Kyuzo Toyama
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was an Okinawan political activist. He is commonly referred to as the "father of Okinawan emigration" due to his work in sending Okinawans abroad.


Early life

In 1868, Toyama was born in the town of
Kin, Okinawa is a town located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. In 1 October 2020, the town had an estimated population of 10,806 and a density of 290 persons per km2. The total area of Kin is . 59% of the land area of Kin remains under cont ...
to a wealthy family. However, his family started to become poorer due to the economic situation of Okinawa following integration into Japan.


Emigration activism

In 1898, Toyama moved to
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
in order to find work. While he had little success finding a job, he became interested in the subject of
emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
when he read a book about it in a used bookstore. A year later, he played a major role in sending the first Okinawan migrants to
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, which already had migrants from other parts of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. In 1903, he led the second wave of Okinawan migrants and stayed in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
for 6 months to investigate the treatment of these migrants, who worked for plantation companies.


Political career

After his investigation in Hawaii, he returned to Okinawa and became an emigration agent, sending more Okinawans to Hawaii, North America and South America. In 1909, he was elected to be a part of the newly-established prefectural assembly of Okinawa but died a year later due to a disease.


See also

*
Ryukyuan diaspora The Ryukyuan diaspora are Ryukyuan emigrants from Japan's Ryukyu Islands, especially Okinawa Island, and their descendants. The first recorded emigration of Ryukyuans was in the 15th century when they established an enclave in Fuzhou, in the M ...
*
Okinawans in Hawaii Okinawans in Hawaii () number between 45,000 and 50,000 people, or 3% of Hawaii, the U.S. state's total population. History Immigration The economy of the Ryukyu Islands plummeted following its Disposition of Ryukyu, annexation by Japan in 18 ...
* Ryukyuans in Brazil *
Emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...


References

1868 births 1910 deaths 20th-century Ryukyuan people People from Kin, Okinawa Politicians from Okinawa Prefecture Japanese politicians of Ryukyuan descent {{Japan-activist-stub