Elections

Conservatives to Field Naha Deputy Mayor for Okinawa Governor Race; Genta Koja Will Likely Face Incumbent Denny Tamaki in September Election

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Genta Koja, who was recently chosen to represent c:onservative forces in September’s Okinawa gubernatorial election

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:47 JST, January 12, 2026

NAHA — Conservative forces’ committee to select a candidate for this year’s Okinawa gubernatorial election decided Sunday to field Naha deputy mayor Genta Koja, 42, for the race.

The Liberal Democratic Party’s prefectural federation is expected to abide by the committee’s decision and support Koja in the election when incumbent governor Denny Tamaki’s term of office expires. The governor’s term ends in September.

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The LDP aims to regain control of the prefectural government for the first time in 12 years, following three consecutive elections won by candidates supported by the All Okinawa group. The All Okinawa camp opposes the central government and the LDP over the issue of the relocation of the U.S. military’s Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa, to the Henoko district of Nago in the prefecture.

Since the selection committee, whose members include those of a local economic organization, sought to back Koja as a candidate not strongly tied to political parties, the prefectural chapter of the LDP did not participate in the selection process.

The committee’s choice of Koja as their candidate was unanimous. Speaking at a press conference after the decision, he voiced his intention to be widely receptive to the voices of locals and create a prefectural government that will improve people’s lives.

Koja said nothing about the base relocation issue except that he “wants to carefully consider it.”

Koja, a native of Naha, is a former bureaucrat at the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. He ran unsuccessfully for the House of Councillors in 2022 as an LDP backed-candidate. Koja became deputy mayor of Naha in December of the same year.

Meanwhile, the All Okinawa camp was expected on Tuesday to ask Tamaki, 66, to run for re-election.

Tamaki has already expressed willingness to seek a third term as the prefecture’s leader. His announcement of his candidacy will establish the election as a showdown between him and Koja.