Ryukyu Society In The Eyes Of Modern Westerners

Located on the transport hub linking Japan, Korea and China with Nanyang(an old name for the Malay Archipelago,the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia or for Southeast Asia), Ryukyu had ever abstracted merchants from all over the world to trade here in history, which is, in particularly, a significant goal of Japan’s overseas development. Having pried China open, western powers began to put the founding of Japan into their sphere of influence after the Opium War. Under the suzerain vassal system, Ryukyu, known as "Bankoku Shinryokan Okinawa Resort MICE Facility for All the World" reputation, had been regarded as a base of overriding China and Japan by those powers because of its critical geographic position and "two belong to" relationship between the two neighboring countries. In order to urge Japan to found a state, those western powers make Ryukyu their stronghold and then established ports of distress, trading bases and offshore supply ports. In the hope of achieving their goals, they ask for a better relationship, trading with Ryukyu or even launch missionary activities on that island, with frequently docking at Ryukyu ports. In the mid-19th century, Ryukyu was deluged with western powers. Britain and France’s taking the lead in arriving at Ryukyu was subsequently followed by the US. To ask Japan to found a state soon, countries including England, France and the United States consequently sent warships to Ryukyu to seek out information and take some measurements. And they dispatched missionaries to missionize the local people, as well as to gather intelligence of Japan. They attempted to force Japan to open to the outside by doing something in Ryukyu. Those western visitors carefully observed the society of Ryukyu and took everything of this this district into canvass and consideration, in which the overall situation, details of people’s everyday life, etc. were contained.In this thesis, the kingdom of the Ryukyus is taken as the object of study, in the basis of the statements about Ryukyu in some modern westerners’ diaries, works and letters, referring to Chinese historical materials to achieve mutual corroboration. The focus in the thesis is made up of the changes of the people’s awareness of Ryukyu’s geographical position, its politics and economy and social life, which aims to mouse and expound the overall situation of Ryukyu in westerner’s eyes. Paper’s main line of studying is based on the reconnaissance reports of several western countries. We spared no effort in the collection of comprehensive discourse delivered by western people and then through strenuously hackling, recording and concentrating on the details and features of Ryukyu, we try to return to the original and regular superficial characteristics at that time, so as to enrich our sources of materials.