Unpacking Shinsei (新生) AKATSUKI; An Extended Translation Note and Analysis
This post provides necessary context about the issues of cultural sensitivity around Ibuki Taki’s inclusion in AKATSUKI, especially its parallels to the Ryukyu Disposition. To do so, this post will explore Shinsei AKATSUKI and Ibuki through the lens of Japanese history, specifically the Meiji Restoration.
Happy Elements is no stranger to mishandling racial minorities. Adonis’s character is a clear example of orientalism, where he is defined by a generic Middle-Eastern aesthetic, and portrayed as either an exotic figure or threatening foreigner. Hiiro, who is strongly inferred to be Ainu, is frequently portrayed as an ignorant person from “the country” who must absorb the ways of “the city”. At times, his ignorance of modern society is treated as a source of humor.
With the addition of Ibuki (a canonically Ryukyuan character) to AKATSUKI, it's important to examine the Shinsei AKATSUKI storyline through the lens of Ryukyuan history. To do so, this analysis will break down plots and themes into three key historical parallels:
⦿ Globalization. How Ibuki's American identity represents the "Black Ships" that forced Japan to modernize, and why AKATSUKI brings him in to survive in the modern era.
⦿ The Ryukyu Disposition. How Ibuki's Okinawan identity and his search for true Japanese-style have problematic implications, given the real-world annexation and assimilation of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
⦿ Militarization. How Ibuki's role in the “war unit” AKATSUKI contains parallels to the forced conscription and sacrifice of Okinawans in World War II.
My goal is to create a clear resource for readers new to this history and to provide context for future translations, translation notes and discussions on this site.
Blue flashcards contain additional context. Click on them to read more information.
Some Disclaimers:
⦿ I am not a historian, nor an expert in international relations, nor an authority on everything I speak about below. All I have done is deep-read on these topics.
⦿ This analysis is a starting point, not an end-all-be-all resource. I have all of my sources and more linked here: not all of them are used for this analysis, but they are very great resources for readers to read beyond what I have here.
⦿ This analysis primarily dissects the Legend of KAGETSU and BUTTERFLY, but includes other stories and may continue to include more in the future. Thus, information may change here as more stories come out. I'll designate those updates, if any, at the bottom.
If you have questions, feel free to submit them to my ask box. If you spot any errors or have additions to share, you can also email me at citrinesea.io@gmail.com.
The Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom was an independent state that existed from 1429-1879 in the Ryukyu Islands. Because of its location in the East China Sea, Ryukyu developed a unique culture and maritime empire through active trade with China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The kingdom maintained a tributary relationship with China before it was invaded by Satsuma of Japan in 1609. From then on, Ryukyu had a three-pronged political status: tributary state, vassal and kingdom. This lasted until 1879 when Japan formally annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom, dissolved its monarchy, and incorporated the islands as the Okinawa Prefecture. This marked the beginning of assimilation policies and erasure of Ryukyuan identity into the 20th century.
The Many Meanings of Wa
The concept of 和 is what is key in this analysis, but it brings a complex history with it. To understand the historical parallels with Shinsei AKATSUKI, 和 must have its modern social meaning distinguished first, before we apply it to its role as a political tool during the Meiji Restoration. This distinction is important to highlight; while its core meaning holds different connotations to Japanese people in today’s society, the Meiji Restoration’s co-opted use of 和 is what applies when we analyze Shinsei AKATSUKI under the lens of the Ryukyu Disposition.
Social Harmony
The Constitution of Prince Shotoku.
The primary definition of 和 is “harmony”. In modern Japanese society, 和 is a daily, foundational principle of social harmony, where different individuals achieve balance by contributing their strengths, without losing their individual character. 和 is a social contract, where the needs of the group are seen as more important than the needs of the individual, and a good citizen is someone who separate their true feelings from the their public facade to contribute to this overall 和.
和 can take many forms: it can be empathy and taking care of each other’s needs. It can be social etiquette, like staying quiet on a train or public space, or cleaning up after yourself. It can also be a hinderance: 和 can be acting passive in order to avoid conflict, or keeping expectations unspoken.
