LDP-backed Genta Koja wins Okinawa gubernatorial election

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling coalition has endorsed Genta Koja, who is projected to secure victory in Sunday's Okinawa gubernatorial election, according to Kyodo News. If elected, Koja will succeed incumbent Denny Tamaki, who has vocally opposed the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to the Henoko area in Nago.

Koja, a 42-year-old former deputy Naha mayor and government bureaucrat, would be the first Okinawa governor in 12 years to endorse the relocation plan. Born after Japan reclaimed the island following World War II, Koja is the first governor in the prefecture's history born post-1945. Tamaki, 66, has consistently opposed the relocation plan and has called for the base's removal outside the prefecture, which currently houses U.S. Forces Japan facilities.

Koja's endorsement by the LDP marks his first win in the governor's race since 2010, with economic revitalization amid inflation being a key issue in the six-candidate contest. Voter turnout reached 20.45 percent as of 4 p.m., a 2.23 percentage point increase from the 2022 election. The Futenma relocation is based on a 1996 agreement between Japan and the U.S. to address safety, noise, and environmental concerns.

Many Okinawans remain opposed to the base transfer due to past issues and fears over safety and the environment, despite Okinawa's strategic significance amid heightened tensions with China. Koja has pledged to double the prefecture's per capita income, currently the lowest in Japan, by boosting the local economy reliant on tourism. Takaichi, the ruling LDP president, views the election as a test of her administration's strength.