Aiko Shimajiri fist-bumps supporters as she walks into a rally at a bullring in Okinawa's gritty city of Uruma, the former minister in Japan's ruling party relishing the prospect of pulling off an upset victory in this weekend's vote.
Nationwide, the Liberal Democratic Party is expected to lose seats in Sunday's Lower House election due largely to voter dissatisfaction over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
But in Okinawa — long a bastion of the pacifist opposition — the LDP's harder line on China and proactive security policy is helping it win over younger voters.