Japaneseness
The second definition of 和 is “Japaneseness”. Wa” is the oldest known term for Japan, first used by China and Korea. The original character 倭 (wa, submissive, dwarf) was derogatory. In the 8th century, Japan replaced the character 倭 with a new one to redefine its image: 和 (wa, harmony, peace). 和 (wa) is used in words associated with traditional Japanese culture, like 和風 (wafu, Japanese-style), 和食 (washoku, Japanese cuisine), and 和服 (wafuku, Japanese clothing).
Click the cards below to learn more information.
After the Great Unification, power was consolidated under the Tokugawa shogunate, a military government, while the emperor was made into a powerless figurehead. This reign lasted for 200 years .
Samurai were paid in fixed rice stipends. As a cash economy grew, they had to sell their rice to merchants, who often gave them bad exchange rates. This left many samurai in poverty and resentful of the wealthy merchant class.
Daimyo (lords) were forced to travel to and maintain a second household in the capital, Edo, every other year. This was intentionally expensive to drain their resources and prevent rebellion.The daimyo and the Shogunate sank into massive debt, having to borrow from the very merchants they looked down upon. The entire ruling class was financially crippled.
To pay its bills, the Shogunate printed more money (creating more coins without increasing gold or silver). This caused inflation. This led to heavy taxes on peasants,which led to widespread starvation and revolts during famines. The government lost control of the economy and faced unrest from its own population, stretching its resources thin
When Commodore Perry's modern warships arrived in 1853, the Shogunate could not afford the modern navy that was needed to resist it. It was forced to sign unequal treaties, opening Japan to the West. The Shogunate's failure to "expel the barbarians" showed that it was weak and too obsolete to protect Japan in the modern world. .
Dissidents used the Emperor as a symbol of authority, and rallied under the slogan 尊王攘夷 in order to undermine the Shogun. Under pressure, the shogun resigned, and the dissidents restored the Emperor to power (although real power went to the new samurai leaders).
(fukoku kyohei, "rich country, strong military") became the guiding principle of national policy. Economic strength meant developing modern industries, infrastructure, and self-sufficiency. Military strength meant making a powerful, modern army to protect Japan and raise its world power status.
After the Meiji Government consolidated power, it abolished feudal lords and the samurai class. It restructured the military with Western-style ranks, uniforms, industrialization, and training. Mandatory conscriptions were established. Military academies were established, and trained officers taught based on Western military foundations. This allowed Japan to build a professional, modern military and navy.
Other territories like Taiwan, Hokkaido and Korea offered the same strategic and economic gains for Japan as Ryukyu. This period includes the forced assimilation of the Ainu in Hokkaido and the brutal colonization of Korea, which had previously been a tributary state of Qing China.
To unify regional identities into one national culture, the Meiji government worked to construct a singular national identity. It did this by leading with the idea of kokutai; the emperor was seen as a divine figure, and the people were like one big family under his rule.
Shinto, Japan’s religion, was elevated to a state ideology, where the emperor was promoted as descended from the divine. This gave him both moral and spiritual authority over the people of Japan. This identity was reinforced through schools, where school children were required to recite doctrine that emphasized loyalty to the emperor and pride in being Japanese.
The 1899 Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act forced the Ainu to adopt Japanese names, prohibited their language and customs, and erased their indigenous identity. Policies like 創氏改名 (soushi-kaimei) forced Koreans to adopt Japanese names and prohibited their language.
In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry and the U.S. Navy arrived in Japan with warships in order to force it to open itself to foreign trade. This came after the United States settled on the western coastline after the Mexican-American war, because it set its sights on Japan as a fueling site for merchant ships. Prior to the Arrival of the Black Ships, Japan had watched China lose to the British in the Opium Wars, whose technology far surpassed theirs. While they had feared losing to foreign powers, the Americans outpaced them anyway and forced them to open their doors. After signing treaties with the United States and other Western Powers, Japan’s closed country policy ended.
The shogunate’s inability to prevent this foreign power from imposing its will exposed Japan’s vulnerabilities. After the arrival of the United States, Japan adopted Western institutions and structures to modernize and protect itself. A faction of lower-class samurai, lords and court nobles overthrew the shogunate, and consolidated power under the Meiji Emperor and Edo, which was then renamed to Tokyo. The period of Westerization, political upheaval and advancements that followed was the Meiji Restorationn.
