Okinawa Prefectural Assembly
The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly (沖縄県議会, Okinawa-kengikai) is the prefectural parliament of Okinawa.
Okinawa Prefectural Assembly 沖縄県議会 Okinawa-kengikai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1909 in the Empire[1] 1972 after end of U.S. military rule |
| Leadership | |
President (gichō) | Noboru Akamine, Independent |
Vice President (fuku-gichō) | Hiraki Nakada, Liberal Democratic Party |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 48 |
 | |
Political groups | Government (26)
Independent Okinawa Faction (8)
Neutral (6) Opposition (14) Independents/vacant (2) Vacant (1) |
| Elections | |
Last election | 7 June 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Its 48 members are elected every four years in 14 districts by single non-transferable vote (SNTV). 13 electoral districts are multi-member district, one district is a single-member district where SNTV becomes equivalent to First-past-the-post voting.
The assembly is responsible for enacting and amending prefectural ordinances, approving the budget and voting on important administrative appointments made by the governor including the vice-governors.
Unlike most mainland prefectural assemblies (Hokkaidō is another exception) the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly was not in existence continuously since 1878. After the Battle of Okinawa, the United States military governed the prefecture. The civilian branch of the military government was the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands; a Legislature of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands (立法院) was created in 1952. After Okinawa's return to the mainland in 1972, the Prefectural Assembly was restored. Since then, it had been one of three prefectures in the country that do not elect their assemblies in unified local elections (last round: 2011), the other two being Ibaraki and Tokyo (In 2011, another three prefectures hit by the Great East Japan earthquake postponed their elections).
Current composition
As of 2017, the assembly was composed as follows:[2]
| Composition of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary group | Seats |
| Liberal Democratic Party | 14 |
| Social Democratic Party/OSMP | 12 |
| Okinawa | 8 |
| Japanese Communist Party | 6 |
| Kōmeitō | 4 |
| Initiatives from Osaka (Ishin no Kai) | 2 |
| Independents | 1 |
| Vacant | 1 |
| Total (including vacant seats) | 48 |
Electoral districts
Most electoral districts in Okinawa correspond to current cities or former counties (the counties, abolished as administrative unit in 1921, had initially by definition served as electoral districts for prefectural assemblies in the Empire).
| Electoral districts[3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| District | Municipalities | Magnitude |
| Nago City | Nago City | 2 |
| Uruma City | Uruma City | 4 |
| Okinawa City | Okinawa City | 5 |
| Ginowan City | Ginowan City | 3 |
| Urasoe City | Urasoe City | 4 |
| Naha City | Naha City | 11 |
| Tomigusuku City | Tomigusuku City | 2 |
| Itoman City | Itoman City | 2 |
| Nanjō City | Nanjō City | 1 |
| Miyakojima City | Miyakojima City Tarama Village |
2 |
| Ishigaki City | Ishigaki City Taketomi Town Yonaguni Town |
2 |
| Kunigami County | Kunigami Village Ōgimi Village Higashi Village Nakijin Village Motobu Town Onna Village Ginoza Village Kin Town Ie Village Izena Village Iheya Village |
2 |
| Nakagami County | Yomitan Village Kadena Town Chatan Town North Nakagusuku Village Nakagusuku Village Nishihara Town |
5 |
| Shimajiri County | Yaese Town Yonabaru Town Haebaru Town Kumejima Town Tokashiki Village Zamami Village Aguni Village Tonaki Village South Daitō Village North Daitō Village |
3 |
List of presidents and vice presidents
Presidents
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-war (before 1945) | ||||
| 1 | Takamine Chōkyō (高嶺 朝教) |
28 June 1909 | 20 May 1912 | |
| 2 | Nakayoshi Chōjo (仲吉 朝助) |
20 August 1912 | 14 July 1916 | |
| 3 | Ie Chōjo (伊江 朝助) |
25 November 1916 | 10 May 1917 | |
