The Shimazu Invasion of Ryukyu | Sengoku Jidai Episode 60 

Hello I am Japanese🗾 I am glad that many people have a love for Japanese history and culture😊 Thank you everyone✨

Fun Fact: It would be a year later in 1612 that the famed Japanese adventurer, Yamada Nagamasa, would travel to Siam on behalf of the Tokugawa bakufu's trade mission of the "Red Seal Ships" to various countries in Southeast Asia. India being the furthest the Japanese Red Seal Ships would venture the furthest towards before the eventual Sakoku Edict of 1635. Yamada however would never return to Japan when he begun to rise through the ranks of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya and began to become an important official to the Ayutthayan court. He died in the midst of a Ayutthayan succession war in 1630. Rant: I honestly thought the Japanese invasion of Ryukyu originally as a plot to stave off the anger and resentment of the Shimazu clan for their defeat at Sekigahara at first, but, seeing the invasion now in more detailed diplomatic/economic importance at the time for the Tokugawa, I see now the strategic importance that Ryukyu had as a important trade crossroad for China, Korea, and Japan. Thank you Shogunate.

"An artist's idea of what Ryukyu soldiers looked like." 15:56 Holy cow, that guy's holding a gatling gun.

Kudos to you for pronouncing "Ryukyu" decently. I heard it pronounced as "Rayookayoo" by some documentary I've seen spme time ago and felt my soul leaving my body.

Hey, wasn't expecting you to cover this topic! I assumed you'd lay the groundwork for the first siege of Osaka in this episode, but I'm glad to be wrong this time, the invasion of Ryukyu is often overlooked but still quite interesting.

I'm so happy you actually didn't just gloss over Ryukyu. Its an interesting event!

I always wondered how these islands came under Japanese influence but with what was occurring on the main islands hadn't given it that much consideration. This episode filled in many gaps in my knowledge. I also think your reasoning is solid in that the Tokugawa were trying to control access to Japanese territories by European forces. Controlling the the Ryukyu Islands would prevent the establishment of a European base as a gateway to Japan. I believe both the Japanese and Chinese expected to eventually reestablish trade as they had in the past. The Ryukyuan connections just shortened the negotiation phase.

Tokugawa Iemitsu had planned an expedition to Manila to crush Christian strongholds in Asia, but it was scuttled when the Shimabara Rebellion broke out. The Shogunate then closed the country to the West, and the struggle for supremacy between Japan and the West in Asia was carried over to the Showa period.

This series has been fantastic since the beginning! I feel a sad nostalgia as we get closer to the end. I have to wonder, after the siege of Osaka, do you plan to continue in covering the Edo period?

Awesome! I just knew Shimazu clan invaded Ryuukyuu between Sekigahara and Osaka battles, but I didn't know anything more, so this video was great!

Brilliant stuff as always, the sengoku jidai series never disappoints!

Thank you for the information I'm really enjoying learning more and more about ancient Japan

Amazing video! I absolutely loved this, great video.

I am really enjoying your series. You researched everything so well. I have recommended your channel to all my friends that speak English.

From what I've learned in all of these episodes, these warlords are all horrendously violent and ruthless.

wonderful and informative

Yes!!!!! I live for these videos!

Really great video in how you explored out the diplomacy side of what was going on, especially with Shimazu's long history with the Ryukyu Kingdom as that reminded me about one of their conflicts during 14th century that displayed the Ryukyu's skills in naval warfare to repel back attacks that kept on through fighting Wako Pirates. While on one hand, you're still seeing this is geography political domination at work with how much importance that the islands chain link through trade really was here and the aggressive interests involved, but on the other it is interesting to see about government measures and guidelines being displayed out for campaigns. It especially too has a lingering thoughts to me in having strong ancestry in Kyushu that hearing more about the Shimazu Clan really made me imagine in wonder what my ancestors must have went through living under their authority or even in their service. All in all there was a great amount of inner details and other different perspectives that really filled out other gaps previously before, it really helps too that I like hearing these details for alternate history ideas. I'm curious since bringing up the strong interest the Tokugawa Shogunate had in having an buffer zone to ward European influences from the Philippines, what you think may have happened if Toyotomi Hideyoshi had instead focused his invasion to Southeast Asia than Korea? Awesome work and looking forward in seeing more in the future.

There is a period in the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom called the Sanzan Jidai or "Three Mountains Period" which I found to be similar (but not the same) as Sengoku Jidai or The Three Kingdoms in China, the amazing thing is that Okinawa is so small!

Being a fan of the Shimazu, I am happy to hear about this conflict. Seeing some of the artwork, makes me feel nostalgic when I read Osprey's book on this subject. Thank you for making a great video.

