Voters backed Denny Tamaki, public broadcaster NHK and other media said, an expected outcome that is nonetheless a sign of pushback against the ruling party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In an acceptance speech to cheering supporters, Tamaki emphasised that he would continue to work to bolster the social safety net for the poor, highlighting how his re-election campaign had focused more on the economy.

Okinawa’s economy was hit hard by slumping tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Okinawa is far closer to Taiwan than to Tokyo. China this summer launched five missiles into the sea close to Okinawa – and within Japan’s exclusive economic zone – during military exercises after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.

Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has pushed for increased defence spending to counter China, but media polls showed voters were likely to re-elect Tamaki, who was supported by a broad coalition of opposition parties.

The LDP backed Atsushi Sakima, a former mayor. Tamaki defeated him in 2018, partly by calling for the large Futenma US air base to be moved outside the prefecture.

The US military is a hot-button issue in Okinawa, which saw some of the bloodiest fighting in World War Two and has long resented the burden of hosting the majority of US troops in Japan on facilities that take up 5% of Okinawa’s land.