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Abstract Complex shear wave splitting (SWS) patterns in subduction zones are often interpreted geodynamically as resulting from complex mantle flow; however, this may not always be necessary. We analyzed 7,093 high‐quality SWS measurements from teleseismic S waves recorded by Hi‐net stations across the Ryukyu arc in Japan. Our findings show a systematic rotation of the fast S polarization from trench‐parallel to trench‐perpendicular depending on the earthquake backazimuth. For the same earthquake, the measured splitting patterns also vary spatially across the southwest Japan. Using full‐wave seismic modeling, we showed that a dipping slab with ∼30% shear anisotropy of the tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) type, with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the slab interface, can predict the observed delay times and polarization rotation. Our results highlight the importance of considering dipping anisotropic slabs in interpreting SWS at subduction zones.