Voters head to polls in key Okinawa gubernatorial race

Voters in Okinawa headed to the polls on Sunday as Genta Koja, the Liberal Democratic Party-backed candidate for Okinawa’s gubernatorial election, squared off with incumbent Gov. Denny Tamaki.

Polling booths will close at 8 p.m. on Sunday, with results expected to come out by the end of the day.

The voter turnout as of 4 p.m. stood at 20.45%, which is 2.23 percentage points higher than the last gubernatorial race in 2022.

While the ruling LDP seeks to regain the governor’s seat for the first time in 12 years, Tamaki is vying for his third term. The results are expected to affect the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has thrown her support behind Koja.

Apart from the LDP, the parties that endorsed Koja were Nippon Ishin Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, and the Conservative Party of Japan, as well as the Okinawa prefectural chapter of Komeito.

Tamaki received support from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party.

The main issues in the race were the proposed relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, located in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to Henoko in Nago, as well as efforts to promote the prefecture’s economy.

Four other first-time candidates also ran in the election: Shun Kaneshima, 48, a company president; Masahiro Sueyoshi, 73, chairman of a medical corporation; Takashi Higa, 49, a company representative; and Chosuke Yara, 74, head of a political organization.