List of Ryukyuans

This article lists notable Ryukyuans, the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands in East Asia.

Martial arts

• Sōkon Matsumura
• Ankō Itosu
• Ankō Asato
• Kenwa Mabuni (Shitō-ryū)
• Gichin Funakoshi (Shotokan)
• Chōjun Miyagi (Gōjū-ryū)
• Chōki Motobu (Motobu-ryu)
• Tatsuo Shimabuku (Isshin-ryū)
• Kanbun Uechi (Uechi-ryū)
• Kentsū Yabu (Shōrin-ryū)

Academics, journalism, and literature

• Sai On
• Shō Shōken
• Tei Junsoku
• Iha Fuyū
• Higashionna Kanjun
• Ōta Chōfu, journalist
• Tatsuhiro Oshiro, novelist
• Kushi Fusako, novelist

Music

• Namie Amuro
• Begin
• Beni
• Cocco
• Da Pump
• Gackt, singer-songwriter and actor
• Chitose Hajime
• High and Mighty Color
• MAX
• Mongol800
• Orange Range
• Speed
• Stereopony

Visual arts

• Mao Ishikawa, photographer ^[1]
• Yuken Teruya
• Chikako Yamashiro, filmmaker

Entertainment

• Yui Aragaki, actress known for her role in the television drama The Full-Time Wife Escapist
• Rino Nakasone, choreographer
• Fumi Nikaido, actress
• Manami Higa, actress known for her role in the film My Teacher

Sports

• Nagisa Arakaki, baseball player
• Hideki Irabu, baseball player
• Yukiya Arashiro, bicycle racer
• Kazuki Ganaha, football
• Yoko Gushiken, boxer
• Akinobu Hiranaka, boxer
• Katsuo Tokashiki, boxer
• Daigo Higa, boxer
• Ai Miyazato, golfer
• Ken Gushi, drifter

In Hawaii

• Yeiki Kobashigawa, U.S. World War II soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
• Yoshi Oyakawa, Olympic gold medalist ^[2]
• Ethel Azama, singer
• David Ige, former governor of Hawaii
• Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele player
• Ryan Higa, YouTuber ^[3]
• Michael S. Nakamura, or Nakandakari; former Honolulu Chief of Police ^[4]

Other parts of the United States

• Kishi Bashi, musician
• Yuki Chikudate, singer
• Tamlyn Tomita, actor
• Brian Tee, actor
• Natasha Allegri, storyboard artist
• Dave Roberts, baseball player and coach
• Maya Higa, YouTuber and conservationist

In other countries

• Takeshi Kaneshiro, actor in Taiwan
• Sakura Miyawaki, singer in South Korea, member of the idol group Le Sserafim

Notable fictional characters

• Mr. Miyagi, played by Pat Morita from the Karate Kid trilogy
• Mugen from the anime series Samurai Champloo
• Mutsumi Otohime from the manga series Love Hina
• Maxi from the Soulcalibur series of video games
• Ryota Miyagi from the manga and anime series Slam Dunk
• Yuri Miyazono, the lead protagonist of the Witchblade: Ao no Shōjo novels
• Nanjo Takeshi, Arakaki Mari, and Ryuzuka, characters in the 1973 film Bodigaado Kiba: Hissatsu sankaku tobi
• Shisa from the manga and anime series Chiikawa

References

1. "A tribute to the women of '70s Okinawa". 16 July 2017.
2. "Did you Know". www.huoa.org. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
3. Higa, Ryan (August 14, 2010). "Tweet 21137901638". Twitter. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
4. "Our Chiefs". The Honolulu Police Department.