Okinawa’s governor election next month is set to be a major test of whether Japan’s ruling party can win over voters from a prefecture that has long opposed its security agenda and the heavy US military presence on its islands.
A victory by Genta Koja, the Liberal Democratic Party-backed candidate, would likely help smooth ties between Okinawa and Tokyo and weaken resistance against the planned relocation of the US Marine Corps’ Futenma base within the prefecture, according to analysts.
Such an outcome would boost efforts by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s LDP to convince Okinawans that closer cooperation with Tokyo can deliver stronger economic support.
The LDP is preparing to go all out to support Koja in the election scheduled on September 13, according to Japanese media reports.
The ruling party hopes the 42-year-old will replace incumbent governor Denny Tamaki, an independent politician backed by the All Okinawa coalition, which includes the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party.
Koja, a former vice-mayor of Naha, the capital of Okinawa, is also backed by other parties including Komeito and the Democratic Party for the People.
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