US Marine Arrested Over Woman's Murder in Okinawa as Japan Lodges Strong Protest
Tokyo summons US envoy and demands cooperation; ambassador pledges full support for the investigation
3 min read
File photo: Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa, seen from Kakazu Heights Park. Photo: Suikotei, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Japan has lodged a strong protest with the United States after a US Marine was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering a woman on the southern island of Okinawa, police and officials said on Sunday.
The 20-year-old lance corporal is suspected of killing a 39-year-old woman in a hotel in Naha, the prefectural capital, DW and Al Jazeera reported, citing AFP and Reuters. Tokyo summoned the US envoy over the case. The Marine has reportedly denied the charges.
What police say happened
Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that CCTV footage showed a foreign man entering a hotel room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings, according to DW. Police then found a 20-year-old man who matched the description of the person seen in the footage. He voluntarily accompanied officers to a local police station, where he was arrested.
The US Marine Corps confirmed that a serviceman assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force and based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma was in Japanese custody. "The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior," it said in a statement.
According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, the victim's brother said: "We have lost a family member and are deeply saddened. My parents, in particular, are utterly devastated at the loss of their daughter."
Tokyo demands full cooperation
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the killing on social media. "The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and heinous incident is a matter of profound regret," she wrote, as quoted by Al Jazeera. "As the Government of Japan, we have lodged a strong protest with the US side, while firmly demanding maximum cooperation with the investigation."
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said: "Incidents and accidents involving US military personnel cause significant anxiety to the local community and must never occur."
US Ambassador George Glass said Washington "confirmed our policy of providing full cooperation with the investigation" and shared his condolences, Al Jazeera reported. DW said Glass had spoken with Japan's Foreign Ministry and Okinawa's governor.
A long-running source of tension
Japan hosts about 54,000 US military personnel, including 18,000 Marines, most of them based in Okinawa. The island came under US control at the end of World War II and was returned to Japan in 1972. Located about 100 kilometres from Taiwan at its closest point, it is seen by Tokyo and Washington as key to regional deterrence.
The US presence has long stirred resentment among residents over noise, aircraft accidents and the conduct of personnel. About 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested since the 1972 handover, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. The investigation is continuing.
