Japanese PM-backed candidate wins Okinawa gubernatorial election

Author: Al Jazeera StaffPublished on: September 14, 2026Country: Japan
Politics
Japanese PM-backed candidate wins Okinawa gubernatorial election

Genta Koja won 59% of the vote in the Okinawa gubernatorial election, defeating incumbent Denny Tamaki, who opposed the US military buildup in the region. At 42, Koja will become the youngest governor of Okinawa since the prefecture was returned to Japan in 1972. His election could end Okinawa's legal efforts to block the relocation of US Marines to a new facility at Henoko.

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