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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lodged a formal protest with the United States on Sunday after a U.S. Marine was arrested in Okinawa on suspicion of robbing and murdering a Japanese woman.
Japanese police said Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is suspected of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa’s capital, on Saturday. Authorities allege Ballard also took the victim’s wallet and backpack. He has denied the accusations.
Takaichi called the incident “extremely brutal and vicious” and said Tokyo had strongly protested to Washington. The Japanese government is seeking full U.S. cooperation with the investigation while demanding stricter discipline among American military personnel and stronger measures to prevent similar incidents.
The U.S. Embassy and Marine Corps expressed condolences and pledged cooperation with Japanese authorities. The Marine Corps confirmed that Ballard, a member of the III Marine Expeditionary Force stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, remains in Japanese custody.
Military officials said they take the allegations seriously and expect Marines stationed in Japan to maintain high standards of conduct.
The case could intensify longstanding tensions over the U.S. military presence in Okinawa, which hosts most of the roughly 18,000 American Marines stationed in Japan. U.S. bases have faced opposition from some local residents over aircraft noise, accidents and crimes involving military personnel.
Tensions over the bases have persisted for decades. In 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. servicemen sparked widespread protests and intensified demands to reduce the American military footprint.
The latest arrest could also complicate Takaichi’s efforts to relocate some Marines from the densely populated Futenma air base to a new facility at Henoko. Opponents have instead demanded that U.S. forces be moved outside Okinawa entirely.
Despite local opposition, Okinawa remains strategically important to the U.S.-Japan security alliance because of its proximity to Taiwan and China. Tokyo and Washington view the island as a critical military hub for deterring potential Chinese aggression and maintaining regional security.