I love how you use the samurai warrior soundtrack for your intro

ah the Shimazu. top tier swordsman samurai clan there with their Tenshinsho Jigen Ryu.

Other than the economic aspect I assumed it was a way to try to give the Shimazu a reason to want the Shogunate to continue as they benefit from the trade going through their lands. The Tokugawa shogunate could then rely at least in a limited capacity to follow the Shogunate command and help enforce the Shogunate power in the west.

My understanding is that the Ryukyu’s status wasn’t fully settled until the early Meiji period; or that the islands were semi-sovereign with the monarchs still on the throne until the empire finally removed them. Still it’s pretty amazing how this one somewhat obscure chapter in history still resonates through the ages and I can see how history like this effects the current issues surrounding the island especially with regard to the military bases there.

Oh my this is still an on going series. I watched this not from episode 1. but now let me start from the beginning again

Interesting to learn about Ryukyu Kingdom and Invasion of 1609

I'm looking forward to seeing the Osaka campaign, and the legendary charge of one of the finest samurai ever.

Thank you, this topic is not mentioned. I appreciate it, being 1/2 Okinawan and 1/2 Japanese.

No Three Mountains for you.

This video is about to be great.

Imagine surviving as a shimazu soldier since the unification effort by Oda Nobunaga only to be killed by ryukuan cannon (who had a lesser military tech than the rest of Japan)

Ieyasu courts be like: Ieyasu: “no war” the rest of his general and vassals: *WAAAAAGGGGGHHHH* Ieyasu: *sigh*

Hey shogunate , I wonder if you are interested in talking about the foods not only of the sengoku period but the other periods prior before it?

Amazing video!! When did the conquest of Hokkaido happened? Do you will make a video about that?

The period lasted about 100 years and ended in 1429 when King Sho Hashi unified the island of Okinawa after a war of unification. Oh my!

Can you do a video on the shimabara Rebellion.

Once your done can you please make a big compalation of it PLEASE

And thus the seeds of the conflict over the Diaoyu/ Senkaku were laid

One wonders what kind of feedback would the thankful Satsuma return for the Tokugawa shogunate?

Early gang!

On 7/21 / 2222, a new work will be released in Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan. I hope it will be released overseas as well. Japanese title 「信長の野望　新生」 "Nobunaga's Ambition: Newborn"

Can you actually make a video on Ryuku kingdom on your channel though?

15:46 The match-lock machine gun.

Hey thank you for this video on behalf of my girlfriend. She is Okinawan and yet to be impressed with any portrayal of its history in media. The Okinawan and Ryukyu people are in a crisis of identity and history fueled by misinformation from China, Japan and even Okinawa. Please make a video discussing the Sanzan period of Okinawa, and the Samurai-like warriors of the island in this period. One of its heroes called Gosamaru is an ancestor of her family. So far you are the only channel we trust to do it accurately.

Wasn't this invasion later pop up alot of popular legend how Ryukyu people used "karate" (or Tang Hands as it was called back then) to fight against the Shimazu. It turned out to be a popular myth like how Jump Kicks was supposed to unhorse a Samurai on a horse or how the way to punch and kick was supposed to hit the samurai unarmored parts.

Toei says that Evil Shimazu Toyohisa will create a kleptocratic Yokai Alien Mutant mafia state in the all of the Yokai Alien planets and galaxies.

i am glad tokugawa wins

oh boy here comes the Osaka Campaign.

if they were a maritime trade nation in the middle of a golden age why didn't they have a defensive navy? if we make a comparison to Venice or Genoa during their golden ages they had very strong navies and used them very effectively

Ryukyu most famous export to Japan. Karate!

All this talk about the problems Christianity brought to Japan is making me wonder if this channel will do a bit on the Shimabara Uprising. I know that's after the Sengoku era ends, but it closes that chapter and is followed by Japan's long self-imposed isolation until 1853.

Why are your recent videos (Not including kusunoki video) fundrasers

The Shimazu is invading Ryukyu? Hmm... interesting.

In my opinion, the reason why the Shimazu conquered all of Ryukyu islands including Okinawa is to conduct illegal commerce activities with foreign states including Europeans as political weapons to one day overthrow the Tokugawa Ieyasu should’ve known about that’ll end His legacy. Western Japan governed by Toyotomi remnants, Kyushu warrior clans like Shimazu and Tachibana and Europeans like British, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Germans and Americans all will assemble to exterminate the Tokugawa building its national sovereignty.

History echoes long into today, even now there are rumbling in Ryukyu that they remain occupied country, both by the Japanese government and by the infestation of American military bases.

This video is so clearly biased, apologizing for Yamato agression against a much weaker opponent.

My problem with your videos is that the same images appear over and over, and takes away from any visual effect. You might as well just sit in front of the camera and talk.