<P> Nansei - shotō (南西 諸島) is the official name for the whole island chain in Japanese . Japan has used the name on nautical charts since 1907 . Based on the Japanese charts, the international chart series uses Nansei Shoto . </P> <P> Nansei literally means "southwest", the direction of the island chain from mainland Japan . Some humanities scholars prefer the uncommon term Ryūkyū - ko (琉球 弧, "Ryukyu Arc") for the entire island chain . In geology, however, the Ryukyu Arc includes subsurface structures such as the Okinawa Trough and extends to Kyushu . </P> <P> During the American occupation of Amami, the Japanese government objected to them being included under the name "Ryukyu" in English, because they worried that this might mean that the return of the Amami Islands to Japanese control would be delayed until the return of Okinawa . However, the American occupational government on Amami continued to be called the "Provisional Government for the Northern Ryukyu Islands" in English, though it was translated as Rinji Hokubu Nansei - shotō Seichō (臨時 北部 南西 諸島 政庁, Provisional Government for the Northern Nansei Islands) in Japanese . </P> <P> The name of Ryūkyū (琉球) is strongly associated with the Ryūkyū Kingdom, a kingdom that originated from the Okinawa Islands and subjected the Sakishima and Amami Islands . The name is generally considered outdated in Japanese although some entities of Okinawa still bear the name, such as the local national university . </P>

Where are the ryukyu islands located on a map