US Marine arrested for murder of woman in Okinawa hotel, Japan protests

A 20-year-old US Marine has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old Japanese woman at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa. Japan's PM and foreign minister have formally protested to Washington.

US Marine held over alleged murder and robbery of woman at Naha hotel

Okinawa prefectural police arrested a 20-year-old US Marine on Saturday on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old local woman at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa's capital, and stealing her wallet and backpack in the early hours of the morning, AP News reports.

The suspect is stationed at Futenma Air Station. Kyodo News, citing police, reported the woman's body was found in her hotel room and that she appeared to have been strangled. Security camera footage showed a man matching the suspect's description entering the hotel with the victim and leaving alone. An officer spotted the suspect walking alone in Naha's entertainment district late Saturday and made the arrest.

Newly elected Okinawa Governor Genta Koja condemned the incident in strong terms. "The case deals a major shock and adds fear to the Okinawans who have already been forced to live next to US bases," Koja told reporters. "It is absolutely unforgivable and we are outraged." He added that US military disciplinary measures clearly were not working: "I must say, discipline and troop education are not working at all."

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the incident as "extremely regrettable" in a post on X, saying her government had lodged a strong protest with the US side and demanded full cooperation with the Japanese investigation, as well as stricter discipline and preventive measures for US service members.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned US Ambassador to Japan George Glass to his office to convey Japan's "outrage," according to a ministry statement. Glass responded on X, expressing condolences to the victim's family and confirming US cooperation with national and local Japanese authorities.

The US Marine Corps confirmed in a statement that the suspect is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa and said it is fully cooperating with Japanese authorities. "The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior," the statement read.

A long-standing grievance

Approximately 50,000 US troops are deployed in Japan under a bilateral security agreement, with roughly half based on Okinawa. The island holds growing strategic importance for the Japan-US military alliance amid rising tensions with China, and Okinawa sits at the centre of Japan's southwestern military realignment.

Okinawans have for decades registered complaints about noise, pollution and crime linked to the US military presence. Criminal cases involving US service members have repeatedly strained relations between the central government in Tokyo and the Okinawa administration. The latest arrest comes as Prime Minister Takaichi's cabinet moves to strengthen Japan's own military footprint on the island and deepen cooperation with US forces — a policy context that makes the case politically sensitive on multiple fronts.

A defining moment in this fraught history came in 1995, when the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US service members triggered mass protests against the troop presence. More recently, repeated sexual offences and, in some instances, delays in disclosing such incidents to local authorities have sustained public anger on the island. Okinawa prefectural police recorded more than 100 arrests of US service members and their dependants last year.

Futenma Air Station, situated in a densely populated part of central Okinawa, has itself been a source of tension for decades. Local residents have long demanded its relocation; the central government approved a plan to move the base to Henoko on Okinawa's eastern coast, though the project has encountered significant delays.

Source: Google News MT