TOKYO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki continues to be the most favored candidate to win the election in Japan's southernmost prefecture, as the majority of voters remain opposed to the controversial relocation of a U.S. military base within the island, a media poll showed Monday.
The survey conducted by Kyodo News over the weekend revealed that Tamaki, 62, has garnered the most support from voters in the run-up to the Sept. 11 election, the central theme of which is the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Tamaki, who has the backing of Japan's opposition parties, leads former Ginowan Mayor Atsushi Sakima, 58, supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition, and Mikio Shimoji, 61, a former lower house member, who is trailing out of the three in the race, according to the poll.
Tamaki, who is seeking his second four-year term, has vehemently been opposed to the central government's push to relocate the U.S. base from the densely populated area of Ginowan to Okinawa's Henoko coastal region and is a staunch proponent of moving the base outside Okinawa or Japan altogether.
Sakima, meanwhile, supports the central government's plan to relocate the base within the island.
Shimoji, for his part, is campaigning for the base to be repurposed into a shared military and commercial airport.
The local and central governments have long been at odds over the relocation of the base.
Okinawa hosts the majority of U.S. bases in Japan, yet the tiny subtropical island accounts for a tiny fraction of Japan's land mass.
Tamaki's lead in the gubernatorial race reflects the majority view of local citizens that opposes the U.S. increasing its military footprint on the island and is in favor of their overall base-hosting burdens being lifted.
The disproportionate number of U.S. bases hosted by Okinawa has been a protracted source of tension for its local citizens as they have had to endure a near-constant string of U.S. military-linked accidents and mishaps involving aircraft, firing drills and pollution, as well as some heinous crimes involving U.S. military and military-linked personnel.
In terms of the island's environment, meanwhile, the relocation plan involves at least 157 hectares of land being reclaimed from pristine waters, hosting an extremely delicate ecosystem off the coastal Henoko area and the building of a V-shaped runway.
The three-way race is also focused on the region's economy with voters keen to see more funds injected into the prefecture, as Okinawa's per capita income remains the lowest among Japan's 47 prefectures.
Other areas of the election's focus are on the candidates' plans to reinvigorate the island's tourism industry. ■
