When the Meiji government first began implementing the dissolution of the domains, it announced it would reduce the heavy taxation carried out under the old regime. But in reality what the people received under the new system of taxation was the "Preservation of Ancient Customs" policy that was essentially unchanged from the days of the monarchy.
The collapse of the old feudal authority in Shuri however, did most certainly affect the awareness of the people. The common folk, the farmers, began by themselves to insist on guarantees for subsistence.
Anger exploded in many regions at the ruling classes as they used the patently unfair policy to shield themselves. .
On Aguni-jima Island in 1881, farmers, in solidarity, denounced the unjust tax collection of the village officials. In 1883, in Yabu-son village of the Nago district, the farmers demanded the release of the property of the affluent Kugoke houses. Resistance broke out against the unfair policies of the village officials throughout Okinawa. To control the democratic movement brewing in Okinawa, the governor, Michitoshi Iwamura issued a prohibition against protests but the anger of the farmers could not be suppressed.
This type of farmer's protest was directed primarily at the unjust regional officials and taxes and expressed resistance and dissatisfaction with the policy of "Preservation of the Ancient Customs". The movement did not take the form of anything but declarations demanding reform.
The protest movement did have enough influence on the prefectural authorities to get a farmer's representative the right to participate in the budget deliberations in 1888. With the movement to abolish the per capita tax on Miyako-jima Island the protests reached a peak.