Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands, or 琉球諸島, or the Ryukyus, are a chain of islands stretching from Japan's southernmost tip to Taiwan.  File:Ryukyus miyako.jpg|1946 provisional with Miyako district control using postmaster Tomiyama's personal seal on a Japanese stamp. File:Ryukyus 50s.jpg|50 sen values from the first non-local issue. The left stamp is from the first printing (1948), the right from the second printing (1949); compare paper color and perfs. File:Ryukyus telephone.jpg|One of the issues without RYUKYUS in the design (1956). File:Ryukyus airmail.jpg|20 yen airmail of 1957. 
 * As part of Japan, it used Japanese stamps until the end of World War II, when the US occupied the islands as a separate entity from the rest of Japan.
 * Several local overprints were produced at that time using the personal seals of 3 district postmasters on Japanese stamps plus a boxed handstamp for Kumeshima.
 * In 1948, the US administration began issuing stamps for the Ryukyus. Nearly all issues to 1960 were only inscribed in kanji 琉球郵便 ("Ryukyu post").
 * In May 1972, the Ryukyus were returned to Japan and once again use their stamps.

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