Okinawa 1609: The samurai capture a king

The raid by samurai of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma on the independent kingdom of Ryūkyū (modern Okinawa) in 1609 is one of the most extraordinary episodes in samurai history, and the culmination of centuries of rivalry between the two powers. Needing to curry favour following their defeat at Sekigahara in 1600, the Shimazu planned an audacious operation intended to capture the islands and the king of Ryūkyū on behalf of the new Shogun. Assembling a Urge and modern army, the Shimazu daimyo began by seizing the islands that lay between Satsuma and Okinawa, then launched an amphibious landing to secure a beachhead. A rapid advance overland, disguised by a feint against the harbour of Naha, led to a complete victory that saw the king of Ryūkyū taken hostage and the Shimazu clan's aims achieved. This is a fascinating, yet little-known raid that brought independent Ryūkyū under the dominion of Japan, and solidified the Shimazu clan's status in the region.

A brilliant but little-known operation, the Shimazu clan raid on the independent kingdom of Rykkyu (modern Okinawa) in 1609 is one of the most extraordinary episodes in samurai history and the culmination of centuries of rivalry between the two powers. The defeat of the Shimazu at Sekigahara in 1600, and their need to win favor with the new ShMgun, led them to hatch an audacious plot to attack the islands on the ShMgun's behalf and bring back the king of Rykkyu as a hostage. Stephen Turnbull gives a blow-by-blow account of the operation, from the daring Shimazu amphibious landing, to their rapid advance overland, and the tactical feigned retreat that saw the Shimazu defeat the Okinawan army and kidnap their king in spectacular fashion. With a detailed background and specially commissioned artwork, the scene is set for a dramatic retelling of this fascinating raid.

Stephen Turnbull took his first degree at Cambridge University, and received a PhD from Leeds University for his work on Japanese religious history. He has travelled extensively in Europe and the Far East and also runs a well-used picture library. His work has been recognised by the awarding of the Canon Prize of the British Association for Japanese Studies and a Japan Festival Literary Award. He currently divides his time between lecturing in Japanese Religion at the University of Leeds and writing. The author lives in Leeds, England.