Public anger is growing in Japan after a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa was arrested in connection with the killing of a 39-year-old woman, prompting protests and renewed calls for tighter discipline among American military personnel.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the woman’s death as a “heinous crime” and said her government has urged the United States to fully cooperate with the investigation.
The 20-year-old Marine was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of killing the woman at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, and stealing her wallet. According to Japanese media reports citing police, the woman was found dead inside a hotel room and appeared to have been strangled.
The suspect was transferred to prosecutors on Monday. He has denied the allegations.
The case has prompted protests in both Okinawa and Tokyo. Demonstrators have called for greater accountability and questioned the continued impact of the large U.S. military presence on Okinawa.
About 54,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed across Japan, including roughly 18,000 Marines. A large proportion of the American military presence is concentrated in Okinawa, which remained under U.S. administration following the Second World War until it was returned to Japan in 1972.
Incidents involving U.S. service members have been a longstanding source of tension on the island. Previous cases involving sexual assault, violence, traffic incidents and impaired driving have triggered demonstrations and demands for changes to the U.S. military presence.
Japan’s foreign affairs and defence ministries have summoned the U.S. ambassador and the commander of U.S. forces in Japan following the latest case.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo has protested to U.S. officials at multiple levels and will continue pressing Washington to enforce discipline among American service members.
Around 100 people reportedly gathered outside the Okinawa prefectural government building on Sunday, while another demonstration was held in Naha.
Protests have also spread to Tokyo. Okinawa native Sorane Sakihama, 24, organized a rally in the capital and said she plans another demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy.
The latest arrest has intensified a decades-long debate over the concentration of U.S. military personnel in Okinawa and the burden their presence places on local communities.
According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, approximately 6,000 U.S. military personnel have been arrested in Japan since Okinawa was returned to Japanese administration.
