Newcomer Taketoyo Toguchi defeats incumbent Susumu Inamine by 3,458 votes in Nago City mayoral Election

Newcomer Taketoyo Toguchi defeats incumbent Susumu Inamine by 3,458 votes in Nago City mayoral Election

Taketoyo Toguchi


February 4, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo Digital Edition

The Nago City mayoral election, which has become a major battleground in the ongoing dispute over the relocation of MCAS Futenma to Henoko, went to the polls on February 4. Newcomer Taketoyo Toguchi 56, won the election with 20,389 votes. Toguchi ran as an independent, but had the endorsement of the federal government’s ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, as well as the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), for his pro-base relocation stance. Incumbent Susumu Inamine 72, who also ran as an independent but had endorsements from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Japanese Communist Party (JCP), Okinawa Social Mass Party (OSMP), Liberal Party (LP), and Democratic Party (DP), lost the election by 3,458 votes, coming in at a final tally of 16,931.

This is the first time in eight years that Nago will have a mayor that does not oppose the base relocation. The Henoko relocation being progressed by the Japanese and U.S. governments will now certainly pick up pace, and comes as a big blow to the influence of the “All Okinawa” faction looking to stop the relocation led by Governor Takeshi Onaga, who now sets their sights on the gubernatorial election in the fall.

(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)

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