Chobin Zukeran

Chōbin Zukeran
瑞慶覧 長敏
Mayor of Nanjō
In office
12 February 2018 – 12 February 2022
Preceded byKeishun Koja
Succeeded byKeishun Koja
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
30 August 2009 – 16 November 2012
Preceded byKosaburō Nishime
Succeeded byKosaburō Nishime
ConstituencyOkinawa 4th
Personal details
Born (1958-10-24) 24 October 1958
Ōzato, Okinawa, USCAR
(now Nanjō, Okinawa, Japan)
PartySDP (since 2026)
Other political
affiliations		DPJ (2005–2012)
Independent (2012-2026)
Alma materUniversity of the Ryukyus
Central Washington University
WebsiteOfficial Twitter account

Chobin Zukeran (瑞慶覧 長敏, Zukeran Chōbin; born 24 October 1958) was the mayor of Nanjō, Okinawa, and a former member of the House of Representatives of Japan, representing Okinawa 4th district (southern Okinawa Island and the Sakishima Islands).[1]

Political career

Zukeran defeated Kozaburo Nishime (LDP) and was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2009 Japanese general election, representing Okinawa 4th district.

He is an outspoken proponent of the removal of American bases from Okinawa.[2]

On 2 June 2011, against the DPJ's policy, Zukeran abstained from voting for a vote of no confidence in the Kan Cabinet at the plenary session of the House of Representatives. So DPJ's headquarters imposed a strict warning on Zukeran.[3][4]

In 2012, he was expelled from DPJ in opposition to the bill to increase consumption tax submitted by the Noda Cabinet.[5] He did not join People's Life First, which was formed by Ichirō Ozawa and others who were also expelled from the DPJ, but continued his activities as an Independent politician.[6]

In the 2012 general election, he ran as an independent in Okinawa 4th district, but was defeated by Nishime (LDP) by a large margin and lost the election.

On January 21, 2018, he was elected mayor of Nanjō, defeating incumbent Keishun Koja by 65 votes with the support of Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga and All Okinawa.[7][8] He took office on 12 February.

He was defeated by 1,689 votes in 2022 with Keishun Koja returning to office.[9]

On October 8, 2025, Zukeran announced that he would not run for the next Nanjō mayoral election.[10]

On 21 January 2026, Zukeran announced that he had joined the SDP and declared that he would run as a SDP candidate in Okinawa 2nd district. Okinawa 2nd district is the constituency of Kunio Arakaki, who left SDP due to a line conflict with the leader Mizuho Fukushima and Fukushima led the candidacy of Zukeran as a stabbing to Arakaki.[11] However, the SDP's Okinawa prefectural branch expressed opposition, saying it had not gone through an organizational decision by the prefectural branch.[12] On January 25, two members of the House of Councillors, Yōichi Iha and Sachika Takara, from Okinawa Prefecture, supported by All Okinawa against the relocation of U.S. military bases, met in Naha City and criticized the SDP's support for Zukeran.[13] Meanwhile, after leaving the SDP, Arakaki joined the Centrist Reform Alliance.

In 2026 general election, in addition to LaSalle Ishii, the deputy leader of the SDP, former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama rushed to support Zukeran's election campaign and again called for opposition to the relocation of the U.S. military base.[14]

Electoral history

Nanjō mayoral election, 2022[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Keishun Koja 13,028 53.47 Increase3.61
Independent Chōbin Zukeran 11,339 46.53 Decrease3.61
Turnout 24,367 69.12 Increase2.20
Nanjō mayoral election, 2018[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Chōbin Zukeran 11,429 50.14 N/A
Independent Keishun Koja 11,364 49.86 Decrease50.14
Turnout 22,973 66.92
2012 Japanese general election – Okinawa 4th district[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LDP Kōsaburō Nishime (endorsed by NKP) 72,912 52.21 Increase8.50
Independent Chōbin Zukeran 33,791 24.20 Decrease30.51
Restoration Kōtarō Uomori 12,918 9.25 N/A
JCP Tamotsu Maesato 11,825 8.47 N/A
Democratic Nobuhiko Ōshiro 8,193 5.87 N/A
Majority 39,121 28.01
Turnout 143,214 53.37 Decrease10.96
LDP gain from Independent Swing Increase19.51
2009 Japanese general election – Okinawa 4th district[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chōbin Zukeran (endorsed by PNP and OSMP) 89,680 54.71 Increase24.94
LDP Kōsaburō Nishime (endorsed by NKP) 71,653 43.71 Decrease5.33
Happiness Realization Mitsunari Tomikawa 2,598 1.58 N/A
Majority 18,027 11.00
Turnout 167,219 64.33 Increase6.93
Democratic gain from LDP Swing Increase16.14

References

  1. ^ "The Democratic Party of Japan : Profile Detail". Retrieved 12 October 2009. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Ehman, Kenny. "Organized protests at Kadena and Futenma against U.S. bases". www.japanupdate.com.
  3. ^ "民主から賛成は松木・横粂氏、棄権は15人 不信任案". The Asahi Shimbun. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  4. ^ "小沢氏、田中真紀子氏ら党員資格停止3カ月 民主処分案". The Asahi Shimbun. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  5. ^ "消費税法案に造反した57議員リスト". The Nikkei. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  6. ^ "離党届書いて、後で撤回のぶざま 信念なき政治家たちの超おかしな弁明". J-CAST NEWS. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  7. ^ "LDP-backed candidate loses in mayoral race in Okinawa". Asahi Shimbun. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  8. ^ "国会議員並びに県・市町村の長及び議会議員の任期満了日" (PDF) (in Japanese). Okinawa Prefectural Government. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Mayor's Profile - Keishun Koja". Nanjō City Hall. Retrieved 26 May 2024. February 2018 Retired as Mayor of Nanjō City due to expiration of term. February 2022 Mayor of Nanjō City inaugurated for 4th term (age 66).
  10. ^ "南城市長選 前市長の瑞慶覧長敏氏が立候補断念 野党・中立の調整できず". Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 8 October 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  11. ^ "瑞慶覧長敏氏、衆院沖縄2区から立候補の意向　社民党有志の会が1月21日に擁立会見". Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 21 January 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  12. ^ "社民県連、衆院沖縄2区での独自候補擁立に反対　福島党首ら一部の動き受け会見「意見が分かれている」". Okinawa Times (in Japanese). 19 January 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  13. ^ "「団結壊れる」オール沖縄の参院議員が社民側を批判 〝内紛〟は泥沼の様相に". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 25 January 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  14. ^ "「オール沖縄」分裂で混沌の沖縄2区　社民「刺客」応援したのは鳩山由紀夫氏". J-CAST NEWS (in Japanese). 5 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  15. ^ "南城市長選挙" (in Japanese). NHK. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  16. ^ "沖縄・南城市長に知事支援の新顔 自公推薦の現職を破る" (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  17. ^ "投開票結果！ 平成30年 南城市長選挙及び南城市議会議員補欠選挙（最終確定）". Nanjo City Hall (in Japanese). 21 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  18. ^ "第46回総選挙>小選挙区開票速報：沖縄県" (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  19. ^ 小選挙区開票結果ー沖縄県４区 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
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