New Okinawa Leader Supports U.S. Military Base Move

A pro-government candidate has won the Okinawa governor race, which could make it easier for Tokyo to relocate a controversial U.S. military base.

A big change is coming to Okinawa. Genta Koja has won the election for governor. He was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, which is the group that runs the national government in Tokyo. This is a big deal because for the first time in 12 years, the person leading Okinawa agrees with the plan to move a U.S. Marine airfield. For a long time, many people in Okinawa have fought against this plan. They have been unhappy about the U.S. military presence on their island. Previous leaders have tried to block or slow down the construction of the new base. Now that Koja has won, the government …