Tamaki Runs for His Third Term as Governor

Governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki, announced his candidacy for gubernatorial election on April 25^th. The election is scheduled on September 13^th. To the election, Genta Koja, vice-mayor of Naha city supported by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), will also run. It is expected that the race will be the contest over promotion of building new military base in Henoko, the issue which divided the people in Okinawa in two for decades.

Tamaki has won two consecutive elections in 2018 and 2022 as the candidate of All Okinawa group, which is formed by protesters against building the base in Henoko as the alternative facility to Futenma Air Base of U.S. Force in Okinawa. For his third term as the governor, Tamaki is going to run with support of All Okinawa, which includes opposition parties such as Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Japan Communist Party.

 

As the governor of Okinawa, Tamaki has been opposing building the base in Henoko by mobilizing his power to approve construction in Okinawa. He argued that the new base would destruct environment of coastal area in Henoko and filed lawsuits against the government of Japan to stop landfill. However, the courts made decisions to approve the project for the base, dismissing Tamaki’s argument.

 

All Okinawa was a movement established by former governor Takeshi Onaga who opposed the base in Henoko. As Onaga had been a member of the LDP, All Okinawa included some groups with the LDP, representing diversity of the movement against the national government. Facing firm opposition from local community, it is still unclear when construction of the new base in Henoko will be finished.

However, there is a sentiment in Okinawa that they are tired of protesting national government. Tokyo has been reluctant to give Okinawa economic support for Okinawa as long as the governor is opposing to Henoko base. To attract those people with concern, Tamaki embraces policies for overcoming price inflation caused by Iran War by the United States or measures on poverty of children.

 

As a former staff in Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Tokyo, Koja accepts building of Henoko base initiated by national government. Backed by the LDP led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Koja appeals integration of Okinawa with close relationship with Tokyo. He expects support from some conservative parties such as Japan Innovation Party, Democratic Party for the People or Sanseito.

 

The issue of Henoko base has been not only about security of Japan or bilateral cooperation between Tokyo and Washington, but about opposition between national government and local community. The government of Japan has been putting greater priority on Japan-U.S. alliance than taking care of local sentiment. The election will show how much power an autonomy in Okinawa will be maintained.