Nago Mayor Toguchi Wins 3rd Term

Nago, Okinawa Pref., Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)–Nago Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi, supported by advocates of a controversial U.S. base relocation project, won his third term in Sunday’s mayoral election in Nago in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa. This will deal a major blow to the “All Okinawa” camp, which opposes the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base in Ginowan, Okinawa, to the Henoko coastal area in Nago. The election was effectively a one-on-one battle between Toguchi, 64, and former city assembly member Kumiko Onaga, 69. The incumbent garnered 20,009 votes, while Onaga collected 10,543 votes. Toguchi was endorsed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, as well as by the Democratic Party for the People and Komeito, while Onaga was backed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. The All Okinawa camp supported Onaga. The mayoral election was held due to the expiration of the incumbent’s term. Since his first election in 2018, Toguchi has maintained a stance of not addressing the pros and cons of the relocation plan. During the latest election campaign, he advocated for regional development leveraging his good relationship with the central government. Toguchi said to reporters on Sunday night, “We will utilize every available financial resource to improve citizens’ lives.” Regarding the relocation issue, he did not go any further than saying, “It all comes down to protecting the living environment.” Meanwhile, Onaga asserted that she would work with Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki to block the relocation. She advocated for community development independent of the central government’s grants for the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. The number of eligible voters on the election day was 50,889. The voter turnout rate was 60.75 pct, down 7.57 percentage points from the previous election, marking the lowest turnout on record. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]