Administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom


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.
from the 18th century

Divisions

There were three districts or hō:,, and, which roughly correspond to the borders of the three Okinawan kingdoms during the Sanzan period. There were 57 magiri 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: Shuri, Okinawa, Naha, Tomari, Okinawa, and Kumemura. They were comparable to Japanese urban prefectures. There were over 600 villages throughout the kingdom including the Amami Islands. There were approximately 24 shima 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 by the beginning of the reign of Shō Shin, the third king of the Second Shō Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom who ruled between 1477 and 1526. The magiri were originally controlled by individual aji, but as the Ryukyu Kingdom centralized at the turn of the 15th century the aji relocated to the capital of the kingdom at Shuri. After this period the title of aji became symbolic, and low-ranking officials were assigned the day-to-day administration of the magiri.
Each magiri had several villages, sometimes referred to as shima, which represented an administrative unit similar to the mura, or village, in feudal Japan. Each magiri had five to ten villages. Ryukyuan commoners were registered to a particular village, and movement to or from the administrative areas was generally not permitted. Under the system of Shō Shin the central government at Shuri assigned each village a noro priestess to carry out the religious functions of the settlement.
The magiri system continued to varying degrees in the Amami Islands even after they were ceded to Satsuma Domain in 1624. On Okinawa Island, there were 27 magiri at the turn of the 17th century, but by the 19th century Misato, Kushi, Motobu, Ginowan, Oroku, Onna, Ōgimi, and Yonagusuku were created, bringing the total to 35. The magiri system continued after the end of the Ryukyu Kingdom and annexation of the islands by Japan in 1879. In 1907, under, the Japanese administrative system of cities, towns, and village organization was extended to Okinawa. The magiri system was officially abolished on April 1, 1908.

List of ''magiri''

The following is a list of magiri by district:

Kunigami District

Kunigami District, also known as Yanbaru in Okinawan and Kunigami or Hokuzan-fu in Kanbun, roughly correspond to the territory of Hokuzan during the Sanzan period.
AreaNameKanjiOkinawan namepresent-daynotes
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKunigami国頭間切KunjanKunigami
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsŌgimi大宜味間切WujimiŌgimiestablished in 1673;
changed name from Taminato in 1695
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsIheya伊平屋間切IhyaIheya, Izena
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsHaneji羽地間切HanijiNago
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsNakijin今帰仁間切NachijinNakijin
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsMotobu本部間切MutubuMotobuestablished in 1666;
changed name from Inoha in 1667
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsNago名護間切NaguNago, excluding Haneji and Yagaji areas
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKushi久志間切KushiHigashi and part of Nagoestablished in 1673
Northern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKin金武間切ChinKin, Ginoza
Southern Amami IslandsErabu永良部間切IrabuChina, Wadomari, since 1624;
de jure remained a part of Ryukyu Kingdom
Southern Amami IslandsYoron与論間切YunnuYoronde facto incorporated into Satsuma Domain since 1624;
de jure remained a part of Ryukyu Kingdom

Nakagami District

Nakagami District, also known as Wiikata in Okinawan or Chūzan-fu in Kanbun, roughly correspond to the territory of Chūzan during the Sanzan period.
AreaNameKanjiOkinawan namepresent-daynotes
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsOnna恩納間切UnnaOnnaestablished in 1673
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsYomitanzan読谷山間切YuntanjaYomitan
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsGoeku越来間切GwiikuOkinawa City
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsMisato美里間切NjatuOkinawa City, Uruma established in 1666
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsGushikawa具志川間切GushichaaUruma
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKatsuren勝連間切KacchanUruma
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsYonashiro与那城間切YunagushikuUruma established with the name Nishihara in 1676;
changed name to Hirata in the same year;
finally changed to Yonashiro in 1687.
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsNishihara西原間切NishibaruNishihara
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsChatan北谷間切ChatanChatan, Kadena, part of Okinawa City
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsNakagusuku中城間切Nakagushikupresent Nakagusuku, Kita-Nakagusuku, Uruma
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsGinowan宜野湾間切Jinōnpresent-day Ginowanestablished in 1671
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsUrasoe浦添間切UrashiiUrasoe
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsNakazato仲里間切NakajatuKumejima
Central area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsUezu上江洲間切WiijiKumejima
Four cities
Tomari泊TumaiNaha
Four cities
Naha那覇Nafa, NafaaNaha, Tokashiki, Zamamicontains 4 towns: Wakasa-machi, Higashi-machi, Nishi-machi and Izumizaki
Four cities
Kume久米KunindaNaha community of Thirty-six families from Min.
full name: Kumemura
Chinese name: Táng íng before 1650; Táng róng since 1650
Four cities
Shuri Mihira首里三平等Sui MifiraNaha contains Shuri Castle and 3 hira: Mawashi no hira, Hae no hira and Nishi no hira

Shimajiri District

Shimajiri District, also known as Shimukata in Okinawan or Nanzan-fu in Kanbun, roughly correspond to the territory of Nanzan during the Sanzan period.
AreaNameKanjiOkinawan namepresent-daynotes
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsTomigusuku豊見城間切TumigushikuTomigusuku
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsOroku小禄間切UrukuNaha established in 1672
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsTakamine高嶺間切TakanmiItoman changed name from Shimajiriōzato in 1667
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKyan喜屋武間切ChanItoman
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsMabuni摩文仁間切MabuniItoman
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsMakabe真壁間切MakabiItoman
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKanegusuku兼城間切KanigushikuItoman also known as Shimajirikanegusuku
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsKochinda東風平間切KuchindaYaese
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsGushichan具志頭間切GushichanYaese
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsŌzato大里間切UfuzatuNanjō changed name from Shimazoeōzato in 1667
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsSashiki佐敷間切SashichiNanjō
Southern area of Okinawa Main Island and nearby islandsTamagusuku玉城間切TamagushikuNanjō

Sakishima Islands

AreaNameKanjiOkinawan namepresent-daynotes
Miyako IslandsHirara平良間切TeeraMiyakojima
Miyako IslandsShimoji下地間切ShimujiMiyakojima
Miyako IslandsSunakawa砂川間切ShinachaaMiyakojima
Yaeyama IslandsŌhama大浜間切UfuhamaIshigaki
Yaeyama IslandsMiyara宮良間切MyaaraIshigaki
Yaeyama IslandsIshigaki石垣間切IshigachiIshigaki

Northern Amami Islands