mainlander; non-Okinawan Japanese; Yamato Japanese
Used in Okinawan and Ryukyuan dialects to refer to people from mainland Japan, especially in contrast to Okinawan identity. Often carries a sense of 'outsider' or 'non-local'.
See also: 内地
In Okinawa, people from the mainland are sometimes called naichaa.
He's a mainlander, but he knows Okinawan culture well.