The Ryukyu scale (琉球音階) is a traditional music scale used in Okinawa Prefecture and parts of Kagoshima Prefecture (Okinoerabu Island and Yoron Island).
Common structures used are the pentatonic scale utilizing scale degrees 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, or Do, Mi, Fa, So, Ti, or the hexatonic scale with the addition of the second scale degree, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Ti.
Okinawan folk music is known for using traditional instruments like sanshin and kokyū. Contemporary Okinawan folk music is called Shin-Min'yō or New Min'yō. Shima Uta is also a term applied to new folk music, but the term is not exclusive to Okinawan music.
Contemporary pop and rock artists from Okinawa have made a large impact on the domestic and international music scene. These artists have played a crucial role in the emergence of new genres like Uchinaa-pop, a hybrid of Okinawan folk music and Western music.