Okinawa election win may give Tokyo freer hand on military build-up

Okinawa's gubernatorial election on Sunday saw Genta Koja, backed by Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi's government, win with 59% of the vote, unseating incumbent Denny Tamaki. Koja's victory, after 12 years of rule by governors often at odds with the central government, could grant Tokyo more leeway in its military build-up on the strategically important island chain near Taiwan and China.

Tamaki's defeat may impede local efforts to stop the relocation of some US Marines from Futenma air base to Henoko, on Okinawa's main island.

The relocation, which Japan's government pledged to continue, could see military access expanded to airports and ports. Professor emeritus Masaaki Gabe from the University of the Ryukyus suggested Koja might approve the designations, potentially opening civilian facilities to military use. Meanwhile, Takaichi is set to unveil a new national security strategy this year, expected to boost Japan's military build-up since World War Two.

The administration claims increased defence spending is crucial to deter China from asserting military force in East Asia.

Okinawa is part of the First Island Chain, a string of territory stretching from Japan through the Philippines, which restricts China's access to the Western Pacific. Situated just 110km east of Taiwan, Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost inhabited island, is of particular interest to military planners. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have escalated since Takaichi hinted that a Chinese attack on Taiwan, which threatens Japan, could prompt a Tokyo military response.

Japan has deployed missile and electronic-warfare units on several southwestern islands and is expanding ammunition storage across the territory.