Okinawa gubernatorial race puts focus on economy even as security tensions loom

Denny Tamaki against former Naha Deputy Mayor Genta Koja in a contest focused on economic agendas, but increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions — has kicked off with the start of campaigning on Thursday. While six candidates are contesting the Sept. 13 election, the race is expected to come down to the 66-year-old incumbent and 42-year-old Koja, who is backed by a broad coalition that includes the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. Tamaki, the face of the All Okinawa movement that opposes the relocation of a U.S. military base within the prefecture, is vying for a third term with support from the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and other opposition forces.