Pearl Lost in the Sea: The Ryukyu Kingdom

In the western Pacific, Ryukyu was once known as the "Bridge of Nations." Tribute ships sailed back and forth, civilizations mingled, and the red eaves of Shuri Castle reflected on the sea. The glory of the "Land of Propriety" endured for five hundred years. But after the Meiji Restoration, Japan steadily swallowed up Ryukyu. In 1879, the "abolition of domains and establishment of prefectures" brought the Ryukyu Kingdom crashing down, and its homeland was renamed "Okinawa."

Spanning 600,000 characters, this book tells a story of upheaval in four volumes: The Sudden Upheaval depicts the abrupt collapse of a flourishing age and the fall of royal power; Exile follows loyal members of the royal house as they wander far from home, holding fast to their convictions; Resistance portrays the people wielding culture as a weapon to protect their language and traditions; and Lingering Grief evokes the legacy of a hundred years, as the resilience of a civilization endures.

This book recovers the epic history of Ryukyu's rise and fall, portraying a civilization's steadfastness in the face of overwhelming power. The soul of Ryukyu, a pearl lost beneath the sea, continues to shine and echo through time.