Americans returned to the islands, beginning in April 1945, after the last battle of World War II came to an end. Again, the American presence was as a stepping stone to Japan. Government system The government was headed by the and his second-in-command, the . They were assisted by the . Governors References See also * United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Island ...
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United States Civil Administration Of The Ryukyu Islands
The was the civil administration government in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (centered on Okinawa Island), replacing the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands (itself created at the conclusion of World War II) in 1950, and functioning until the islands were returned to Japan in 1972. History The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration describes USCAR's history thus: Following signing of the Instrument of Surrender, 2 September 1945, Ryukyu Islands were administered by Department of the Navy, 21 September 1945 – 30 June 1946, with Commanding Officer, Naval Operating Base, Okinawa functioning as chief military government officer under authority of Commander-in-Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet. Transfer of administration from Department of the Navy to War Department authorized by Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) approval, 1 April 1946, of JCS 819/11, 5 March 1946, with added proviso of JCS 819/12, 22 March 1946. Pursuant to implementing instructions of General Hea ...
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Okinawan Language
The Okinawan language (, , , ) or Central Okinawan, is a Northern Ryukyuan language spoken primarily in the southern half of the island of Okinawa, as well as in the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kumejima, Tonaki, Aguni and a number of smaller peripheral islands. Central Okinawan distinguishes itself from the speech of Northern Okinawa, which is classified independently as the Kunigami language. Both languages are listed by UNESCO as endangered. Though Okinawan encompasses a number of local dialects, the Shuri– Naha variant is generally recognized as the ''de facto'' standard, as it had been used as the official language of the Ryukyu Kingdom since the reign of King Shō Shin (1477–1526). Moreover, as the former capital of Shuri was built around the royal palace, the language used by the royal court became the regional and literary standard, which thus flourished in songs and poems written during that era. Today, most Okinawans speak Okinawan Japanese, although a ...
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Gusuku
often refers to castles or fortresses in the Ryukyu Islands that feature stone walls. However, the origin and essence of ''gusuku'' remain controversial. In the archaeology of Okinawa Prefecture, the '' Gusuku period'' refers to an archaeological epoch of the Okinawa Islands that follows the shell-mound period and precedes the Sanzan period, when most ''gusuku'' are thought to have been built. Many ''gusuku'' and related cultural remains on Okinawa Island have been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites under the title '' Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu''. Philological analysis The '' Yarazamori Gusuku Inscription'' (1554) contains phrases, "pile ''gusuku''" (くすくつませ) and "pile up ''gusuku'' and ..." (くすくつみつけて); apparently, ''gusuku'' in these phrases refers to stone walls. In the '' Omoro Sōshi'' (16th–17th centuries), the term ''gusuku'' is written as "くすく," or "ぐすく" in hiragana. Occasionally, the Chinese c ...
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Uruma, Okinawa
is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Uruma was established on April 1, 2005, when the cities of Gushikawa and Ishikawa were merged with the towns of Katsuren and Yonashiro (both from Nakagami District). As of May 1, 2013, the city has an estimated population of 118,330 and a population density of 1,400 people per km2. The total area is 86.00 km2. The city covers part of the east coast of the south of Okinawa Island, the Katsuren Peninsula, and the eight Yokatsu Islands. The Yokatsu Islands include numerous sites important to the Ryukyuan religion, and the city as a whole has numerous historical sites, including: Katsuren Castle, Agena Castle, and Iha Castle and the Iha Shell Mound. It is home to the largest venue for Okinawan bullfighting. The Mid-Sea Road, which crosses the ocean and connects the Yokatsu Islands to the main island of Okinawa, is now a symbol of Uruma. Uruma is noted for its role in hosting large-scale refugee camps an ...
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Gushikawa, Okinawa
was a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Agena Castle was built here, and the city was founded in the 17th century as . After the Ryūkyū Kingdom was annexed by Japan and the Magiri system abolished, the area was renamed Gushikawa village in 1908. Gushikawa was elevated to city status on July 1, 1968. As of 2003, the city had an estimated population of 62,814 and a density of 1,963.55 persons per km². The total area was 31.99 km². On April 1, 2005, Gushikawa, along with the city of Ishikawa, and the towns of Katsuren and Yonashiro (both from Nakagami District), was merged to create the city of Uruma. Notable people from Gushikawa, Okinawa * Tatsuo Shimabuku, Japanese karateka and founder of the Isshin-ryū karate style * Kikuyo Ishikawa, Japanese former mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat spo ...
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Aji (Ryukyu)
Aji An ''aji'', ''anji'', or ''azu'' was a ruler of a petty kingdom in the history of the Ryukyu Islands. The word later became a title and rank of nobility in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It has been theorized to be related to the Japanese ''aruji'' ("master"), and the pronunciation varied throughout the islands. It ranked next below a prince among nobility. The sons of princes and the eldest sons of ''aji'' became ''aji.'' An ''aji'' established a noble family equivalent to a shinnōke of Japan. The ''aji'' arose around the twelfth century as local leaders began to build ''gusuku'' (Ryukyuan castles). Shō Hashi was an ''aji'' who later unified Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately long, an average wide, and has an ... as king. The title ''aji'' variously designated sons of the king and regiona ...
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Magiri
The administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom were a hierarchy composed of districts, ''magiri'', cities, villages, and islands established by the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout the Ryukyu Islands. Divisions There were three or ''hō'': , , and , which roughly correspond to the borders of the three Okinawan kingdoms during the Sanzan period. There were 57 throughout the kingdom including the Amami Islands. In concept they were similar to present-day Japanese prefectures, but in size they were closer to Japanese cities, towns and villages. There were four cities: , , , and . They were comparable to Japanese urban prefectures. There were over 600 throughout the kingdom including the Amami Islands. There were approximately 24 or "outlying islands", but only including islands that weren't already part of a ''magiri''. History The three districts are based on the three kingdoms of Hokuzan, Chūzan, and Nanzan. The origin of the ''magiri'' system is unclear, but was solidified ...
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Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a tributary state of imperial Ming China by the Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island to end the Sanzan period, and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands and Sakishima Islands. The Ryukyu Kingdom played a central role in the maritime trade networks of medieval East Asia and Southeast Asia despite its small size. The Ryukyu Kingdom became a vassal state of the Satsuma Domain of Japan after the invasion of Ryukyu in 1609 but retained ''de jure'' independence until it was transformed into the Ryukyu Domain by the Empire of Japan in 1872. The Ryukyu Kingdom was formally annexed and dissolved by Japan in 1879 to form Okinawa Prefecture, and the Ryukyuan monarchy was integrated i ...
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