1978 Okinawa gubernatorial election

← 1976 10 December 1978 1982 →
Turnout	80.93 1.14[1]
Nominee Junji Nishime Chibana Hideo Party LDP Okinawa Social Mass Popular vote 284,049 257,902 Percentage 52.41% 47.59%
Governor before election Kōichi Taira OSMP Elected Governor Junji Nishime LDP

A gubernatorial election was held on 10 December 1978 to elect the Governor of Okinawa (山口県, Okinawa-ken), who is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan.

The gubernatorial election was held because Kōichi Taira, who was first elected in the 1976 election, collapsed from a cerebral thrombosis and resigned as governor in November 1978.

• Chibana Hideo, 69, endorsed by the union of the left (Progress and Unity), including the OSMP, JSP and JCP.
• Junji Nishime, 57, former Representative of the LDP, also backed by the DSP.

Okinawa gubernatorial 1978

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	LDP	Junji Nishime	284,049	52.41	5.61
	Okinawa Social Mass	Chibana Hideo	257,902	47.59	5.61
Total valid votes			541,951
Turnout				80.93	1.14
Registered electors
	Swing to LDP from Okinawa Social Mass		Swing	4.82

• It was the first time since the return of Okinawa that the LDP win the prefecture government.