Okinawa murder reignites outcry over crimes linked to US military personnel

The murder of a Japanese woman suspected of being carried out by a US Marine on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa has sparked public outrage in the country, amid a long string of incidents involving American service members.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday called the incident a "brutal crime" and said the government had lodged a strong protest with Washington, demanding "full cooperation with the investigation" and "tighter discipline among US military personnel."

Around 100 people joined a march in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, on Sunday as word spread that a US Marine had a day earlier been suspected of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in the city and taking her wallet.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that security camera footage near the scene showed a foreign man entering a room with a woman and later leaving alone with her belongings. Police subsequently found a 20-year-old man matching the description. The suspect is said to have denied the allegation.

Police identified the suspect as Devin Jacob Ballard and the victim as Anna Yagi.

Kozue Akibayashi, a professor of gender and peace studies at Doshisha University in Kyoto, said the incident reflects a decades-long problem. "The Japanese government has always chosen the Japan-US alliance over the safety, lives and voices of the people of Okinawa," she told Al Jazeera.

Why are US Marines stationed in Okinawa?

The United States has about 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan. Okinawa bears most of the burden, hosting roughly 70% of US military facilities in the country, established under a bilateral security treaty and the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), first signed in 1951 and revised in 1960.

Japan has "primary jurisdiction" over crimes committed off base when US service members are off duty, while the US has "primary jurisdiction" over crimes that occur on base or while on duty.

Okinawa is regarded by Tokyo and Washington as a key location for deterring military threats from China. "The US and Japanese governments have always cited the 'geopolitical' importance of the archipelago's location to justify not only the presence but also the excessively high concentration of US troops there," Akibayashi said.

"In reality, however, keeping large numbers of US troops and bases in Okinawa — where nobody wants them — is convenient for the Japanese government."

The professor said Okinawa, one of Japan's 47 prefectures, accounts for 1% of the national population and less than 1% of its territory. "Their political voice seems to mean nothing to the Japanese government," she added. "Perhaps more importantly, Okinawa was colonized by Japan in the late 19th century and has always been subject to discrimination within the country."

Okinawa was an independent trading state, the Ryukyu Kingdom, before Japan annexed it in 1879. The US controlled Okinawa, which lies about 100 km from Taiwan at its closest point, from the end of World War II until 1972.

"Many US military bases on Japan's main islands were moved to the Okinawan islands... because people on the Japanese mainland began to oppose the presence of US troops in their neighborhoods," Akibayashi said.

The presence of US Marines has repeatedly stirred resentment among residents over issues such as noise, aircraft accidents and the conduct of service members.

Have US Marines been accused of crimes before?

Yes, the historical record includes numerous alleged crimes by US personnel, including rape, assault, hit-and-run and drunken-driving accidents, which have triggered protests in Okinawa.

Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a US Marine to seven years in prison on charges of strangling and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s.

In 2017, a former US Marine working as a civilian at a base was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa. That same year, a drunken US Marine crashed a vehicle into a small truck, killing a 61-year-old local driver.

In 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three US service members led to large protests.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, about 6,000 US service members have been arrested since 1972, when the US returned control of Okinawa to Japan. In 2024, arrests reached 80, the highest in 20 years.

Akibayashi said Okinawans are outraged by these crimes because they view them as violations of fundamental human rights. "Their lives and even their existence have become precarious and threatened by the US military presence," she said.

"They have expressed countless times their opposition and anger at the presence of US troops, as well as the unequal burden of 'security' policies imposed on them for decades. Their protests have been ignored and nullified."

How have Japan and the US responded to Yagi's murder?

Japanese officials expressed outrage over the murder, while the US pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said: "Incidents and accidents involving US military personnel cause great concern to local communities and must not be allowed to happen."

Prime Minister Takaichi said Japan had protested to US officials and described the crime as "especially brutal and heinous."

According to Takaichi, the government has asked the US to "cooperate to the fullest with the investigation, enforce stricter discipline on US military personnel and take thorough measures to prevent a recurrence of similar crimes."

The US Embassy and the Marine Corps expressed condolences over the incident and said they were cooperating with Japanese authorities.

The Marine Corps said in a statement that the suspect, who belongs to the III Marine Expeditionary Force and is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, is in Japanese custody.

"The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of conduct," the statement said.

US Ambassador George Glass posted on social media that he had spoken with Japan's Foreign Ministry and the governor of Okinawa, offering "sincere condolences and a commitment to full cooperation as the investigation continues."

Akibayashi said that when crimes occur, "the US government and military always say they will address the problem or promise to tighten discipline."

"Those things have never worked," she added.