Okinawa election win may give Tokyo freer hand on military build-up
Genta Koja's victory, backed by Sanae Takaichi's government, ended 12 years of governors at odds with the central government.
Genta Koja secured a victory in the Okinawa gubernatorial election, defeating incumbent Denny Tamaki by a wide margin. Koja, who supports Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government, will likely be more inclined to approve the relocation of US Marines from the Futenma air base to a remote facility on Okinawa's main island. This win may also ease military access to airports and ports for Japan.
The election comes amid concerns over Japan's intensified military buildup, with Takaichi expected to unveil a new national security strategy this year aimed at deterring China's territorial ambitions in East Asia.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
