394 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1947 



The physical nature of the coTnmunities and their ftmctions. — Since 

 the arable land was largely divided into small plots, farm houses were 

 not far apart. This can be seen in plate 1, upper. More often, how- 

 ever, these houses were clustered in small villages (see pi. 1, lower) 

 ranging in size from only a few families to over 1,000 people. These 

 villages resulted from a natural growth, perhaps starting with only a 

 few related households, and later adding other kin groups and single 

 families. These kin groups of a number of households related in the 

 male line often formed subsettlements in the rural villages, but were 

 generally of less functioning importance than the village group. 



The locations of villages were determined by several factors. The 

 desire to conserve arable land for crops favored using the less fertile 

 areas for villages. On the other hand, the less readily cultivated 

 hilltops and ridges were exposed to the full force of typhoons, and 

 hence were often avoided for village sites. For this reason, some 

 Okinawans were dismayed at the American tendency to erect hospitals 

 and other installations on the higher and more exposed land. More 

 usually, therefore, Ryukyu villages were located along the flats, in 

 valleys, and on the lee slopes of the hills. 



Most villages had a central area for markets and other communal 

 affairs. Festivals, geared to the economic and religious annual cycles, 

 were also held there. Also administrative matters, in part passed on 

 to the village headman from the township officials, were discussed and 

 put into practice in the central area. In any village, this area embodied 

 the core of the local society. This was where the people got the word. 



Although the Ryukyus were largely rural, nine settlements became 

 large enough to classify as towns or cities. These ranged in size from 

 about 7,000 to 66,000, and totaled almost one-quarter of the total 

 1940 population of the islands. Several of these, notably Naha on 

 Okinawa Jima and Naze on Amami O Shima, were port towns or cities. 

 The rest were merely overgrown villages, set apart only by their 

 size and the presence of modern administrative and commercial build- 

 ings. The towns and cities served largely as mercantile centers, and 

 also in most cases were the focal points for voting, agricultural, police, 

 and postal organizations. 



Class structure. — Although early in this century the Japanese lev- 

 eled the native hierachy of social classes, enough time has elapsed 

 since then for a social system patterned after the Japanese to begin to 

 take hold. In this system holders of administrative and educational 

 posts enjoyed the highest status. Next, and pressing these officials 

 closely, were the larger landowners. As Murdock (personal com- 

 munication) says, a man with five or more acres of farm land was 

 considered rich and was much respected. Village heads, assemblymen, 

 and teachers were usually drawn from upper middle class landed 

 households. Below them were the rank and file of artisans, fishermen, 



