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was an Okinawan political activist. He is commonly referred to as the "father of Okinawan emigration" due to his work in sending Okinawans abroad.
In 1898, Toyama moved to
Early life
In 1868, Toyama was born in the town ofKin, Okinawa
is a town located in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
In October 2016, the town had an estimated population of 11,259 and a density of 300 persons per km2. The total area of Kin is . 59% of the land area of Kin remains under cont ...
to a wealthy family. However, his family started to become poorer due to the economic situation of Okinawa following integration into Japan.
Emigration activism
In 1898, Toyama moved to Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
in order to find work. While he had little success finding a job, he became interested in the subject of emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanent ...
when he read a book about it in a used bookstore. A year later, he played a major role in sending the first Okinawan migrants to Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
, which already had migrants from other parts of Japan. In 1903, he led the second wave of Okinawan migrants and stayed in Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
for 6 months to investigate the treatment of these migrants, who worked for plantation companies.
Political career
After his investigation in Hawaii, he returned to Okinawa and became an emigration agent, sending more Okinawans to Hawaii, North America and South America. In 1909, he was elected to be a part of the newly-established prefectural assembly of Okinawa but died a year later due to a disease.See also
*Ryukyuan diaspora
The Ryukyuan diaspora are the Ryukyuan emigrants from the Ryukyu Islands, especially Okinawa Island, and their descendants that reside in a foreign country. The first recorded emigration of Ryukyuans was in the 15th century when they establishe ...
* Okinawans in Hawaii
The Okinawans in Hawaii ( Okinawan: ハワイ沖縄人, ''Hawai uchinānchu'') are a Ryukyuan ethnic group, numbering anywhere between 45,000-50,000 people, or 3% of Hawaii’s total population.
History
Immigration
The economy of Okinawa plu ...
* Ryukyuans in Brazil
* Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanent ...
References
1868 births 1910 deaths Ryukyuan people People of the Ryukyu Kingdom People from Okinawa Prefecture Politicians from Okinawa Prefecture Japanese politicians of Ryukyuan descent {{Japan-activist-stub