LDP-backed candidate wins Okinawa governor race

Liberal Democratic Party-backed candidate Genta Koja won Okinawa's governor race on Sunday, defeating the incumbent governor Denny Tamaki, Japanese media reported.

Koja said the result reflected the will of Okinawa's voters.

"My understanding is that this is a result of many people of Okinawa making the decision to move forward," he said.

Koja outlined his priorities for the prefecture. "I would like to focus on the high cost of living, developing new industry, and child care support," he said.

Tamaki accepted the outcome but raised concerns about the conduct of the campaign.

"If this is the result of politics, then we have to accept it. This is the will of the people," he said.

He added that "there was terrible behavior on social media and confusion on-site during the campaign under the pretext of an election."

Okinawa is becoming key for the Japan-US military alliance in the face of growing tensions with China, while Japan also rapidly seeks to build up its military in the southwestern region.

The southern island is home to about half of the 50,000 American troops stationed in Japan under the bilateral security pact.

Many Okinawans complain about risks of accident, noise, pollution and crime associated with U.S. bases.

Despite persistent protests and lawsuits, Japan and the U.S. are constructing a replacement facility for the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in the area.