US Marine arrested for murder in Okinawa, Japan

A United States Marine was arrested on suspicion of murder in Okinawa, Japan, police said Sunday, prompting an official protest from the Japanese government.

The 20-year-old lance corporal is suspected of robbing and murdering a 39-year-old woman in a hotel in Naha, the capital of Japan's most southernmost prefecture.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that CCTV footage showed a foreign man entering a hotel room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings.

Police then found a 20-year-old man who matched the description of the suspect seen in the footage and who voluntarily accompanied them to a local police station where he was arrested.

The suspect reportedly denies the charges.

What have Japanese officials said?

"The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and vicious incident is extremely regrettable," said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a statement as Tokyo registered an official protest with Washington.

"The government of Japan strongly protests to the US side and strongly seeks maximum cooperation with the investigation," she continued, also calling for "stricter discipline among US military personnel" and "thorough measures" to prevent a recurrence.

According to the local Asahi Shimbum newspaper, the brother of the victim said: "We have lost a family member and are deeply saddened. My parents, in particular, are utterly devastated at the loss of their daughter."

The US Marine Corps confirmed that a serviceman assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force and based at Marine Corps Air Station at Futenma, Okinawa, was in Japanese custody.

"The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior," it said in a statement.

The US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, said he had spoken with Japan's Foreign Ministry and Okinawa's governor, offering "sincere condolences and pledging full cooperation as the investigation continues."

How many US Marines are in Okinawa — and why?

The United States has around 54,000 military personnel, including 18,000 Marines, stationed in Japan. Most are based in Okinawa, which the US captured during the Second World War and held until 1972.

Located only 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Taiwan at the closest point, Okinawa is considered by both Tokyo and Washington to be key in deterring potential aggression from China in the region.

But the US presence regularly stirs resentment among local residents over issues such as noise, aircraft crashes and the conduct of personnel, with crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-run incidents and drunk-driving accidents.

"Incidents and accidents involving US military personnel cause great anxiety among the local community and must not be allowed to happen," said Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, around 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested in Okinawa since 1972. In 2024, that number hit 80, the highest in 20 years.

Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a US Marine to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of choking and attempting to rape a young woman.

In 2017, a former US Marine and civilian military base worker was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa.