Okinawa elects first governor in 12 years to support Marine airfield relocation

NAHA, Okinawa — Okinawans elected their first governor in 12 years to support the controversial relocation of a Marine Corps airfield, handing former Naha Vice Mayor Genta Koja a landslide victory Sunday over two-term Gov. Denny Tamaki.

Koja won 59% of the vote to Tamaki’s 38%, according to election results. He received 423,124 votes — the most of any Okinawa gubernatorial candidate since 1972, according to prefectural records — to Tamaki’s 276,060 and will take office Sept. 30.

Voter turnout was 61%, about 4 percentage points higher than in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

The result marks a significant political shift on an island that hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan, though preelection polling indicated voters were substantially more concerned with the economy, jobs and rising prices than U.S. bases and security.

Koja supports relocating Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from densely populated Ginowan to a replacement airfield under construction at Camp Schwab in rural Henoko.

In a Sept. 3 post on his X account, Koja pledged to ensure construction on the Oura Bay side of the project is completed within 12 years and that “a definite date for the base’s return is established.”

An independent, Koja will become Okinawa’s first governor since 2014 backed by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He also will be the first governor born after Okinawa reverted from U.S. administration to Japanese control in 1972.

Genta Koja, center left, celebrates after winning the Okinawa gubernatorial election on Sept. 13, 2026. (Genta Koja/X)

The last LDP-backed governor, Hirokazu Nakaima, took office in 2006 and approved the landfill work necessary for the MCAS Futenma relocation in 2013.

Koja also supports the planned return to Japanese control of U.S. military property south of Kadena Air Base under the 2013 Consolidation Plan for Facilities and Areas in Okinawa.

Tamaki made opposition to the U.S. military presence and the MCAS Futenma relocation a defining issue of his administration. He repeatedly challenged the Japanese government in court in attempts to halt construction of the replacement airfield and favors closing MCAS Futenma without completing the move to Henoko.

Pocketbook issues, however, dominated voters’ concerns heading into Sunday’s election.

Nearly 47% of respondents to a Ryukyu Shimpo/JX Press survey published Wednesday cited the economy, employment and measures to combat rising prices as the most important issues in deciding their vote. Just 16.6% cited U.S. bases and security.

Koja’s victory was projected immediately after polls closed at 8 p.m. Sunday.

He thanked supporters on X and pledged not to ignore those who voted against him.

“From this point on, I will listen to the voices of all 1.46 million residents of the prefecture and translate their aspirations into our prefectural administration,” he wrote.

Tamaki expressed disappointment and thanked his supporters in a concession speech reported Monday by the Okinawa Times. He did not rule out another run for governor in four years.