Genta Koja Wins Okinawa Governor Election, Ending 12-Year LDP Absence

(Adnkronos) - Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 14 (Jiji Press)--Genta Koja won a gubernatorial election in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, meaning that the southernmost Japan prefecture will have a leader tolerant of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station within Okinawa for the first time in 12 years. The 42-year-old former deputy mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, who was supported by conservative forces, including the Liberal Democratic Party, the ruling party in national politics, defeated incumbent Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, 66, who sought a third term, and four other candidates. The election was effectively a one-on-one battle between Koja and Tamaki. Koja will be the first Okinawa governor born after 1972, when Okinawa was returned to Japan from U.S. occupation. He will also be the youngest elected governor of the prefecture. His four-year term is set to start Sept. 30. Okinawa's prefectural administration, long marked by fierce confrontation between conservative and reformist forces mainly over the relocation of the Futenma base, now located in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa, to the Henoko coastal district in Nago, another city in the prefecture, may be at a turning point following the election result. "At issue in the election was whether to continue the current prefectural administration or to bring about a renewal," Koja told reporters in Naha on Sunday night. "While respecting Mr. Tamaki's administration, I want to move Okinawa forward," Koja added. In the election, Koja was backed by the LDP, its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter. Tamaki was supported by the All Okinawa camp, which mainly comprises reformists, and also received backing from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, all opposition parties in national politics. The Futenma relocation had been the biggest issue in Okinawa gubernatorial elections held after the April 1996 Japan-U.S. agreement on the return of the site of the U.S. base to Japan. As the construction of a Futenma replacement facility off the coast of Henoko has progressed and the prefectural government has lost all legal battles against the national government over the base issue, however, local residents' interest in the base transfer issue is believed to have waned. Speaking to his supporters in Naha on Sunday night, Tamaki said: "The new base should not be built in Henoko. I was not wrong to argue on behalf of the people of Okinawa (against the Futenma relocation.)" The result of the Okinawa race is likely to give a boost to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also LDP president, who had called the gubernatorial election a "barometer" for the future of her administration. "(The outcome) reflected the will of Okinawa residents, who seek growth of the prefecture's economy," Takaichi told reporters at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Monday. "We will work hard to strengthen Okinawa's economy in cooperation with the new governor," she also said. "We are now able to further stabilize the foundation of the (Takaichi) administration," LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki told reporters at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday night. Given the election result, the central government is expected to accelerate the Futenma base relocation to Henoko. In the election, voter turnout stood at 61.57 pct, up 3.65 percentage points from the previous gubernatorial election in 2022. During the campaign, Koja vowed to revitalize the economy of Okinawa while emphasizing his strong connections with the national government and the ruling coalition. LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura visited Okinawa to support Koja. Meanwhile, Tamaki toned down

(Adnkronos) - Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 13 (Jiji Press)--Genta Koja won a gubernatorial election in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, meaning that the southernmost Japan prefecture will have a leader tolerant of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station within Okinawa for the first time in 12 years. The 42-year-old former deputy mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, who was supported by conservative forces, including the Liberal Democratic Party, the ruling party in national politics, defeated incumbent Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, 66, who sought a third term, and four other candidates. The election was effectively a one-on-one battle between Koja and Tamaki. Koja will be the first Okinawa governor born after 1972, when Okinawa was returned to Japan from U.S. occupation. He will also be the youngest elected governor of the prefecture. His four-year term is set to start Sept. 30. Okinawa's prefectural administration, long marked by fierce confrontation between conservative and reformist forces mainly over the relocation of the Futenma base, now located in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa, to the Henoko coastal district in Nago, another city in the prefecture, may be at a turning point following the election result. "At issue in the election was whether to continue the current prefectural administration or to bring about a renewal," Koja told reporters in Naha on Sunday night. "While respecting Mr. Tamaki's administration, I want to move Okinawa forward," Koja added. In the election, Koja was backed by the LDP, its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter. Tamaki was supported by the All Okinawa camp, which mainly comprises reformists, and also received backing from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, all opposition parties in national politics. The Futenma relocation had been the biggest issue in Okinawa gubernatorial elections held after the April 1996 Japan-U.S. agreement on the return of the site of the U.S. base to Japan. As the construction of a Futenma replacement facility off the coast of Henoko has progressed and the prefectural government has lost all legal battles against the national government over the base issue, however, local residents' interest in the base transfer issue is believed to have waned. Speaking to his supporters in Naha on Sunday night, Tamaki said: "The new base should not be built in Henoko. I was not wrong to argue on behalf of the people of Okinawa (against the Futenma relocation.)" The result of the Okinawa race is likely to give a boost to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also LDP president, who had called the gubernatorial election a "barometer" for the future of her administration. "We are now able to further stabilize the foundation of the (Takaichi) administration," LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki told reporters at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo. In the election, voter turnout stood at 61.57 pct, up 3.65 percentage points from the previous gubernatorial election in 2022. During the campaign, Koja vowed to revitalize the economy of Okinawa while emphasizing his strong connections with the national government and the ruling coalition. LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura visited Okinawa to support Koja. Meanwhile, Tamaki toned down his opposition to the base relocation while highlighting his achievements during his two terms in office, including successfully promoting tourism in the prefecture, but failed to defeat Koja. The four other candidates were company president Shun Kaneshima, 48, Masahiro Sueyoshi, 73, chairman of a medical corporation, company representative Takashi Higa, 49, and Chosuke Yara, 74, head of a political organization. Koja garnered 423,124 votes,

