A United States Marine has been arrested in Japan on suspicion of murder and robbery, a day after police in Naha city on Okinawa island discovered a woman's body in a hotel room.
The arrest, made on October 4, prompted swift condemnation from Japan's government. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the case as an "extremely brutal and heinous incident" and urged the US government to cooperate fully with Japanese investigators.
Protest lodged with Washington
Takaichi said on social media that Japan had lodged a strong protest with the United States, demanding full cooperation with the investigation, strict discipline among American military personnel, and measures to prevent any recurrence. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi separately summoned US Ambassador to Japan George Glass to convey Tokyo's position.
The case
Okinawa police identified the arrested serviceman as Devin J. Ballard, a 20-year-old lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Police allege he killed and robbed a 39-year-old woman, identified by police as Anna Yagi, who was pronounced dead in the Naha hotel room in the early hours of October 3. Ballard has not been convicted of any offence.
US response
The US Embassy in Tokyo said it was aware that a service member was in custody, extended condolences to the victim's family, and said Washington was communicating with the Japanese government and local authorities while the investigation proceeds. The III Marine Expeditionary Force said it was "actively cooperating with Japanese authorities" in response to the allegations, and confirmed the Marine remains in local custody. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Long-running tensions over the US presence
The case has revived scrutiny of the large American military footprint on Okinawa, where local residents have long opposed the presence citing the behaviour of personnel. In 1995, three US service members raped a 12-year-old girl on the island, triggering mass protests, and in 2017 former Marine Kenneth Franklin Shinzato was sentenced to life imprisonment in Japan for raping and murdering a 20-year-old Okinawan woman.
Sources: US Marine arrested on suspicion of killing woman in Japan — USA Today
The arrest, made on October 4, prompted swift condemnation from Japan's government. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the case as an "extremely brutal and heinous incident" and urged the US government to cooperate fully with Japanese investigators.
Protest lodged with Washington
Takaichi said on social media that Japan had lodged a strong protest with the United States, demanding full cooperation with the investigation, strict discipline among American military personnel, and measures to prevent any recurrence. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi separately summoned US Ambassador to Japan George Glass to convey Tokyo's position.
The case
Okinawa police identified the arrested serviceman as Devin J. Ballard, a 20-year-old lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma as part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Police allege he killed and robbed a 39-year-old woman, identified by police as Anna Yagi, who was pronounced dead in the Naha hotel room in the early hours of October 3. Ballard has not been convicted of any offence.
US response
The US Embassy in Tokyo said it was aware that a service member was in custody, extended condolences to the victim's family, and said Washington was communicating with the Japanese government and local authorities while the investigation proceeds. The III Marine Expeditionary Force said it was "actively cooperating with Japanese authorities" in response to the allegations, and confirmed the Marine remains in local custody. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Long-running tensions over the US presence
The case has revived scrutiny of the large American military footprint on Okinawa, where local residents have long opposed the presence citing the behaviour of personnel. In 1995, three US service members raped a 12-year-old girl on the island, triggering mass protests, and in 2017 former Marine Kenneth Franklin Shinzato was sentenced to life imprisonment in Japan for raping and murdering a 20-year-old Okinawan woman.
Sources: US Marine arrested on suspicion of killing woman in Japan — USA Today
