Japanese - U.S. Relations Will Now Be Tested With The Election Of An Opponent To U.S. Bases In Okinawa

Okinawa Re-elects Opponent of U.S. Base -- New York Times

TOKYO — Voters on the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa re-elected a governor on Sunday who campaigned for the removal of an American Marine base there, throwing a wrench into a deal between Japan and the United States to relocate the base and posing a challenge for the United States as it grapples with a response to North Korean aggression.

Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima, 71, had once supported the plan to transfer the base to a less populated part of Okinawa, but he reversed himself after strong opposition by residents.

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More News On The Election Of A Critic To U.S. Bases In Okinawa

Okinawa governor re-elected; vows to block Futenma move -- Stars And Stripes
Nakaima Urges Talks on U.S. Okinawa Bases After Winning Election -- Bloomberg
Okinawa Election to Ease Base Issue -- Wall Street Journal
Okinawa re-elects critic of U.S. bases -- UPI
Okinawans re-elect conservative governor -- Financial Times

My Comment: I can understand why the Okinawans do not want U.S. bases in their backyards. If there was a U.S base where I live, I would also not feel comfortable with such a presence.

But having said that, with tensions in the region at the highest in a long time .... this vote definitely sends the wrong signal to countries like North Korea who are always looking for dissent or weakness in its neighbors.