Opponents of a new U.S. Marine Corps base in Okinawa delivered a fresh rebuke to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as former Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga won the prefecture¡¯s gubernatorial contest Sunday night in an election closely followed by Tokyo and Washington.
Onaga cruised to victory against incumbent Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima on a platform opposing the construction of a replacement facility in Nago¡¯s Henoko district for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, at present located in the crowded central city of Ginowan.
Speaking to backers and reporters just minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m. and he was declared the victor, Onaga said a new chapter in Okinawa¡¯s history had begun, especially in regards to the future of the Henoko base, which he vowed to stop, announcing he would reverse Nakaima¡¯s decision to approve a contentious landfill permit for the relocation.
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