NAHA, September 13 — Okinawa Prefecture is holding a gubernatorial election, a vote set against two dominant issues: growing public anxiety about China’s military and maritime activity near the Ryukyu Islands, and the economic dependence of local communities on the US military presence. The southern island chain hosts the largest concentration of US military bases in Japan.
Okinawa comprises roughly 0.6% of Japan’s land area but hosts about 70% of the US military facilities in the country, including Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Kadena Air Base in Kadena, and Camp Hansen.
A presence dating to 1945
The US military presence dates to the 1945 Battle of Okinawa and the post-World War II occupation. The United States returned the prefecture to Japanese administration in 1972 under the Okinawa Reversion Agreement. Tensions over the bases have shaped Okinawan politics for decades.
The 1995 rape of a schoolgirl by US service members triggered mass protests. In a 2019 prefectural referendum, a majority of voters opposed relocating Futenma’s functions to the Henoko coastal area of Nago.
The central Japanese government has proceeded with the Henoko landfill project despite local opposition.
Security anxiety and economic dependence
China’s increased naval and coast guard activity around the disputed Senkaku Islands, which Japan administers and China claims, has heightened security concerns in the region. The islands lie roughly 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) northeast of Taiwan and about 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) east of mainland China. Economically, Okinawa’s per-capita income has historically ranked lowest among Japan’s 47 prefectures.
Base-related income, including land rents paid to landowners and jobs at US facilities, remains a significant share of the local economy. The election outcome will determine the prefecture’s posture toward the Japanese central government’s base-construction plans and toward Tokyo’s broader security alignment with the United States.
The winner will also inherit longstanding local grievances over noise, crime, and environmental contamination linked to US bases. The story is developing. The election date and candidates are as reported by the source material.
