The case of a Marine accused of robbery and killing has sparked protests in Japan
By Junko Fukutome
TOKYO -- The U.S. military in Okinawa said it would impose a monthlong curfew on serving personnel after a U.S. Marine was arrested on suspicion of the killing and robbery of a Japanese woman.
The incident has revived tensions over the U.S. military presence on the Japanese island, triggering small street protests and drawing a diplomatic rebuke from Tokyo.
In a letter dated Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, commander of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, ordered all American military activity halted for two days of on-base training in standards and discipline. Alcohol consumption is prohibited on or off base from Wednesday to Friday, the letter said. A nighttime curfew will be in place for a month, with all military personnel expected to return home by midnight.
"Serving in Okinawa comes with responsibility. We live, work and socialize alongside the people of Okinawa. Their home is our home," Watson said in the letter, posted on the Third Marine Expeditionary Force's account on X. He added that U.S. forces will fully cooperate with the Japanese authorities in their investigations.
On Sunday, Okinawa police arrested 20-year-old Marine Devin Jacob Ballard, accusing him of robbing and killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi in a hotel room in central Naha, Okinawa's capital. Ballard has denied the allegations, police said. Ballard couldn't be reached for comment and it wasn't clear whether he had legal representation.
Okinawa is home to more than 30,000 American military personnel. Resentment over the U.S. presence has been a feature of Okinawan life and politics for decades. Sporadic incidents of violence involving U.S. military personnel have stoked anger.
Okinawa governor Genta Koja lodged a formal protest over the alleged killing with Watson and U.S. Consul General in Okinawa Andrew Ou, on Monday.
"This case involves a 20-year-old Marine, quite a young person. I want to ask detailed questions about their initial training program and the management procedures in place for their assignments to Okinawa, and seek measures to prevent similar crimes," Koja said at a news conference Sunday. He met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo Wednesday.
This is Koja's first week in office, after Okinawans voted him into office last month. His victory over a stalwart of the antiwar movement opposed to the U.S. presence on Okinawa suggested hostility to the U.S. presence on the island is fading as voters focus on pocketbook issues and Japan confronts new security challenges from China and Russia.