Jin Jin

Ryukyuan music (琉球音楽, Ryūkyū ongaku^?), sometimes called Nanto music (南島歌謡, Nantō kayō^?), is an umbrella term that encompasses diverse musical traditions of the Ryukyu Islands The term "Southern Islands" (南島, Nantō^?) is preferred by Japanese scholars in this field. Unlike in the West, the Japanese notion of "Ryukyu" is associated with the former Ryukyu Kingdom based on Okinawa Island and its high culture practiced by the Yukatchu class in its capital of Shuri. By contrast, most scholars cover a much broader region and lay emphasis on folk culture.

Comprehensive studies on diverse musical traditions of the Ryukyu Islands was done by Hokama Shuzen and his colleagues. Prior to that, the scopes of research were limited to each island group (Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, or Yaeyama), or even narrower areas. These studies were done under the heavy influence of folklorists Yanagita Kunio and Orikuchi Shinobu, who searched for the origin of Japanese culture in the Ryukyu Islands.

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