Japan’s prime minister has condemned the alleged killing of a woman in Okinawa by a US Marine as a “heinous crime”, after the arrest triggered fresh public anger over the presence of American forces on the island.
The 20-year-old Marine, who is stationed in Okinawa, was arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha and stealing her wallet, police said. The suspect has denied the allegations.
Japanese media reported that CCTV footage showed a foreign man entering a room with a woman before leaving with her belongings. Police later identified a 20-year-old man matching the description and asked him to accompany them to a local police station, where he was arrested.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers that Japan had lodged a strong protest with the United States and demanded “full cooperation with the investigation” as well as “strict discipline among U.S. military personnel”.
“The occurrence of such a heinous crime is extremely regrettable,” she said.
Protests follow alleged killing in Okinawa
About 100 people attended a rally in Naha on Sunday, holding placards expressing their “strong protest” against the killing. A further demonstration was being planned outside the US Embassy.
Sorane Sakihama, a 24-year-old Okinawa native who organised a separate rally in Tokyo, said she had cried after learning of the woman’s death.
“We couldn’t protect her. That made me so angry and sad,” the university student said. “I want to ask them — what are these soldiers stationed here for? They might say they are here to protect lives or boost security. But how can they say that when a life was taken by their own?”
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government would work with the United States to prevent a recurrence and reduce the burden on local residents. Japan’s foreign affairs and defence ministers have summoned senior US officials to convey their “extreme disappointment” and lodge strong protests.
Okinawa hosts about 70% of US military facilities in Japan, and incidents involving American personnel, including allegations of rape, assault, hit-and-run offences and drink-driving, have previously prompted protests on the island.
Okinawa governor Genta Koja described the alleged killing and theft as “extremely malicious in nature”, saying it had “hugely shocked residents here who are forced to live side-by-side with the bases, and instilled new fear in them.”
“I am infuriated,” Mr Koja said, adding that the case showed US efforts to educate service members and improve their conduct “have not been functioning at all”. He said he would travel to Tokyo soon to protest to senior government officials, including Ms Takaichi.
The incident follows the sentencing last year of a US Marine accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s to seven years in prison. In 2017, a former US Marine and a civilian military base worker were sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa.
