What is the largest island in Japan's Ryukyu Islands?

The largest island in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands is Okinawa Island.

Okinawa Island is about 1,207 square kilometres in area and stretches roughly 107 kilometres from north to south. It is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the broader Ryukyu, or Nansei, Islands. Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, is located on its southwestern coast.

The island has a humid subtropical climate. Its northern Yanbaru region contains subtropical forests and habitat for distinctive species such as the endangered Okinawa rail and the critically endangered Okinawa woodpecker. Coral reefs and warm seas also make the surrounding region ecologically important.

Okinawa’s history is closely tied to the former Ryukyu Kingdom, which developed maritime links across East and Southeast Asia. After World War II, the island was administered by the United States until reversion to Japan in 1972. It still hosts major U.S. military facilities, a frequent source of political debate.

Do not confuse Okinawa Island with Okinawa Prefecture: the prefecture includes many other islands, including Ishigaki and Miyako-jima.