November 23, 2021

A 42-year-old "All Okinawa"-backed candidate won in Okinawa's Chatan Town mayoral election held on November 21, defeating his rival supported by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komei Party.

Toguchi Masashi, succeeding anti-base former mayor Noguni Masaharu, received a recommendation from the "All Okinawa" coalition (Japanese Communist Party, Social Democratic Party, Okinawa Social Mass Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and a local political group) and fought the election campaign together with many concerned townspeople.

Several U.S. bases, including the Kadena Air Base, occupy a large part of Chatan Town, but the town government explored ways to activate its local economy without being dependent on these bases and promoted the creation of a peaceful Chatan that will be comfortable to live in. Chatan Town has now become a vibrant town, moving ahead with the return of part of the bases and advancing alternative uses of the returned areas.

Toguchi expressed his determination by saying, "I will do my best to further enrich the town. I will expand childrearing-related policies and immediately implement coronavirus countermeasures."

SDP Dietmember Arakaki Kunio (Lower House), Okinawa Whirlwind Dietmember Iha Yoichi and Takara Tetsumi (both Upper House), and CDPJ Yara Tomohiro (former Lower House member) visited Toguchi's campaign office to offer their congratulations to the mayor-elect.