LDP-Backed Genta Koja Wins Japan’s Okinawa Governor Poll

Genta Koja emerged victorious in Sunday's gubernatorial election in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, marking the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) return to power after a 12-year hiatus. The 42-year-old former vice mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, faced off against 66-year-old incumbent Denny Tamaki and four other candidates.

Koja's campaign focused on accepting the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base to Henoko, a district in Nago, while emphasizing economic revitalization and his ties to the national government. Koja, the youngest governor in Okinawa's history, stated that the election was a choice between continuing the current administration or ushering in change.

Tamaki, who sought a third term, maintained his stance against the base relocation, arguing on behalf of Okinawa's residents. The election garnered a 61.57% voter turnout, a 3.65 percentage point increase from the previous 2022 election. With the LDP securing a political base boost, the base relocation issue, which had long dominated Okinawa's gubernatorial races, appeared to lose public interest due to ongoing construction and a series of legal defeats for the prefectural government.

The election saw Koja endorsed by the LDP, Japan Innovation Party, Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan, and Komeito's Okinawa chapter. Tamaki received support from the All Okinawa camp, as well as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Japanese Communist Party, and Social Democratic Party. Four other candidates also participated in the race.