Forces from the Japanese federal domain of Satsuma invade the Ryūkyū Islands

Forces from the Japanese federal domain of Satsuma invaded the Ryūkyū Islands in 1609. Following the victory of the Japanese over the Ryūkyūan forces, the islands were subject to Tokugawa (Japanese) laws and edicts which included regular participation in Japan’s national census. The Ryūkyū Islands were also forced to pay a regular tributary tax to the Japanese government. While the Japanese allowed the Ryūkyūan Kingdom to keep their monarchy, they stripped the Ryūkyūan king of any power to protest positions or policies favored by the Japanese government [Bremen and Shimizu, 2013].