Ginowan Mayor Sakima to Run for Okinawa Governor

July 31, 2018

Naha, Okinawa Pref.- Atsushi Sakima, mayor of Ginowan in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa, indicated Monday that he plans to accept a request for him to run in the Okinawa gubernatorial election on Nov. 18.

"I will announce my candidacy at an appropriate time," Sakima told a meeting of a candidate selection committee of the Okinawa prefectural chapter of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Sakima is expected to announce his decision to run in the governor race after selecting a candidate for the mayoral election that would be held to pick his successor.

The biggest focus in the gubernatorial election will be the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma base in the city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area in Nago, another Okinawa city, based on agreements between the Japanese and U.S. governments.

Incumbent Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, who opposes the planned Futenma relocation within the prefecture, has yet to clarity whether he will seek a second term.

Sakima became Ginowan mayor in February 2012 and is currently in his second term. As head of the city hosting the Futenma base, he has been calling for the early return of the site of the base from the U.S. side.Jiji Press