▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁following ▁the ▁agreement ▁between ▁US ▁president ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁and ▁prime ▁minister ▁E is aku ▁Sat ō ▁on ▁rest oration ▁of ▁Japanese ▁so vere ig nt y ▁over ▁the ▁Ry ū ky ū ▁islands . ▁Ok ina wa ▁is ▁represented ▁by ▁two ▁Coun c ill ors ▁elect ing ▁one ▁every ▁three ▁years . ▁ ▁Single - member ▁districts ▁for ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Coun c ill ors ▁([ 参 <0xE8> <0xAD> <0xB0> 院 ] 一 人 区 , ▁[ s ang i in ] ▁ich in ink u ) ▁usually ▁get ▁higher ▁attention ▁in ▁House ▁of ▁Coun c ill ors ▁elections ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁easier ▁to ▁swing ▁completely ▁than ▁multi - member ▁districts ▁and ▁thus ▁play ▁a ▁decis ive ▁role ▁for ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁elections . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁concentr ated ▁US ▁military ▁presence ▁in ▁Ok ina wa , ▁the ▁pre fect ure ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁foc al ▁point ▁of ▁political ▁debate ▁over ▁the ▁mut ual ▁security ▁treat y ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁corner stone ▁of ▁Japanese ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁The ▁district ▁was ▁in ▁many ▁elections ▁cont ested ▁between ▁only ▁two ▁candidates ▁back ed ▁by ▁the ▁major ▁post war ▁parties , ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁Liberal ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁( LD P ) ▁and ▁the ▁Japan ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁( J SP ). ▁The ▁Japanese ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁( J CP ) ▁in ▁Ok ina wa ▁unlike ▁in ▁most ▁other ▁districts ▁for ▁national ▁elections ▁co oper ated ▁with ▁the ▁Social ists ▁in ▁nomin ating ▁candidates ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁the