"Tomb in Lew Chew", M.C. Perry, Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China Seas and Japan (Wikimedia Commons)
Sueyoshi Park, Naha, modern Okinawa. Photo by 663highland (Wikimedia Commons).
According to "The Loochoo Islands" by Charles S. Leavenworth, Ryukyuans were deeply influenced by the concept of filial piety that's why ancestor worship is an important part of Ryukyuan culture.
"As to religion, the Loochooans may be said to be a people almost devoid of religious sentiments. There are Buddhist priests on the islands but these, we were told, only officiated at ceremonial occasions like funerals and had no influence as religious or ethical leaders. There are no Buddhist monasteries there. The work of the Catholic fathers at Oshima and of Bishop Evington and Mr. Schwartz has already been referred to. There are three places of Protestant worship in Okinawa but no church. The Loochooans, however, in common with the Chinese, think a great deal of their ancestors. They have tablets to their memory in their houses and spend much money on the graves, which are constructed as solidly as well-built houses. In fact, when a traveller approaches Naha from the sea, the graves shine on the surrounding slopes like clusters of white stone dwellings."
References:
1. The Loochoo Islands, Charles S. Leavenworth. Professor of History, Imperial Nanyang College, Shanghai, 1905. p.38
2. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sueyoshi_Park_Naha_Okinawa_Japan15s3.jpg
3. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tombs-in-Lew-Chew.jpg
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