Key facts
- Genta Koja, backed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling coalition, is projected to win the Okinawa gubernatorial election.
- Koja defeated incumbent Denny Tamaki, who opposed the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
- Koja will be the first Okinawa governor born after 1972, the year Okinawa was returned to Japan from U.S. control.
- Koja's win supports the relocation of the Futenma base to Henoko, a plan opposed by many Okinawans.
- Koja pledged to revitalize Okinawa's economy and double its per capita income, which is the lowest in Japan.
Genta Koja, the candidate supported by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling coalition, is projected to win Sunday's gubernatorial election in Okinawa, according to Kyodo News projections. Koja is set to defeat incumbent Denny Tamaki, who has opposed the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko area.
Koja, 42, a former deputy Naha mayor and central government bureaucrat, will be the first Okinawa governor born after 1972, the year the island was returned to Japan from U.S. control. His victory signals a shift in the prefecture's stance on the contentious base relocation, a plan that has faced significant opposition from many Okinawans who have long demanded the base be moved outside the prefecture.
Tamaki, 66, has served two four-year terms and has consistently called for the base to be moved off the island. Despite years of legal battles, construction continues on the replacement facility in Henoko. Koja's win marks the first time since 2010 that a candidate backed by the Liberal Democratic Party has won the quadrennial election.
During his campaign, Koja emphasized economic revitalization, pledging to double Okinawa's per capita income, which is the lowest in Japan, by boosting tourism and securing more development funds from the central government. This focus on daily life issues is seen as a strategy to appeal to voters prioritizing economic concerns over the base relocation.
The election is also viewed as a test for Prime Minister Takaichi's administration. Koja is supported by a broad coalition including the LDP, Japan Innovation Party, Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito party, and Komeito. Tamaki is backed by the anti-relocation All Okinawa group, which includes the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party.
Tokyo and Washington maintain that the Henoko relocation is the only viable solution for maintaining deterrence under the bilateral security alliance while removing the dangers posed by the current Futenma base. However, a 2019 referendum showed over 70% of Okinawans opposed the Henoko transfer. Okinawa's strategic location near Taiwan, which faces increasing pressure from China, has heightened its geopolitical importance, leading Japan to bolster its defense capabilities in the region.