Return of Ryukyu Islands to Japan

Date: May 15, 1972 • Location: Ishikawa, Japan

The Ryukyu Islands were returned to Japan by the United States, and the U.S. occupation government was abolished.

The Ryukyu Islands , also known as the Nansei Islands or the Ryukyu Arc , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan. Administratively, they are divided between Kagoshima Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture. The larger ones are mostly volcanic islands and the smaller mostly coral. The largest is Okinawa Island.