| 4 | Takara Rintoku (高良 隣德) |
15 November 1917 | 25 March 1919 | |
| 5 | Nakada Tokuzō (仲田 徳三) |
10 June 1919 | 10 May 1920 | |
| 6 | Kamiya Natsukichi (神谷 夏吉) |
26 November 1920 | 20 May 1921 | |
| 7 | Ōshiro Kōnoichi (大城 幸之一) |
21 June 1921 | 20 May 1925 | |
| 8 | Taira Shinjun (平良 真順) |
22 June 1925 | 20 May 1933 | |
| 9 | Morishima Meichō (盛島 明長) |
21 June 1933 | 24 February 1936 | |
| 10 | Uema Tokunosuke (上間 徳之助) |
4 December 1936 | May 1937 | |
| 11 | Takehara Ansa (嵩原 安佐) |
7 July 1937 | 1942 | |
| 12 | Aragaki Tōta (新垣 登太) |
10 June 1942 | 1945 | |
| Post-war (since 1972) | ||||
| 1 | Katsu Hoshi (星 克) |
15 May 1972 | 24 June 1972 | |
| 2 | Kōichi Taira (平良 幸市) |
7 July 1972 | 28 February 1976 | |
| 3 | Hideo Chibana (知花 英夫) |
28 February 1976 | 15 November 1978 | |
| 4 | Masakazu Ōta (大田 昌知) |
19 December 1978 | 24 June 1984 | |
| 5 | Megumi Shimura (志村 恵) |
28 June 1984 | 24 June 1988 | |
| 6 | Kazuo Taira (平良 一男) |
28 June 1988 | 24 June 1992 | |
| 7 | Mitsuo Gima (儀間 光男) |
26 June 1992 | 28 December 1994 | |
| 8 | Chiken Kakazu (嘉数 知賢) |
28 December 1994 | 24 June 1996 | |
| 9 | Shinsuke Tomoyori (友寄 信助) |
28 June 1996 | 24 June 2000 | |
| 10 | Kōkichi Iramina (伊良皆 高吉) |
25 June 2000 | 29 June 2004 | |
| 11 | Seizen Hokama (外間 盛善) |
29 June 2004 | 21 June 2006 | |
| 12 | Toshinobu Nakasato (仲里 利信) |
21 June 2006 | 24 June 2008 | |
| 13 | Zenshin Takamine (高嶺 善伸) |
26 June 2008 | 24 June 2012 | |
| 14 | Masaharu Kina (喜納 昌春) |
26 June 2012 | 24 June 2016 | |
| 15 | Yonekichi Shinzato (新里 米吉) |
28 June 2016 | 1 July 2019 | |
| (acting) | Nobuni Karimata (狩俣 信子) |
1 July 2019 | 24 June 2020 | |
| 16 | Noboru Akamine (赤嶺 昇) |
30 June 2020 | Incumbent | |
Vice presidents
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-war (before 1945) | ||||
| 1 | Tamanaha Jūzen (玉那覇 重善) |
28 June 1909 | 28 February 1912 | |
| 2 | Ōhama Yōyō (大浜 用要) |
25 November 1912 | 10 May 1913 | |
| 3 | Ōta Chōfu (太田 朝敷) |
12 November 1913 | May 1916 | |
| 4 | Chinen Kataki (知念 堅輝) |
15 November 1916 | 10 May 1917 | |
| 5 | Nakada Tokuzō (仲田 徳三) |
15 November 1917 | 10 June 1919 | |
| 6 | Ōshiro Kamezaku (大城 亀作) |
10 June 1919 | 10 May 1921 | |
| 7 | Morishima Meichō (盛島 明長) |
21 June 1921 | 10 May 1929 | |
| 8 | Maeuejō Noboru (前上門 昇) |
2 July 1929 | 10 May 1933 | |
| 9 | Hirada Yoshisaku (平田 吉作) |
21 June 1933 | May 1937 | |
| 10 | Yabiku Mōtoku (屋比久 孟徳) |
7 July 1937 | 1942 | |
| 11 | Nishihara Gaichi (西原 雅一) |
10 June 1942 | 1943 | |
| 12 | Irei Masayuki (伊礼 正幸) |
29 June 1943 | 1945 | |
| Post-war (since 1972) | ||||
| 1 | Tokuichi Igei (伊芸 徳一) |
15 May 1972 | 24 June 1972 | |
| 2 | Saneyoshi Furuken (古堅 実吉) |
7 July 1972 | 24 June 1976 | |
| 3 | Seiei Sakihama (崎浜 盛永) |
2 July 1976 | 19 December 1978 | |
| 4 | Yasunobu Yoza (与座 康信) |
19 December 1978 | 24 June 1980 | |
| 5 | Chōzō Kobashigawa (小橋川 朝蔵) |
28 June 1980 | 10 June 1982 | |
| 6 | Kazuo Taira (平良 一男) |
10 June 1982 | 24 June 1984 | |
| 7 | Takeo Sunagawa (砂川 武雄) |
28 June 1984 | 26 June 1987 | |
| 8 | Seishin Murayama (村山 盛信) |
26 June 1987 | 24 June 1988 | |
| 9 | Shigemasa Kaneshiro (金城 重正) |
28 June 1988 | 26 June 1990 | |
| 10 | Chūei Teruya (照屋 忠英) |
26 June 1990 | 24 June 1992 | |
| 11 | Shūzō Sakihama (崎浜 秀三) |
26 June 1992 | 28 December 1994 | |
| 12 | Akira Nakane (中根 章) |
28 December 1994 | 24 June 1996 | |
| 13 | Seizen Hokama (外間 盛善) |
28 June 1996 | 24 June 2000 | |
| 14 | Masahiko Takara (高良 政彦) |
27 June 2000 | 24 June 2004 | |
| 15 | Tetsuji Shingaki (新垣 哲司) |
29 June 2004 | 21 June 2006 | |
| 16 | Kōsuke Gushi (具志 孝助) |
21 June 2006 | 24 June 2008 | |
| 17 | Yoshikazu Tamaki (玉城 義和) |
26 June 2008 | 24 June 2012 | |
| 18 | Ishō Urasaki (浦崎 唯昭) |
26 June 2012 | 15 July 2014 | |
| 19 | Masatoshi Onaga (翁長 政俊) |
15 July 2014 | 24 June 2016 | |
| 20 | Noboru Akamine (赤嶺 昇) |
28 June 2016 | 24 June 2020 | |
| 21 | Hiraki Nakada (仲田 弘毅) |
30 June 2020 | Incumbent | |
References
- Okinawa Prefectural Assembly: History
- Assembly members by parliamentary group(in Japanese)
- Okinawa Prefectural Assembly: Organizational structure and electoral districts
