207A Research on the Nansei Islands as the Japanese Southern Boundary in HistoryIslands between Kyushu Island （九州島） and Taiwan Island （台湾島） are collectively called the Nansei Islands （南西諸島）, consisting of the Osumi Islands （大隅諸島）, the Tokara Islands （吐噶喇列島）, the Amami Islands （奄美群島）, the Okinawa Islands （沖縄諸島） and the Yaeyama Islands （八重山諸島）. The Nansei Islands historically have played a role as Japan’s southern boundary. The border, however, has changed over time within the islands. Before a unified nation had formed in Japan in the late seventh century, cultures of the Japanese archipelago such as Jomon culture （縄文文化） or Yayoi culture （弥生文化） extended to the Nansei Islands. In the Kofun period （古墳時代）, however, the power of the Yamato administration （ヤマト政権） did not reach those islands; Kyushu Island was the end of the administration’s territory. In the Nara period （奈良時代）, the Japanese government established Tane-no-shima （多褹嶋） in the Osumi Islands, which had jurisdiction over Tanegashima Island （種子島） and Yakushima Island （屋久島）; the border extended south to the Osumi Islands. In the Middle Ages, the Ryukyu Kingdom （琉球王国） was established in the Okinawa Islands, and it conquered the Amami Islands and the Yaeyama Islands; the border between Japan and Ryukyu was drawn between the Tokara Islands and the Amami Islands. In 1609, the Satsuma domain （薩摩藩） invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom. After that, the Ryukyu Kingdom was ruled by Japan while paying tribute to China. In addition, the Amami Islands was placed under direct control of Satsuma. In 1879, the Meiji Government carried out the Ryukyu annexation （琉球処分） to abolish the Ryukyu Kingdom, and all the Nansei Islands were incorporated into Japanese territory. After the Asia-Pacific War, the islands south of the Tokara Islands were placed under the administration of the U.S. military. Those islands were gradually returned to Japan until Okinawa was returned in 1972. Based on the changes of the southern boundary, the national territory is a product of its history and it is important to recognize the variability of the state of the land.Ryosuke KAKINUMA
元のページ ../index.html#213