Okinawa.
The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus Volume 16 | Issue 4 | Number 3 | Feb 10, 2018
Mit freundlicher Erlaubnis von Japan Focus
http://apjjf.org/

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

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

Introduction
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.

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