In order to expand its imperial reach, Japan developed two strategies: making a modern military and creating a unifying national identity. While Japan used Western tools to strengthen itself, it wanted to keep its Japanese identity intact too. This identity would be founded around the concept of 和 (wa). In this case, the "greater good" that people were expected to contribute to was explicitly defined as the Emperor and the Yamato Japanese.
This philosophy of national unity was used to justify the assimilation of minority groups. Where 和 (wa) is defined as putting aside your wants and needs for the greater good, it was pushed onto the groups Japan conquered, where those “wants and needs” were groups’ autonomy, cultures and rights. Through various assimilation policies, the distinct languages, cultures, and traditions of the Ainu, Koreans, Taiwanese and Ryukyuans were systematically suppressed in favor of becoming Yamato Japanese. In other words, this “harmonious blending” of 和 (wa) was in actuality cultural erasure.
The Black Ships: The Embrace of Ibuki’s Western Identity
Ibuki, AKATSUKI and the Legend of KAGETSU take place around the same time as Nice Arneb Thunder coming from abroad and bringing the MEGASPHERE with him. This timing creates a direct parallel to the Meiji Restoration, where global influence challenges the status quo and Japan takes on foreign principles to modernize and survive. Although Nice is not directly connected to Ibuki and AKATSUKI after Ibuki turns his offer down, their stories mirror the same parallel to the Meiji Restoration, where global influence comes in to challenge the status quo and Japan takes on these global principles to modernize and survive.
In the story, NiceP is treated as Commodore Perry, bringing techonology, a new unit, and global idol culture to ES from overseas. Thematically, NiceP's Black Ships are MELLOW DEAR US, the MEGASPHERE and Ibuki.
In the Audition Arc, Nice reveals to Seiya that bringing in MELLOW DEAR US (an overseas idol unit) is part of his plan to shake things around and reset the idol scene. He plans to use MELLOW DEAR US as a model example and push the industry (particularly, the P-Agency) to evolve. While idols will struggle or feel threatened, the idea is that this challenge will lead to growth for everyone. Seiya calls it “terraforming” the idol world.
VS AUDIENCE Influence 5, citrinesea
Ah, the passions of youth. Quite Nice, indeed... ☆
It seems that MELLOW DEAR US– who’re coming to Japan– are a business competitor of his. I imagine it's a one-sided rivalry.
The pain felt in youth should act as growing pains to help Sena-kun grow further. Since he didn’t say it to their face, I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear anything ♪
For an idol, losing work can feel like being told they've passed their expiration date, don't you think?
But their visit to Japan is very sudden. Could it be that they’ll be involved with 4piece in some way?
No. That’s not part of the plan. The main stars of 4piece are its participants after all.
However— As part of an effort to reform the malfunctioning “P-Agency”, I intend to showcase the unit I produced as the shining example.
I have faith that their presence will help further the development of idol culture here in Japan, and I’ve prepared more to come after 4piece.
Because of that, I figured the help of MELLOW DEAR US would be essential.
More to come… after 4piece? —
You’re good at coming up with new topics. Shall we chalk it up to the talents of a top-tier skilled producer?
I'm an idol, so the situation behind the scenes is none of my concern, but...
Still, it’s true that your work sets a high bar for ES idols to clear, which pushes them to grow even further.
Upending the idol ecosystem to create a new order… It's like terraforming, remaking the whole landscape.
The future of this country’s idol industry seems even more volatile than the founding of ES ♪
When the MEGASPHERE Arc begins, Nice brings a literal ship called the MEGASPHERE to hover over ES. Inside of it are all sorts of advancements, including automatic translation (etc). For the next month, ES Idols are put to the test to use these resources in order to stream. This resembles Japan adopting Western techonology to get stronger and protect itself.
