Perhaps Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not need Genta Koja to win his bid for governor of the Okinawa Prefecture in order to proceed with Japan’s military buildup. But since Koja supports the buildup, whereas his opponent, two-term incumbent Denny Tamaki, opposes major elements of it, Koja’s victory can only help.
“The security environment surrounding Okinawa is becoming increasingly severe,” Mr Koja said after the results were announced.
The election result comes as Ms Takaichi prepares to unveil a national security strategy this year that is expected to accelerate Japan’s biggest military build-up since the Second World War.
Her administration says increased defence spending is necessary to deter China from using military force to advance its territorial ambitions in East Asia.
One of the issues dividing the campaigns was what to do about a U.S. military base in Okinawa: move it to another part of the island, which is what Koja and the Takaichi government want—or move it out of Okinawa altogether or simply shut it down, which is what Tamaki wants.
Mr Tamaki had long resisted the relocation of the busy Futenma Airfield from the city of Ginowan to the coastal city of Nago. Instead, he pushed for the base to be closed and operations suspended, while Mr Koja, Okinawa’s first conservative governor in 12 years, supports the move and the base remaining open.
On Monday, Japan’s central government said it would continue with its plans to relocate the base. The result may also make it easier to expand military access to airports and ports, according to Masaaki Gabe, a professor emeritus at the University of the Ryukyus.
Koja’s election also continues a pro-LDP trend. In early February 2026, just a few months after taking office, Takaichi had rolled the dice on snap parliamentary elections. The result was that her Liberal Democratic Party won 316 of 465 seats, a 118-seat gain.
