Campaigning for the Sept. 30 Okinawa gubernatorial election officially kicked off Thursday, with two main candidates vying for leadership of the prefecture — Atsushi Sakima, 54, and Denny Tamaki, 58.
They are experienced politicians with very different ideologies and views on the issue that has come to dominate the contest: what to do about construction of a replacement facility in Nago's Henoko district for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Here is a look at both candidates and the policies they would likely pursue as governor: