By Mina Pollmann
Local politicians are again drawing attention to a key U.S. foothold in East Asia.
As the long toil of U.S. mid-term elections came to an end on Tuesday, campaigning just began last Thursday (October 30) for Okinawa’s gubernatorial elections. Unlike America’s months-long ordeal, campaigning only lasts a couple of weeks in Japan – the election will be held on November 16. Okinawa has always been a key component of U.S. grand strategy in East Asia, and local-level elections are once again drawing international attention as the voters’ choice could have implications for the U.S.-Japan alliance. Due to its proximity to the Taiwan Strait, mainland China and the Korean peninsula, the US military has dubbed it, “The Keystone of the Pacific.” While strategic considerations dictate the permanence of a U.S. presence, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has signaled its intent to go ahead with the plan to relocate a U.S. Marines installation, the electoral outcome could significantly complicate bilateral planning. For the first time, the conservative forces in Okinawa are split – primarily over the issue of U.S. bases.
Incumbent Okinawan Governor Hirokazu Nakaima supports the planned relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the city of Ginowan to the Henoko district in the city of Nago, and approved the beginning of a landfill project necessary for the relocation last December. Nakaima has the official endorsement of the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and is pushing for relocation as a realistic option that increases safety for the 100,000 Ginowan residents. Though Nakaima previously ran on a platform to push for relocation outside Okinawa, he has since changed his position, determining that going against the central government will have no benefits.
Read the full story at The Diplomat