<P> Although Satsuma maintained strong influence over the islands , the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years . Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration , the Japanese government , through military incursions , officially annexed the kingdom and renamed it Ryukyu han . At the time , the Qing Empire asserted a nominal suzerainty over the islands of the Ryukyu Kingdom , since the Ryūkyū Kingdom was also a member state of the Chinese tributary system . Ryukyu han became Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in 1879 , even though all other hans had become prefectures of Japan in 1872 . In 1912 , Okinawans first obtained the right to vote for representatives to the National Diet ( 国会 ) which had been established in 1890 . </P>
<P> Although Satsuma maintained strong influence over the islands , the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years . Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration , the Japanese government , through military incursions , officially annexed the kingdom and renamed it Ryukyu han . At the time , the Qing Empire asserted a nominal suzerainty over the islands of the Ryukyu Kingdom , since the Ryūkyū Kingdom was also a member state of the Chinese tributary system . Ryukyu han became Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in 1879 , even though all other hans had become prefectures of Japan in 1872 . In 1912 , Okinawans first obtained the right to vote for representatives to the National Diet ( 国会 ) which had been established in 1890 . </P>
when did okinawa become a part of japan
when did okinawa become a part of japan
Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration
Four years after the 1868 Meiji Restoration