NiceP recruits Ibuki from America, bringing him over to Japan. This is seen in several places. Additioally, there is a direct comparison between the MEGASPHERE and Ibuki. In the Shinsei AKATSUKI BRIGHT ME UP!!! Minitalks, the topic of the MEGASPHERE comes up, and Ibuki says the following:
citrinesea
| Ibuki's Introduction | I’m Taki Ibuki– born in Okinawa, raised in America. Nyahaha, someone reached out to ask if I was interested in getting into showbiz, so I came from overseas and turned up in Japan~ |
| Bright me Up Minitalk | It's quite noisy before the live, hm? Looks like there are some people running around for no reason too... Now, now. It's the first time we're holdin' a live in a place like this, I'm sure everyone's in high spirits is all. I never thought that we'd stand on a stage this huge~ Right~? If the player says, "It feels like it's the size of America"... Now that you mention it, apparently this so-called "me-ga-su-fii-a" airship was made in a foreign country. It crossed the ocean to come here to Japan just like me~ Kinda gives me a sense of kinship~♪ Crossed? More like flew... I did learn that when it's this stupid-huge of a machine, I don't get motion-sickness. |
Adaptation for Survival
This deliberate mention of relating to the MEGASPHERE is supposed to parallel the Black Ships and connect Ibuki's role to one of the primary themes of the Legend of KAGETSU: adapting to survive in a changing world. This mirrors Japan's Meiji-era strategy of selective Westernization, where foreign tools were adopted while protecting core cultural identity. In the Legend of KAGETSU, Keito tells Rei that he has suspected that Rhythm Link wants to use AKATSUKI’s obedience and discipline to mold them into a convenient, controlled successor. He fears that in this position under a traditionalist agency, AKATSUKI won’t be allowed to grow or change.
The Legend of KAGETSU Influence 5, citrinesea
I wanted to make it clear I wasn’t going to let them control AKATSUKI as they wished, while not opposing the agency's intentions straight-on.
I tried everything in my power. I tried to adopt what was trendy into the arrangements of new AKATSUKI songs.
But the overall response never changed. Apparently, every song was “fit for AKATSUKI”.
It’s probably because I’m too steeped in the traditional performing arts that I can't get the range right. It's hard to strike a balance.
It was at that moment, in 4piece… In that audition where I came across Taki.
Eh? Then, the reason Hasumi-san called out to me was…
That’s right. When we had our jam session together, I felt like I could see the future of AKATSUKI.
AKATSUKI is a unit that takes pride in the traditional performance arts.
But we’re not an antique or a curio; it’s not an antiquated unit. We’re idols who sing and dance in front of people who live in the now.
Even if AKATSUKI’s performances change, AKATSUKI stays the same. Even if something on the surface changes, the soul of AKATSUKI is eternal.
… That’s right. That’s what we learned from Rumbling Heaven and Earth.
Right. We take the things we’ve cultivated in the past, change it to suit the modern age, and carry it with us into the new era.
Eichi explicitly frames Nice Arneb Thunder's arrival and the auditions he brings with him as the proverbial black ships. It is within this forced opening of the idol industry ES dominates that Keito encounters Ibuki, an idol brought back from America by Nice, who represents the foreign influence disrupting the status quo. This is seen as Ibuki plays an arrangement of Hyakkaryoran, which combines his spin with the original Japanese-style song. After meeting Ibuki in VS AUDIENCE, Keito sees potential in how his approach clashes with AKATSUKI's. Initially, he invites Ibuki to be a guest with AKATSUKI in order to shake out of Rhythm Link's idea of what makes something "like AKATSUKI".
VS AUDIENCE Hundred 14, The Legend of KAGETSU No Sign of the Awaited 4, citrinesea
| VS AUDIENCE | The Legend of KAGETSU |
|---|---|
Hasumi-san! I’m all set and ready to go~♪ I’ll be playing the guitar, so you follow my lead! We’ll do an AKATSUKI song, of course...