自從現代國家建立以後，「祖國」對許多國民而言，已經成爲毫不含 糊的概念，然而對某些人而言則非理所當然。這還不只限於離鄉背井的移 民，還包括一部分一直住在老家的「邊陲人」。作爲一個夾在中日之間的 半獨立王國，琉球所經歷的源於「現代」的巨大衝擊，使其民衆在形成自 我認同的道路上幾經波折，而「祖國」的概念在沖繩也變得「異常」的弔 詭。這裡所指的「現代衝擊」包括兩個層面。其一，琉球在進入現代之 前，「及時」地為日本所吞併並易名為沖繩，使「琉球意識」失去成長為 琉球民族主義的機會；其二，「脫中入日」後的沖繩被徹底地實施面向日 本的同化政策，導致其文化結構發生變化，認同也隨之發生本質上的變 異。在過去近130 年間，沖繩社會在摸索認同的過程中所展現的最具獨特 性的現象，是時而強調自己的沖繩人意識、為過去那輝煌的琉球國歷史與 文化而自豪，時而視日本為祖國、熱切嚮往成爲日本人，並重復了三次如 此的跌宕起伏。「祖國」在沖繩的弔詭現象，暴露了現代國家在追求國民 整合過程中，「中心」對「邊陲」所實施的國家暴力，同時也揭示了同化 政策的局限。

With the advent of the modern state, the concept of a“motherland” has been becoming a crystal clear notion to many people around the world. However, sometimes it is not the case for some people, including not only the emigrants, but also the peripheral people who have never left their hometown. As a semi-independent kingdom influenced hugely by China and then Japan for centuries, Ryukyu experienced the earth-shaking “modern impact” in the late nineteenth century. It brought unexpected difficulties to the self-identity formation for the local people, and created an inconceivable and dramatic effect on the notion of“motherland” in Okinawan society. The“modern impact”includes two aspects. Firstly, with changing the name from Ryukyu to Okinawa, the timely annexation by Japan in the end of the pre-modern era made “Ryukyuan Consciousness”lose her opportunity to develop into “Ryukyuan Nationalism”. Secondly, the thorough Japanization policy carried out through Okinawa at the time restructured the culture and identity of the area. In search of the identity for themselves, a unique phenomenon manifested itself in the society of Okinawa for the last hundred and twenty eight years. Such characteristic which is rarely seen in other areas is the alternative repetition of two waves of identity emphasizing Okinawan identity on one hand and stressing on becoming a Japanese people on the other. Furthermore, the paradoxical phenomenon on “motherland” in Okinawa is exactly a story telling the violent structure of a modern nationstate, and also the restriction of assimilation.