(Adnkronos) - Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 13 (Jiji Press)--Genta Koja won a gubernatorial election in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday, meaning that the southernmost Japan prefecture will have a leader tolerant of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station within Okinawa for the first time in 12 years. The 42-year-old former deputy mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, who was supported by conservative forces, including the Liberal Democratic Party, the ruling party in national politics, defeated incumbent Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, 66, who sought a third term, and four other candidates. The election was effectively a one-on-one battle between Koja and Tamaki. Koja will be the first Okinawa governor born after 1972, when Okinawa was returned to Japan from U.S. occupation. He will also be the youngest elected governor of the prefecture. Okinawa's prefectural administration, long marked by fierce confrontation between conservative and reformist forces mainly over the relocation of the Futenma base, now located in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa, to the Henoko coastal district in Nago, another city in the prefecture, may be at a turning point following the election result. "At issue in the election was whether to continue the current prefectural administration or to bring about a renewal," Koja told reporters in Naha on Sunday night. "While respecting Mr. Tamaki's administration, I want to move Okinawa forward," Koja added. In the election, Koja was backed by the LDP, its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter. Tamaki was supported by the All Okinawa camp, which mainly comprises reformists, and also received backing from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, all opposition parties in national politics. The Futenma relocation had been the biggest issue in Okinawa gubernatorial elections held after the April 1996 Japan-U.S. agreement on the return of the site of the U.S. base to Japan. As the construction of a Futenma replacement facility off the coast of Henoko has progressed and the prefectural government has lost all legal battles against the national government over the base issue, however, local residents' interest in the base transfer issue is believed to have waned. Speaking to his supporters in Naha on Sunday night, Tamaki said: "The new base should not be built in Henoko. I was not wrong to argue on behalf of the people of Okinawa (against the Futenma relocation.)" The result of the Okinawa race is likely to give a boost to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also LDP president, who had called the gubernatorial election a "barometer" for the future of her administration. "We are now able to further stabilize the foundation of the (Takaichi) administration," LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki told reporters at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo. In the election, voter turnout stood at 61.57 pct, up 3.65 percentage points from the previous gubernatorial election in 2022. During the campaign, Koja vowed to revitalize the economy of Okinawa while emphasizing his strong connections with the national government and the ruling coalition. LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura visited Okinawa to support Koja. Meanwhile, Tamaki toned down his opposition to the base relocation while highlighting his achievements during his two terms in office, including successfully promoting tourism in the prefecture, but failed to defeat Koja. The four other candidates were company president Shun Kaneshima, 48, Masahiro Sueyoshi, 73, chairman of a medical corporation, company representative Takashi Higa, 49, and Chosuke Yara, 74, head of a political organization. Koja garnered 423,124 votes, against 276,060 votes for Tamaki, while 4,657

