Japan, US review military liberty policies after Okinawa killing

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday that officials were reviewing the off-base code of conduct for US troops in Japan following the alleged killing of an Okinawan woman by a US marine.

Crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-runs and drunk driving by US military personnel have long triggered protests on the southern Japanese island, which has for years urged other regions in the country to share the burden of hosting US troops.

“We plan to hold discussions including whether the existing rules are effectively functioning,” Motegi said, adding that “matters such as patrols and curfew management” would be under review in talks with the United States.

The high-level bilateral consultations would examine off-duty conduct and the “liberty” policy governing off-base private activities of US military personnel, he said.