Big Win in Okinawa as Conservative Candidate Takes Office

A new leader backed by the ruling party has won the election in Okinawa, showing a shift in how locals feel about U.S. military bases.

There is a big change happening in Okinawa, a group of islands in southern Japan. Genta Koja, who was supported by Japan’s main political party, the LDP, just won the election for governor. For a long time, many people in Okinawa were angry about U.S. military bases being on their islands. They often voted for leaders who wanted to push the U.S. military out. But this time was different. Experts say the fear of China’s growing power has changed things. People in Okinawa are now more worried about security than they are about the U.S. bases. Because of this, the fight over the bases has bec…