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.[1]

Map of the administrative divisions in the Okinawa Islands from the 18th century

Divisions

There were three districts (方) or hō: Kunigami (国頭), Nakagami (中頭), and Shimajiri (島尻), which roughly correspond to the borders of the three Okinawan kingdoms during the Sanzan period. There were 57 magiri (間切, Okinawan: majiri[2]) 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 (首里), Naha (那覇), Tomari (泊), and Kume (久米). They were comparable to Japanese urban prefectures. There were over 600 villages (村, Okinawan: mura[3]) throughout the kingdom including the Amami Islands. There were approximately 24 shima (島) 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.[4] 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.[4]

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.[4][5]

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.[6] In 1907, under Imperial Edict 46, the Japanese administrative system of cities, towns, and village organization was extended to Okinawa.[1] The magiri system was officially abolished on April 1, 1908.[4]

List of magiri

The following is a list of magiri by district:

Kunigami District

Kunigami District (国頭方, Kunigami-hō, Okinawan: Kunjan-hō), also known as Yanbaru (山原) in Okinawan[7] and Kunigami[8] or Hokuzan-fu (北山府) in Kanbun[9], 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
Ōgimi大宜味間切WujimiŌgimiestablished in 1673;
changed name from Taminato (田港) in 1695
Iheya伊平屋間切IhyaIheya, Izena
Haneji羽地間切HanijiNago (Haneji area, Yagaji area)
Nakijin今帰仁間切NachijinNakijin
Motobu本部間切MutubuMotobuestablished in 1666;
changed name from Inoha (伊野波) in 1667
Nago名護間切NaguNago, excluding Haneji and Yagaji areas
Kushi久志間切KushiHigashi and part of Nagoestablished in 1673
Kin金武間切ChinKin, Ginoza
Southern Amami IslandsErabu永良部間切IrabuChina, Wadomari, (Kagoshima Prefecturede facto incorporated into Satsuma Domain (Ōsumi Province) since 1624;
de jure remained a part of Ryukyu Kingdom
Yoron与論間切YunnuYoron

Nakagami District

Nakagami District (中頭方, Nakagami-hō, Okinawan: Nakugami-hō), also known as Wiikata (上方) in Okinawan[10] or Chūzan-fu (中山府) in Kanbun[9], 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
Yomitanzan読谷山間切YuntanjaYomitan
Goeku越来間切GwiikuOkinawa City
Misato美里間切NjatuOkinawa City, Uruma (Ishikawa Area)established in 1666
Gushikawa具志川間切GushichaaUruma (Gushikawa area)
Katsuren勝連間切KacchanUruma (Katsuren area)
Yonashiro与那城間切YunagushikuUruma (Yonashiro area)established with the name Nishihara (西原) in 1676;
changed name to Hirata (平田) in the same year;
finally changed to Yonashiro in 1687.
Nishihara西原間切NishibaruNishihara
Chatan北谷間切ChatanChatan, Kadena, part of Okinawa City
Nakagusuku中城間切Nakagushikupresent Nakagusuku, Kita-Nakagusuku, Uruma (Tsuken Island)
Ginowan宜野湾間切Jinōnpresent-day Ginowanestablished in 1671
Urasoe浦添間切UrashiiUrasoe
Nakazato仲里間切NakajatuKumejima (Nakazato area)
Uezu上江洲間切WiijiKumejima (Gushikawa area)
Four cities
(not included in magiri)		Tomari泊TumaiNaha (northern area of Naha)
Naha那覇Nafa, NafaaNaha (southern area of Naha), Tokashiki, Zamamicontains 4 towns (町, machi): Wakasa-machi (若狭町, Okinawan: Wakasa-machi), Higashi-machi (東町, Okinawan: Figashi-machi), Nishi-machi (西町, Okinawan: Nishi-machi) and Izumizaki (泉崎, Okinawan: Ijunjachi)[11]
Kume久米KunindaNaha (Kume area)community of Thirty-six families from Min.
full name: Kumemura (久米村)
Chinese name: Táng íng (唐營) before 1650; Táng róng (唐榮) since 1650
Shuri Mihira首里三平等Sui MifiraNaha (Shuri area, Mawashi area), Nishihara, Haebaru)contains Shuri Castle and 3 hira (平等, Okinawan: fira): Mawashi no hira (真和志之平等, Okinawan: Maaji nu fira), Hae no hira (南風之平等, Okinawan: Fee nu fira) and Nishi no hira (西之平等, Okinawan: Nishi nu fira)[12]

