With the Okinawa Prefecture Gubernatorial Election in mind, a committee of conservative related business people and others has selected 5 prospective candidates and plans to make its final choice in January after interviews and such. (31de25)

Splendor of Okinawa: Scarlet Jungleflame, roadside Uruma, 7no25


In September of 2026, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki’s second term ends, bringing on a gubernatorial election. 


On 28 December, with that election in mind, a candidate selection committee,  made up generally of conservative oriented business people and such, held its meeting in Naha to go through the documents  of 5 individuals who either applied on their own or were recommended by others.


On 11 January 2026, the final candidate is planned to be chosen by the committee after interviews and such.


The 5 applicants are: Naha Deputy Mayor Genta Koja (42), Speaker of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Kyoki Nakagawa (63), former Speaker of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly and management consultant Noboru  Akamine (58), the prefecture’s Ishigaki City Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama (58), and the prefecture’s Urasoe City Mayor Tetsuji Matsumoto (58).


On the other side, the forces of All Okinawa, which stand in opposition to the National Government on the question of US bases, will also decide in January  2026 on the candidate it wants to back in the race. 


In speaking to the press squad on 25 December, Governor Tamaki, who appears to hold sway in All Okinawa’s choice, commented, “That decision has yet to be made.” Though he exuded enthusiasm for running for  a third term.


Original Japanese article: Yomiuri Shimbun, published Monday 29 December 2025 at 10:24.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0313133323a44f814760433008ed47ed95395759


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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