On 11 January 2026, decisions will be made on 5 from the conservative faction who aspire to be its candidate in Okinawa Prefecture’s gubernatorial election, including the Naha deputy mayor and the Prefectural Assembly chief. (29de25)

Splendor of Okinawa: Chrysanthemum, Mihama Beach, 15de25


With the end of the current term ending in September of next year, the Okinawa Prefecture Gubernatorial Election will be held to fill the position. 


With that election in mind, at an election candidate selection committee meeting held in Naha on 28 December, 5 aspiring candidates, including conservative municipal leaders and an economic group representative, came under consideration to run. Word has it that after interviews with the 5 on 11 January 2026 by the committee, a vote by the members will determine the final candidate.


The five who passed the document review for the election run are: Naha Deputy Mayor Genta Koja, Speaker of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Kyoki Nakagawa, former Speaker of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly and management consultant Noboru  Akamine, the prefecture’s Ishigaki City Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama, and the prefecture’s Urasoe City Mayor Tetsuji Matsumoto.


After the private meeting, Election Selection Committee Chairman Katsuya Kinjo responded on record to media squad queries. He noted, in evaluating the prospective candidates, “The 5 selected are exemplary individuals.”


The selection committee members were unclear over the number who applied for candidacy during the public application period.


As for the force of All Okinawa, which stands against the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan to Henoko in Nago, Governor Denny Tamaki, full of enthusiasm for a run for a third term, appears to have its strength with him.


On entering the new year, activity will increase in speed toward the gubernatorial election.


Original Japanese article: Sankei Shimbun, published Sunday 28 December 2025 at 15:38.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/52365b19a9129990e2b27a56213dfc1e63c925bd


Denny in the News: Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although 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. 


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. 


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


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.

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