September 13, 2026

Genta Koja, the candidate backed by Japan's ruling coalition, is set to win today's Okinawa gubernatorial election, defeating incumbent Denny Tamaki, according to projections by public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News.

Koja, 42, a former deputy Naha mayor and central government bureaucrat, will be the first Okinawa governor in 12 years to accept the controversial plan to relocate US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to the coastal Henoko area of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture.

Tamaki, 66, who was seeking a third four-year term, has opposed the relocation plan and called for the base to be moved outside the prefecture.

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https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202609/13/WS6aa6a88ae4b06d4aa055dcb9.html