Newcomer triumphs in Okinawa governor race

A newcomer supported by six political parties has won Sunday's gubernatorial election in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.

Koja Genta defeated five rivals, including incumbent Tamaki Denny, who sought a third term.

Koja was supported by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party, as well as the Democratic Party for the People, Sanseito, the Conservative Party of Japan and Komeito's prefectural headquarters. The LDP and the JIP currently form the ruling coalition at the Diet.

Koja is from Okinawa's Naha City, where he served as a deputy mayor. The 42-year-old will become the youngest Okinawa governor since the prefecture was returned to Japan from US rule in 1972. He will also become the prefecture's first governor born after the reversion.

During his campaign, Koja pledged to increase residents' income, which remains among the lowest of all prefectures. He also promised to improve child-rearing support and tourism promotion.

Koja showed his stance of accepting ongoing work to relocate the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from Okinawa's Ginowan City to the Henoko area of Nago City, also in the prefecture. He also expressed his intention to ask the central government to realize an early return of land used by the base. Tamaki, on the other hand, opposed the relocation project.

Voter turnout stood at 61.57 percent, up 3.65 percentage points from the previous election in 2022.