Ryukyu Islands

 under construction 

The Ryukyu Islands, or 琉球諸島, or the Ryukyus, are a chain of islands stretching from Japan's southernmost tip to Taiwan.
 * 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.

Provisional issues
Several local overprints were produced at that time using the personal seals of 3 district postmasters on Japanese stamps.  File:Ryukyu kumeshima .jpg|1945 7 sen Kumeshima provisional File:Ryukrus amami distr.jpg|10s Amami District File:Ryukyus miyako.jpg|1946 [[Provisional issue|4s Miyako District File:Ryukyu miyako 5y on 5s.jpg|5 yen on 5s Miyako District File:Ryukyus Hirata seal.jpg|20s Okinawa District File:Ryukyus Miyara seal.jpg|20s Yaeyam District 
 * In October 1945, mimeographed 7 sen stamps with KUME / SHIMA / 7 were issued with a a square seal control handstamp.
 * In 1947-48 stamps were handstamped with a seal reading "ken"; there are five different types.
 * In 1946.47, stamps were handstamped with "Tomiyama" in an oval for Miyako District.
 * In 1946-47, handstamp surcharges in yen values also counterstamped with the Tomiyama seals.
 * In 1947, stamps plus a 30 sen revenue intended to be used provisionally as postage were handstamped with a round "Hirata" seal for Okinawa District.
 * In 1948, stamps were handstamped with "Miyara" in an oval seal for Yaeyama District.

US administration issues
 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. File:Ryukyus mihon.jpg|1960 3c butterfly fish definitive with specimen ("mihon") overprint 
 * 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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