| Okinawa 3rd District | |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary constituency for the Japanese House of Representatives | |
 Numbered map of Okinawa Prefecture single-member districts | |
| Prefecture | Okinawa |
| Proportional District | Kyushu |
| Electorate | 316,908 (2021) |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1994 |
| Seats | One |
| Party | LDP |
| Representative | Aiko Shimajiri |
| Created from | Okinawa's at-large "medium-sized" district |
| Municipalities | Nago, Okinawa City, Uruma, Kunigami District and parts of Shimajiri District (Iheya and Izena) |
Okinawa 3rd district is a constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan (national legislature). It is located in Okinawa Prefecture and encompasses the cities of Nago, Okinawa, Uruma, Kunigami District and parts of Shimajiri District (Iheya and Izena). As of 2016, 312,171 eligible voters were registered in the district.[1]
In 2018 the district was represented by Denny Tamaki of the Liberal Party who automatically forfeited his seat after becoming a gubernatorial candidate in September. The by-election was not held in the immediate by-election slot in October 2018, but only in April 2019 because a Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the malapportionment in the last general election to the House of Representatives was still pending.[2][3] The by-election date was later announced to be 21 April 2019. In the 2019 election, Tomohiro Yara, freelance journalist and strong opponent of the relocation of the Futenma US Marine base, defeated Aiko Shimajiri, former member of the Diet Upper House and minister.[4] However, the 2021 general elections reversed the results.[5] Reportedly, this was due to increased support for the LDP among younger voters because of the party's harder line on China and proactive security policy.[6]
- ^ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC): [1] (in Japanese)
- ^ Jiji Press, September 13, 2018: 玉城衆院議員が失職＝沖縄知事選立候補で
- ^ Mainichi Shimbun, September 14, 2018: 衆院選 沖縄３区補選は行わず 「１票の格差」訴訟により
- ^ "Tomohiro Yara wins Okinawa No. 3 district Lower House by-election with platform opposing new Henoko base". Ryuku shimbo. 21 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021.
- ^ "Tokyo pushes Henoko issue as opponents reel from new setback". The Asahi Shimbun. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
- ^ Park, Ju-min (31 October 2021). "In Japan's Okinawa, ruling party's tough China stance helps win young voters". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021.