Poll on the Nago mayoral election situation: Toguchi slightly ahead, Kishimoto on his heels, base a factor tops at 30%, 20% of voters undecided on candidates. (18ja22)

In advance of the Nago mayoral election in Okinawa Prefecture on 23 January, Ryukyu Shimpo, Okinawa Times, and Kyodo News carried out a joint opinion poll by telephone on 16 and 17 January. 

When the election campaign early voting factor was added to this paper’s resources for analysis with the opinion poll, the campaign appeared to be developing into a tight race with current Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi (60), backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, in the lead with newcomer Former Nago City Assemblyman Yohei Kishimoto (49), supported by the Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Socialist Party, the Socialist Masses Party, Ninufa-buji, and Reiwa  close on his heels.  


Since about 20% of those polled gave answers like “I haven’t decided yet” before the vote, the situation in the final days of the election campaign can change. In the poll for the Nago mayoral election on the crucial point of Henoko, 62% were against the relocation, 33% accepted it. Interest was shown to be high among registered voters for the Nago mayoral election with answers of “Highly interested” or “Somewhat interested” rising to 90.4%.


On the topic of government policy, 30.8% thought “The relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield to Hennoko” was the most important, followed by 26.5% for “Economic promotion, tourism development, and infrastructure maintenance”, and 16.3% for “education and child upbringing.” However, in a survey for the last mayoral election, the answers for “Henoko” totaled 50%. So, it seems the relocation issue has comparatively lost some of its importance.


As for trends in candidate support, Kishimoto penetrated the support layer  of every national opposition party for the first time ever in receiving their nomination. He also leads in support from independents. Those who support the LDP, which holds the greatest support of any party, widely support Toguchi, and his strength among Komeito supporters continues to strengthen.


By gender, women tend to support Kishimoto, while men go for Toguchi. By age, Kishimoto has wide support among those over 60, while Toguchi is strongly supported among younger voters, centered among those under 50.


Governor Denny Tamaki’s prefectural government rated 70.0% overall in “I approve” or “If either or, I approve.” On the National Government’s push for the relocation to Henoko, over 60% answered “I don’t support” or “If either or, I don’t support.”


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Tuesday 18 January 2022 at 05:19

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/fcc3a2657fd7c59904a62a089964fa921263b268


Translator’s note:

Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In the suit over exercise of proxy in the case of the weak seabed at the new Henoko base, judgment to be handed down on 20 December. (4de23)

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Shrubby Bush Clover, roadside Uruma, 30no23 The seabed at the new base construction site at Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, is weak and needs reinforcement. So, the Okinawa Defense Bureau requested permission for the necessary design changes, but Governor Denny Tamaki refused. In response, the Government intends to exercise proxy to give itself permission in place of the governor. The Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court announced on 29 November that it will hand down its judgment in the lawsuit filed over the case at 2 pm on 20 December. At the trial on 30 October, Governor Denny Tamaki emphasized in the first oral arguments, “We can in no way accept this exercise of proxy, which violates the autonomy and independence of Okinawa.”  He further stressed the will of the prefecture’s people in opposition to the new base construction as the ‘Public will’. In addition, he requested to show that the  path to resolution lay in dialogue. The trial was conclud...
Read more

Governor Denny receives the report on JUNGLIA at the 4 month mark after its opening. (7de25)

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Temple Tree, Mihama Beach, 1de25 CEO Takeshi Kato of Japan Entertainment (JE), which manages JUNGLIA Okinawa, visited Governor Denny Tamaki at the Prefectural Office on 28 November.  　 The CEO reported on the 4 months since the attraction’s opening. He repeatedly brought up dealing with operational improvements and such based on the voices of visitors to the park.  　 The CEO specifically mentioned the evening concerts in the park’s garden and, starting from December, the free entry of one child with each adult, targeting the prefecture’s people. CEO Kato stated, “We’d like to be contributing to Okinawa’s tourism as well.” Governor Tamaki, alluding to his speech the same day, entitled “Declaration on Sustainable Tourism”, stated, “For the people, employees, and tourists of our prefecture, this is an important win-win format. We’d like to have JE’s cooperation in many, many more initiatives.” Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Sunday 30 Nov...
Read more

In Okinawa, Candidate Takara takes hold of the Henoko opposition parties as their new face, urging,”Let’s earnestly come to grips with these issues together.” (21jy25).

Image
Splendor of Okinawa: Mexican Petunia, Gushikawa RC Church, 13jy25. In the House of Councilors Election for the Okinawa Election District, independent candidate Sachika Takara (46), endorsed by All Okinawa, which opposes the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture, scored a victory. She defeated the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Party’s new candidate Ryo Okuma (38) in the election campaign.  Candidate Takara pledged before her supporters, “The Henoko problem is something our prefecture’s people have taken into our hearts. We’re going to earnestly come to grips with it together.”  With their eyes on a victory in next year’s gubernatorial election, her victory was a bitter blow to the LDP. Governor Denny Tamaki, who held the job of Candidate Takara’s campaign headquarters chief, stressed, “The will of the people in opposition to the relocation remains unshaken.” In recent mayoral elections, All Okinawa’s fortunes ha...
Read more