Shimajiri District

Shimajiri District (島尻方, Shimajiri-hō, Okinawan: Shimajiri-hō), also known as Shimukata (下方) in Okinawan[13] or Nanzan-fu (南山府) in Kanbun[9], 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
Oroku小禄間切UrukuNaha (Oroku area)established in 1672
Takamine高嶺間切TakanmiItoman (excluding Kyan and Mabuni areas)changed name from Shimajiriōzato (島尻大里) in 1667
Kyan喜屋武間切ChanItoman (Kyan area)
Mabuni摩文仁間切MabuniItoman (Mabuni area)
Makabe真壁間切MakabiItoman (Makabe area)
Kanegusuku兼城間切KanigushikuItoman (Kanegusuku area)also known as Shimajirikanegusuku (島尻兼城)
Kochinda東風平間切KuchindaYaese (Kochinda area)
Gushichan具志頭間切GushichanYaese (Gushichan area)
Ōzato大里間切UfuzatuNanjō (Ōzato area), Yonabaru)changed name from Shimazoeōzato (島添大里) in 1667
Sashiki佐敷間切SashichiNanjō (Sashiki area, Chinen area)
Tamagusuku玉城間切TamagushikuNanjō (Tamagusuku area)

Sakishima Islands
AreaNameKanjiOkinawan namepresent-daynotes
Miyako IslandsHirara平良間切TeeraMiyakojima (Hirara area)
Shimoji下地間切ShimujiMiyakojima (Shimoji area, Ueno area)
Sunakawa砂川間切ShinachaaMiyakojima (Gusukube area)
Yaeyama IslandsŌhama大浜間切UfuhamaIshigaki
Miyara宮良間切MyaaraIshigaki
Ishigaki石垣間切IshigachiIshigaki

Northern Amami Islands
AreaNameKanjiOkinawan namepresent-daynotes
Amami ŌshimaKasari笠利間切Amami (Kasari area)de facto incorporated into Satsuma Domain (Ōsumi Province) since 1624;
de jure remained a part of Ryukyu Kingdom
Komi古見間切Tatsugō, Amami
Naze名瀬間切Yamato, Amami
Yakiuchi焼内間切Yamato, Uken
Sumiyō住用間切Amami (Sumiyō area)
Nishikata西方間切Setouchi
Higashikata東方間切Setouchi
KikaijimaShidooke志戸桶間切Kikai (Shidooke area)
Higa東間切Kikai (Sōmachi area)
Isago伊砂間切Kikai (Isago area)de facto incorporated into Satsuma Domain (Ōsumi Province) since 1624;
de jure remained a part of Ryukyu Kingdom
established in 1693
Nishime西目間切Kikai (Nishime area)de facto incorporated into Satsuma Domain (Ōsumi Province) since 1624;
de jure remained a part of Ryukyu Kingdom
Wan湾間切Kikai (Wan area)
Araki荒木間切Kikai (Araki area)
TokunoshimaHigashi東間切Tokunoshima
Omonawa面縄間切UnnōIsen
Nishime西目間切Amagi
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See also

References
  1. "間切" [Magiri]. Nihon Kokugo Daijiten (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  2. "マジリ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  3. "ムラ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  4. "間切" [Magiri]. Kokushi Daijiten (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 683276033. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  5. Takara, Kurayoshi (Winter 1994–1995). "King and Priestess: Spiritual and Political Power in Ancient Ryukyu" (PDF). The Ryukyuanist. Naha, Okinawa Prefecture: International Society of Ryukyuan Studies (27): 1–2.
  6. "間切り" [Magiri]. Dijitaru Daijisen (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  7. "ヤンバル". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  8. "ヤンバル". 今帰仁方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  9. Chūzan Seifu, preamble
  10. "ウィーカタ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  11. "ナファユマチ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  12. "スイミフィラ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  13. "シムカタ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
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