Japanese PM-backed candidate wins Okinawa gubernatorial election

Genta Koja beat two-term incumbent Denny Tamaki, who wants a major US military base to be moved out of Okinawa.

Genta Koja celebrates with his supporters after reports projected his victory in the Okinawa gubernatorial election in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, on September 13, 2026 [Jiji Press/AFP]

Genta Koja has defeated two-term incumbent Denny Tamaki in the race for governor of Japan’s southernmost prefecture, potentially ending more than a decade of opposition to a United States military build-up in the region.

He won 59 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election, officials announced on Monday.

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Koja, a former deputy mayor of Okinawa’s capital, Naha, was backed by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party. He beat Tamaki, 66, who has long pushed for a major US military base to be moved out of Okinawa.

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 its first governor born after the reversion.

His election could end Okinawa’s legal efforts to block the relocation of US Marines from the Futenma air base to a new facility at Henoko on the prefecture’s main island, according to Masaaki Gabe, a professor emeritus at the University of the Ryukyus.

Gabe also said it may make it easier to expand military access to airports and ports.

“Koja could reasonably be expected to approve their designation, opening wholly civilian facilities to military use,” Gabe added.

Koja’s victory comes as Takaichi prepares to unveil a new national security strategy this year that is expected to accelerate Japan’s biggest military build-up since World War II.

Her administration said increased defence spending was necessary to deter China from using military force to advance its territorial ambitions in East Asia.

Okinawa forms part of what military planners call the first island chain, a string of territory stretching from Japan through the Philippines that constrains China’s access to the western Pacific.

Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost territory, lies 110km (68 miles) east of Taiwan. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military activity around the democratically governed island.

Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have risen since Takaichi said last year that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could also threaten Japan and trigger a military response by Tokyo.

Genta Koja击败了连任两届的现任议员Denny Tamaki，后者希望将一个主要的美国军事基地迁出冲绳。

2026年9月13日，在冲绳县那霸市，小村源太在冲绳县知事选举中获胜后与支持者庆祝。[时事通讯社/法新社]

古河源太在竞选日本最南端县知事一职中击败了连任两届的现任知事玉城丹尼，这可能结束了该地区十多年来反对美国军事集结的局面。

官员们周一宣布，他在周日的选举中赢得了 59% 的选票。

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曾任冲绳首府那霸市副市长的古屋，得到了日本首相高市早苗领导的自民党的支持。他击败了66岁的玉城，后者长期以来一直推动将一个重要的美军基地迁出冲绳。

这位 42 岁的候选人将成为自 1972 年冲绳县从美国统治下回归日本以来最年轻的冲绳县知事，同时也将成为回归后出生的首位冲绳县知事。

据琉球大学名誉教授贺部正明表示，他的当选可能会终结冲绳阻止美国海军陆战队从普天间空军基地迁往冲绳本岛边野古新设施的法律努力。

加布还表示，这可能会使扩大军方对机场和港口的使用权限变得更容易。

“可以合理预期，科贾会批准他们的指定，从而将完全民用的设施开放给军队使用，”加布补充道。

就在高市准备在今年公布新的国家安全战略之际，小野幸也取得了胜利。预计该战略将加速日本自二战以来最大规模的军事建设。

她的政府表示，增加国防开支是必要的，以阻止中国使用武力推进其在东亚的领土野心。

冲绳是军事策划者所称的第一岛链的一部分，这条岛链从日本延伸到菲律宾，限制了中国进入西太平洋的通道。

与那国岛是日本最西端的领土，位于台湾以东110公里（68英里）处。北京声称台湾是其领土的一部分，并加强了在台湾周边地区的军事活动。

自高市隆史去年表示中国对台湾的攻击也可能威胁到日本并引发东京的军事反应以来，东京和北京之间的紧张局势不断升级。