♪ ♪! ♪! ♪! Wha!? He’s already started performing…! (The musical performance sounds free and unconventional, but somehow it lingers in my ears…) It couldn’t be… you’re playing… “A Thousand Blossoms, the Night of Crimson Moon”, aren’t you? It's a largely different take on the original song, so I didn't recognize it immediately, but there's no doubt about it. Why are you able to play this song? I told you, didn’t I~ That I’m gonna play an AKATSUKI song, yeah? None of the other pairs have started performing yet, y’know~? This is a golden opportunity, so why don't you play along with me, Hasumi-san? ♪ Look, look! That’s a shamisen over there, right? Jam sesh with me~♪ You…! Have you no consideration for where I stand…! Fine. I’ll just play the shamisen, then…! ♪~♪~♪ (... Hmph. Taki’s proclivity to do things as he pleases is unmanageable.) (He just starts appealing without thinking… Doesn’t he get that there’s “music enthusiasts” of all kinds out there?) (Still… This is the first time I’ve heard “A Thousand Blossoms, the Night of Crimson Moon” sound like this.) (The song does use the electric guitar, but the unique way Taki plays it makes it sound innovative.) (The shamisen part completes the arrangement perfectly, so it must’ve taken some careful thought and practice by that Taki guy.) (Taki, it’s just like Eichi predicted. You seem to be someone who’ll rock the boat of this competition...♪) | … Hold it, Taki! 『♪ ! ♪! ♪!』 Look, look! That’s a shamisen over there, right? Jam sesh with me~♪ You…! Have you no consideration for where I stand…! Fine. I’ll just play the shamisen, then…! 『♪~♪~♪!』 (No, no. That’s no good~ Hasumi-san.) (... Hm? That Taki guy’s signalling something at me with his eyes… What is it?) (This is a chance we can’t miss~, right~?) (Think about it carefully~ We're the only ones here on stage. We're playing our favorite AKATSUKI song. People who love music are right in front of us.) (Idols and examinations don't matter here~ There are musical performances that can show someone a good time, one that can be enjoyed with all your entirety even more. But right now, all we’re doing is playing the guitar and shamisen~) (If it’s you, Hasumi-san, you’d get me~, right~? What we should do?) (... Damn it. That’s what he meant.) (Very well then, we’ve gone too far to go back. If this is how it is, I might as well be on board until the end…!) 『 ♪ ! ♪ ! ♪ !』 You meant like this, right, Taki! Yeah, yeah! It’s gonna get more and more fun from here~ Keep up~ ‘kay~? …–! (He upped the tempo even more…!) (Yet as soon as he did, it became a smooth, clear stream, before dropping down like a violent waterfall.) 『♪~♪~...♪! ♪!』 『♪~♪~...♪! ♪!』 (Engulfed by the raging, rushing river of the sound.) (What on earth is this… I see light surrounding us.) ( – This is fun.) Ha, hahaha… |
Later, after the Legend of KAGETSU show, AKATSUKI formally invites Ibuki to join their unit. By integrating Ibuki into AKATSUKI, Keito can keep its core identity, while adapting and expanding it to stay independent and survive outside pressure in the future. However, when Keito talks about being an equal partner with Ibuki, or taking on his "harmony" (和), he's mainly discussing the interplay between the Japanese 和 and Ibuki's American identity. This makes it a cultural negotiation between two major powers (Japan and the United States), a reflection of the events that occurred during the Meiji Restoration.
There's a major clash in the story between low-context American culture (saying what you want, making deals, clearly stating expectations) and high-context Japanese culture (leaving things unsaid, implying meaning through the way you act, relying on unspoken expectations). Throughout the story, Ibuki learns Japanese-style high-context behavior (such as withholding information to protect AKATSUKI), while Keito learns American-style low-context communication (being direct, assertive, and rebellious when protecting AKATSUKI). However, Keito does not fully Americanize AKATSUKI: he cherry-picks Ibuki's directness and innovation as tools to protect AKATSUKI's new definition of 和, mirroring Japan's "Western technology, Japanese spirit" approach.
VS AUDIENCE Influence 5, citrinesea
♪~♪~♪
(Nyahaha. This feels great! It looks like the opening’s going pretty well, huh~)
(Maybe this kinda thing is the harmonious harmony Hasumi-san was talking about~?)
(Both the Okinawan and American dispositions I carry with me, mixed with the harmony* AKATSUKI brings with them. At a glance, it doesn’t seem like it fits, but I blend right in. How strange~)
(I’m absorbing the harmony* of this mainland. At times, I’m introducing harmony* from the American perspective too.)
(— I’ll show you I’ll find that “true Japanese-style”.)
♪♪♪
(What Taki has that AKATSUKI doesn’t— it’s that thirst. And from that thirst comes a kind of hunger.)
(In Japan, there is a tendency to view greed as despicable— something to be ashamed of. Because of that, I tried not to bring it to the surface. I had figured that restraint was a virtue.)
(But I’ve had enough of moderation. AKATSUKI is a unit that honors good old fashioned harmony*, but we’re idols who make the most of the present and take on the future.)
(“All worldly things are impermanent” is what the world runs on. If we only keep our eyes on the past and present, we’ll absolutely lose sight of the future.)
