Amami period Islanders started to produce
earthenware from 6,000 years ago, affected by the
Jōmon culture in
Kyushu. Initially, the styles were similar to those of the main islands of Japan, but later, a style original to Amami, known as "Usuki Lower Style", was developed. Among Japanese literature, mention of the islands first appeared in the late 7th century. By 1450, Ryukyuan forces had reached deep into the
Tokara Islands and conquered all but
Kikai Island, which was invaded in 1466.
Satsuma Domain of Japan attempted to invade Amami Ōshima in 1493, but Ryukyu defeated them. Ryukyu ceded the Amami Islands to Satsuma Domain in 1611. Satsuma started to directly rule the islands from 1613, sending a
daikan commissioner. However, it was still nominally treated as Ryukyuan territory, and bureaucrats from the kingdom were dispatched as well. Satsuma control over the islands was formally recognized by the
Tokugawa shogunate in 1624. At first, Satsuma's administration was a mild one, but as the financial deterioration of the domain became worse, the administration changed to one of exploitation. Satsuma imposed high taxes payable in sugar. This resulted in
sugarcane monoculture, which often resulted in severe famines. During these times, the Amami people found their joys in local liquors made from sugarcanes,
awamori bought from Ryukyu, and folk songs sung with
sanshin. Their folk songs evolved into a style different from that of Ryukyu, and still remain as a part of their culture today. Under Satsuma's rule,
names of Amami people underwent a great change, and they are today known for many unique one-character surnames. In 1871, after the
Meiji Restoration, the Amami Islands were incorporated into
Ōsumi Province, and then into
Kagoshima Prefecture. During
World War II, more than 20,000 Japanese soldiers were garrisoned in the Amami Islands, although the islands were never invaded, and experienced only small scale
airstrikes. This period, until 1945, is called the .
American period After the
surrender of Japan, the Amami Islands fell under direct American military control, with American documents referring to the Amami Islands as the "Northern Ryukyu Islands". The Japanese government believed this indicated an American intention to permanently separate the islands from Japan, and in response, stressed to the
American occupation authorities that the islands were an integral part of Kagoshima Prefecture. In February 1946, the Amami Islands were officially separated from Japan. In October, the was founded, formed by local leaders. It changed its name to the in 1950. However, under a democratic election, the local electorate chose a governor who pledged reversion to Japan (this also happened in other native governments of Ryukyu, namely those of Okinawa,
Miyakojima, and
Yaeyama). The
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR) was alarmed by this development, and reduced the power of native governments to that of a figurehead status. In 1952, USCAR founded another governmental body called the
Government of the Ryukyu Islands, in which "local leaders" were appointed by the American government. Amami residents were dissatisfied with these controls by the U.S. Moreover, the Amami economy suffered from separation from the Japanese market. Public funds of the U.S. administration were mostly used for heavily damaged Okinawa and the military bases there. The Amami Islands Homeland Restoration Movement, which had started immediately after the separation, became stronger. The
Amami Communist Party, formed in 1947, also favored reunification. Among locals over 14 years old, 99.8% of them signed in a bid toward reversion. Some municipalities and communities went on a
hunger strike after the example of
Mahatma Gandhi. The
Treaty of San Francisco in 1952 put the Amami islands under trusteeship as part of the Ryukyu Islands. The U.S. returned the
Tokara Islands to Japan in February 1952, and the Amami Islands on December 25, 1953. The U.S. government called it "a
Christmas present to Japan". This period is called the .
After reversion to Japan Although the Amami Islands were returned to Japan in 1953, Okinawa remained under American control until 1972. Because of this, Amami people who worked in Okinawa suddenly became "foreigners", making their situations difficult. The Japanese government promulgated the Amami Islands Promotion and Development Special Measures Law. However, the economic gap between the islands and the mainland still exists to this day. The law did help residents by improving the island's infrastructure. However, its bureaucratic system has been criticized as causing unnecessary destruction of nature. In 2001, there was a small naval exchange between North Korea and Japan in the
Battle of Amami-Ōshima, which resulted in a Japanese victory. ==Islands==