Okinawans heading to the polls Sunday have three gubernatorial candidates to choose from, each with a different message about the U.S. military presence on the island prefecture.
NAHA Distrust among Okinawans toward the central government continues to remain high, as 68 percent of respondents in a new poll said their opinions of U.S. military bases in the southernmost prefecture are ignored.
NAHA Incumbent Denny Tamaki is leading in the Okinawa gubernatorial election scheduled for Sept. 11, but around 20 percent of voters remain undecided, according to a telephone survey conducted on Sept. 3 and 4.
Eighty-nine percent of Okinawans believe their prefecture has fallen behind the rest of the country in certain areas, including income and education levels, a survey showed.