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Five Okinawan Views on the Nago Mayoral Election of February 2018: Implications for Japanese Democracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Yamashiro Hiroji ,
Urashima Etsuko ,
Miyagi Yasuhiro ,
Iha Yoichi ,
Yoshikawa Hideki  and
Gavan McCormack
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Extract

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Nago City (Population: 61,000) in northern Okinawa held its election for mayor on 4 February 2018. The incumbent, Inamine Susumu, stalwart of the anti-Henoko base movement bidding for a third term in office (following victory in 2010 and 2014) was defeated 20,389 to 16,921 by Toguchi Taketoyo, backed by the ruling national Liberal-Democratic Party and its Buddhist alliance partner, Komeito. The outcome was not so much a victory of one group from within the city over another, reflecting different political interests or ideology, as a victory of metropolitan, government and ruling party national forces from outside the city at the expense of the city. There had never been a local government election in Japan quite like this.

Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , February 2018 , e3
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2018

References

Notes

1 Yamashita Ryuichi et al, “Nago shimin, Henoko ‘hantai’ 63% seron chosa,” Asahi shimbun, 30 January 2018.

2 “Nezuyoi shin kichi hantai,” Ryukyu shimpo, 5 February 2018.

3 Abe Takeshi, “Kisha no shiten – Nago shichosen, haisha wa Nihon no minshushugi,” Okinawa taimusu, 5 February 2018.

4 Gavan McCormack, “‘There Will Be No Stopping the Okinawan Resistance,‘ an Interview with Yamashiro Hiroji,” The Asia-Pacific Journal – Japan Focus, 1 August 2017.

5 Most recently “U.S. Military Base Construction at Henoko-Oura Bay and the Okinawan Governor's Strategy to Stop It.” 16 January 2018.

6 The Koizumi rally on 31 January was reported to have attracted 2,000 people (Nikkan gendai, 1 February 2018).

7 “Hana chirasu shisumu ni, makiruna yo sakura, tochi kureba matan mo hana ya sachyuru”

8 Gavan McCormack, “‘There Will Be No Stopping the Okinawan Resistance,‘ an Interview with Yamashiro Hiroji,” The Asia-Pacific Journal – Japan Focus, 1 August 2017.