Satsunan

Satsunan, or the Satsunan Shotō, is a historic geographic term for the southern part of the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. The name translates to “south of Satsuma,” referencing the old Satsuma Domain on Kyushu. The Satsunan Islands lie in the western Pacific Ocean, between Kyushu and Taiwan, and form the northern portion of the Ryukyu archipelago. They are part of the broader Nansei Islands chain and sit along the Ryukyu volcanic arc. The region has a subtropical climate, with diverse coral reefs, forests, and a range of coastal ecosystems.

In modern administration, the Satsunan Islands are divided between Kagoshima Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture. The Amami Islands, including Amami Ōshima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima, and Kikaijima, are part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The Okinawa Islands and related southern groups, such as Miyako and Yaeyama, fall under Okinawa Prefecture. Some classifications distinguish the Yaeyama sub-group as a separate unit within the broader Satsunan framework. The region is noted for its distinct Ryukyuan cultural and linguistic heritage, with local traditions and languages that differ from mainland Japan.

Historically, the Satsunan Islands were part of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which maintained tributary relations with China and, later, Japan. After the 1609 invasion by the Satsuma Domain, the islands were administered from Satsuma and gradually integrated into Japan. During the Meiji era, formal administrative attachment was established, and post-World War II, Okinawa was placed under U.S. administration until its return to Japan in 1972, while the Amami Islands were returned earlier, in 1953. The Satsunan region remains a distinct geographic and cultural subarea within the Ryukyu and broader Japanese context.