The Ryukyu Archipelago (Japanese: 琉球列島, Ryūkyū-rettō) are a collection of 100+ islands located between Kyushu and Taiwan. They are politically split between the Japanese prefectures of Okinawa and Kagoshima.
Kagoshima Prefecture
The northernmost parts of the Ryukyu Islands are within Kagoshima Prefecture. These islands are referred to as the Satsunan Islands (薩南諸島, Satsunan-shotō), meaning “south of Satsuma”, as they were the southernmost territories of the Satsuma Domain.
Ōsumi Islands
Yakushima
Tanegashima
Kuchinoerabu-jima
Mageshima
Kuroshima (Kagoshima) Iōjima (Kagoshima) Takeshima (Kagoshima) Shōwa Iōjima Denshima
Tokara Islands
Hirase
Kuchinoshima
Nakanoshima (Kagoshima) Gajajima Kogajajima Tairajima Suwanosejima Akusekijima Kojima Kodakarajima Takarajima Kaminonejima Yokoate-jima
Amami Islands
Amami Ōshima
Kikaijima
Kakeromajima
Yoroshima
Uke Island
Tokunoshima
Okinoerabujima
Yoronjima
Edateku Island
Sukomobanare Island
Yubanare Island
Kiyama Island
Okinawa Prefecture
Islands south of the Satsunan Islands are administered by Okinawa Prefecture. Its predecessor was the Ryukyu Kingdom, an independent nation until 1879.
Japan has de facto control over the disputed Senkaku Islands, claiming them as part of Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture. However, they are not geographically within the Ryukyu Archipelago, being located further westward in the East China Sea.
Okinawa Islands
Okinawa Island
Iheya Island
Izena Island
Iejima
Sesoko Island
Yokatsu Islands
Ikei Island
Hamahiga Island
Henza Island
Minamiukibara Island
Miyagi Island
Tsuken Island
Ukibara Island
Yabuchi Island
Kume Island
Kerama Islands
Tokashiki Island
Zamami Island
Aka Island
Geruma Island
Aguni Islands
Aguni Island
Tonaki Island
Irisuna-jima
Miyako Islands
Miyako-jima
Ikema Island
Irabu Island
Kurima-jima
Ogami Island
Shimoji-shima
Minna Island (Tarama, Okinawa) Tarama Island
Yaeyama Islands
Ishigaki Island
Aragusuku Island
Hateruma
Iriomote Island
Kayama Island
Kohama Island
Kuroshima (Okinawa) Sotobanari Taketomi Island Yubu Island Hatoma Yonaguni