Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi demanded stricter US discipline after police arrested a Marine stationed at Futenma over the killing of a woman in a Naha hotel.
Japanese police arrested a US Marine on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found in a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, prompting a formal protest from Tokyo. The BBC reported that public broadcaster NHK identified the victim as Yagi Anna, 39, and the suspect as Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the body was discovered early Saturday. CNN reported Okinawa police found the 39-year-old woman unresponsive in a hotel room and pronounced her dead at the scene at about 4:30 a.m. local time. Police said the Marine was arrested less than 24 hours later, around 1 a.m., while walking in the city.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the crime a brutal and heinous robbery and murder and said she had urged the United States to enforce stricter discipline. In a statement she said Japan had strongly protested, sought full cooperation with the investigation, and called for measures to prevent further crimes and accidents by US personnel.
The Marine Corps said it was cooperating with Japanese authorities over allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine and offered condolences to the victim's family. The US Embassy in Tokyo said it was cooperating with the Japanese government and local police. Japan's foreign ministry summoned US ambassador George Glass on Sunday.
Okinawa hosts several US bases and tens of thousands of American troops. The investigation was continuing, and police had not publicly detailed a motive.
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- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the killing brutal and heinous and demanded stricter discipline of US personnel