(Adnkronos) - Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 13 (Jiji Press)--Genta Koja is certain to win Sunday's gubernatorial election in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, bringing the Liberal Democratic Party back into power in the prefectural government for the first time in 12 years. The 42-year-old former vice mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, was up against 66-year-old Denny Tamaki, who had sought a third term as Okinawa governor, and four other candidates. Koja takes a position accepting the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base in Ginowan to the Henoko district in Nago, another city in Okinawa. Okinawa's prefectural politics, long marked by fierce opposition between conservative and reformist forces mainly over the relocation issue, may be at a turning point. Koja is the first governor of Okinawa to have been born after 1972, when the prefecture was returned to Japan. He will be the youngest elected governor of the prefecture. "The election was a question of whether to continue the current prefectural administration or to bring about a renewal," Koja told reporters in Naha on Sunday night. While respecting Tamaki's administration, "I want to move Okinawa forward," he said. Speaking to his supporters in Naha, Tamaki said that "the base cannot be built in Henoko." "I was not wrong to argue on behalf of the people of Okinawa" against the planned relocation, he added. The result of the Okinawa election is likely to give a boost to Prime Minister and LDP President Sanae Takaichi's administration, which had characterized the gubernatorial election as a "barometer" for her administration. "We have been able to further stabilize our political base," LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki told reporters at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo. Until now, the base relocation issue had been the central point of contention in Okinawa gubernatorial elections. However, as construction off the coast of Henoko has progressed and the prefectural government has lost every legal battle against the national government, there had been speculation that public interest among prefectural residents about the base transfer issue had waned. The All Okinawa camp, which mainly brings together progressive forces, had also suffered consecutive defeats in recent local elections. Koja was endorsed by the LDP, which is the ruling party in national politics, and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, as well as the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter. During the campaign, Koja advocated economic revitalization measures and emphasized his connections with the national government and the ruling coalition. LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura visited Okinawa to support Koja. Meanwhile, Tamaki toned down his opposition to the base relocation during the campaign, while highlighting his achievements during his two terms of office, including robust tourism in the prefecture, but failed to defeat Koja. Tamaki was backed by the All Okinawa camp, also receiving support from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. In the election, voter turnout stood at 61.57 pct, up 3.65 percentage points from the previous gubernatorial election, held in 2022. The four other candidates were Shun Kaneshima, a 48-year-old company president, Masahiro Sueyoshi, a 73-year-old chairman of a medical corporation, Takashi Higa, a 49-year-old company representative, and Chosuke Yara, a 74-year-old head of a political organization. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

(Adnkronos) - Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 13 (Jiji Press)--Genta Koja is certain to win Sunday's gubernatorial election in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, bringing the Liberal Democratic Party back into power in the prefectural government for the first time in 12 years. The 42-year-old former vice mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, was up against 66-year-old Denny Tamaki, who had sought a third term as Okinawa governor, and four other candidates. Koja takes a position accepting the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base in Ginowan to the Henoko district in Nago, another city in Okinawa. Okinawa's prefectural politics, long marked by fierce opposition between conservative and reformist forces mainly over the relocation issue, may be at a turning point. Koja is the first governor of Okinawa to have been born after 1972, when the prefecture was returned to Japan. He will be the youngest elected governor of the prefecture. "The election was a question of whether to continue the current prefectural administration or to bring about a renewal," Koja told reporters in Naha on Sunday night. While respecting Tamaki's administration, "I want to move Okinawa forward," he said. Speaking to his supporters in Naha, Tamaki said that "the base cannot be built in Henoko." "I was not wrong to argue on behalf of the people of Okinawa" against the planned relocation, he added. The result of the Okinawa election is likely to give a boost to Prime Minister and LDP President Sanae Takaichi's administration, which had characterized the gubernatorial election as a "barometer" for her administration. "We have been able to further stabilize our political base," LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki told reporters at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo. Until now, the base relocation issue had been the central point of contention in Okinawa gubernatorial elections. However, as construction off the coast of Henoko has progressed and the prefectural government has lost every legal battle against the national government, there had been speculation that public interest among prefectural residents about the base transfer issue had waned. The All Okinawa camp, which mainly brings together progressive forces, had also suffered consecutive defeats in recent local elections. Koja was endorsed by the LDP, which is the ruling party in national politics, and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, as well as the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter. During the campaign, Koja advocated economic revitalization measures and emphasized his connections with the national government and the ruling coalition. LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi and JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura visited Okinawa to support Koja. Meanwhile, Tamaki toned down his opposition to the base relocation during the campaign, while highlighting his achievements during his two terms of office, including robust tourism in the prefecture, but failed to defeat Koja. Tamaki was backed by the All Okinawa camp, also receiving support from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. As of 7:30 p.m., voter turnout stood at 29.65 pct, up 3.58 percentage points from the previous gubernatorial election, held in 2022. The four other candidates were Shun Kaneshima, a 48-year-old company president, Masahiro Sueyoshi, a 73-year-old chairman of a medical corporation, Takashi Higa, a 49-year-old company representative, and Chosuke Yara, a 74-year-old head of a political organization. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

(Adnkronos) - Naha, Okinawa Pref., Sept. 13 (Jiji Press)--Genta Koja is certain to win Sunday's gubernatorial election in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, bringing the Liberal Democratic Party back into power in the prefectural government for the first time in 12 years. The 42-year-old former vice mayor of Naha, Okinawa's capital, was up against 66-year-old Denny Tamaki, who had sought a third term as Okinawa governor, and four other candidates. Koja was endorsed by the LDP, which is the ruling party in national politics, and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, as well as the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's Okinawa prefectural chapter. Meanwhile, Tamaki was backed by the All Okinawa camp, also receiving support from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. As of 7:30 p.m., voter turnout stood at 29.65 pct, up 3.58 percentage points from the previous gubernatorial election, held in 2022. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]