Kōja Wins Okinawa Governor Race with Record 400,000 Votes, Backs Moving U.S. Base Within the Island
GeopoliticsRegulation
Genta Kōja, 42, a candidate backed by the ruling party and conservative camp, won the Okinawa gubernatorial election with more than 400,000 votes, setting a record high in the prefecture's history. He broke the previous record of 396,632 votes set by incumbent governor Denny Tamaki in 2018, winning in nearly every local municipality across the prefecture and losing only one village. Turnout stood at 61.57%, up 3.65 percentage points from the previous election. The victory paves the way for a plan to relocate a U.S. Marine Corps air base from Ginowan to the Henoko district of Nago, a dispute that has dragged on for 12 years, and marks the first time in 12 years that Okinawa has a leader who accepts moving the base within the island. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the election result reflects that Okinawans mainly want their livelihood problems solved, and that the government is preparing to work with the new governor to revive the prefecture's economy. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stressed that the move to the Henoko coastal area remains the only way to eliminate the dangers of the old base located amid a densely populated community, with the original base site expected to be returned as early as 2036.
