Japan’s Leader Condemns Murder of Woman by U.S. Marine in Okinawa as ‘Heinous Crime’

Tokyo — Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has condemned the murder of a 39-year-old woman in Okinawa, allegedly committed by a United States Marine, labeling it a “heinous crime” as public outrage intensifies over the ongoing U.S. military presence on the island.

The suspect, a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa, was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of killing the woman at a hotel in Naha and stealing her wallet. He has denied the allegations, according to police statements released on Sunday.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets reported that surveillance footage captured a foreign man entering a room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings. Police subsequently identified and apprehended a 20-year-old man who matched the description of the individual in the video.

Takaichi addressed lawmakers on Monday, confirming that the government had lodged a strong protest with the United States. She urged Washington to ensure “full cooperation with the investigation” and to enforce “strict discipline among U.S. military personnel.”

“The occurrence of such a heinous crime is extremely regrettable,” Takaichi said.

The incident has reignited tensions in Okinawa, which hosts approximately 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan. Crimes involving U.S. personnel, including assaults, rapes, hit-and-run accidents, and drunk driving, have historically triggered widespread protests across the island.

On Sunday, roughly 100 people gathered in Naha to demonstrate against the murder, holding signs that expressed their “strong protest.” Sorane Sakihama, a 24-year-old Okinawa native, organized a separate rally in Tokyo and expressed deep distress upon learning of the death.

“We couldn’t protect her. That made me so angry and sad,” Sakihama told AFP. She stated she planned to hold another protest in front of the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday evening. “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 told reporters on Monday that the government would work with the United States to prevent future incidents and reduce the burden on local residents. He noted that Japan’s foreign affairs and defense ministers had immediately summoned senior U.S. officials to convey their “extreme disappointment” and lodge strong protests.

Okinawa Governor Genta Koja, who assumed office just weeks ago after ending the eight-year tenure of his predecessor, described the murder-robbery as “extremely malicious in nature.” Koja stated that the crime had “hugely shocked residents” who are forced to live alongside U.S. bases and had “instilled new fear in them.}

Koja, 42, supports a central government plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base to a less populated area within Okinawa, rather than moving it off the island entirely as his predecessor had advocated.

During a press conference on Sunday, Koja handed a letter of protest to U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson at the Okinawa prefectural office in Naha. “I am infuriated,” Koja said, adding that the incident demonstrated that U.S. efforts to “educate soldiers and improve their behavior have not been functioning at all.” He announced plans to travel to Tokyo soon to lodge further protests with top government officials, including Takaichi.

The arrest follows a series of serious crimes involving U.S. military personnel in Okinawa. Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a U.S. Marine to seven years in prison for choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s. In 2017, a former U.S. Marine and civilian base worker was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman.