The former mayor of the city of Naha on Okinawa has declared victory in a hard-fought battle for the governorship of the Japanese island.
Takeshi Onaga campaigned on a promise to block plans for the re-construction of a US military base on the island.
"The governor's decision in December of last year to endorse the current government relocation plan was proven wrong when I won this election. The people of Okinawa were clearly thinking differently and are demanding an alternative."
Onaga is also vowing to block construction of the new base by denying permits for the project.
As governor, he will have the right to veto landfill work required for the new base to be built.
About half of the 50-thousand US troops stationed in Japan are located in Okinawa.
Onaga and his supporters have been demanding the planned new base for US troops in Japan be built somewhere other than Okanawa.
Many locals on the island view the US military's presence there as a nuisance.