(I won’t let that happen to AKATSUKI.)
(Even if it’s despicable, I’ll hungrily take in everything, and aim for a harmony* that holds up in the face of the future.)
♪~♪~♪
The narrative heavily values Ibuki's Western contributions. This is reiterated in BUTTERFLY, which emphasizes AKATSUKI's "need for change," and frames Ibuki's free-thinking, low-context problem-solving as a positive contrast to Souma being "stuck in his ways." The song LOUDEST BUG is also heavily Western-inspired. The way Souma speaks about Ibuki reflects how Keito sees him in VS AUDIENCE and the Legend of KAGETSU: someone full of potential for AKATSUKI's future.
Tenshou KAGETSU, citrinesea
| Keito | The beating of our hearts are the drum playing the Fill-in that clears the darkness of the new moon | 00:50 |
| Ibuki | Can you feel it kicking up? – Brush up, impose, throw down, make change | 00:53 |
| Kuro | Time doesn’t stop | 00:57 |
| Souma | In order to exist in this era | 00:59 |
| Keito, Souma | Our battered bodies are medals of honor too | 01:00 |
| Kuro, Ibuki | To aimlessly waste away is the sentiment of a king | 01:02 |
| ... | ||
| Souma | Now, the full moon has appeared, it's Showtime for all to be burst open and revealed | 02:15 |
| Kuro | We’ve been waiting for so long, is it just as we’ve wished? What is the dream we’ve screamed out for once before? | 02:18 |
| Keito | Time doesn’t stop | 02:22 |
| Ibuki | We’re surviving in this era | 02:24 |
| All | If you only have half the faith in what you believe in, won’t you only get half out of the world too? | 02:26 |
BUTTERFLY, Butterfly Clad in Serendipidity 6, citrinesea
Ever since you have joined, AKATSUKI has changed. We are proclaiming it to be the reborn AKATSUKI.
But that perception is mistaken.
Mistaken… So AKATSUKI hasn’t changed?
Nay. AKATSUKI has changed…— Rather, it is still undergoing changes, but…
It is not just your entrance into the unit. Everything around AKATSUKI is changing little by little.
We cannot continue as we always have, and I am certain Hasumi-dono does not want things to continue as they have either.
If you were to ask me if that makes me sad, it would be a lie to say it doesn't. But AKATSUKI has been that kind of “yu-nitto” from the very start.
— “While we base ourselves on good, old-fashioned traditional performing arts, we express our unique character by creating modern arrangements of them.”
Just as dynamic as water and fire, AKATSUKI will continue to question what kind of existence it is.
The Legend of KAGETSU No Sign of the Awaited 4, BUTTERFLY, citrinesea
| The Legend of KAGETSU | BUTTERFLY |
|---|---|
Yeah, yeah! It’s gonna get more and more fun from here~ Keep up~ ‘kay~? …–! (He upped the tempo even more…!) (Yet as soon as he did, it became a smooth, clear stream, before dropping down like a violent waterfall.) 『♪~♪~...♪! ♪!』 『♪~♪~...♪! ♪!』 (Engulfed by the raging, rushing river of the sound.) (What on earth is this… I see light surrounding us.) ( – This is fun.) Ha, hahaha… | Things are so different. ? What are you talking about? Taki. I cannot anticipate any of the things you say or do. I am always at the whims of your free-spirited ideas. I don’t really get what you wanna say, Kanzaki-san~? What I am saying is that I never would have thought of combining the two projects no matter how hard I would have tried. I am aware that I can be stubborn. That's precisely why, when I hear your flexible ideas, I feel I've gained a new perspective. (... Ahh, I see. My heart is roused. There are an endless amount of possibilities.) |
Conclusion
This storyline deliberately mirrors Japan's Meiji-era strategy: strengthening traditional identity (和) while adapting with foreign tools and perspectives to survive in a changing world. Just as Japan adopted Western tools and ideals to strengthen itself against foreign threats, AKATSUKI integrates Ibuki's Western perspective to avoid stagnation. The narrative emphasizes strengthening traditional 和 (wa) while adapting with new cultural tools. While the story meaningfully engages with the American influence, it largely neglects and sidesteps Japan and Okinawa's complex assimilation history. We will unpack Ibuki's Ryukyuan background next.