Naha (Japanese: 那覇市 -shi; Okinawan: Nāfa ) is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. The moern city was founded on May 20, 1921. However, it had been one of the most important and populous sites in the Ryukyu Islands as the capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, from the early 15th century until its abolishment in 1879 (from other view, 1872).