Protest of Okinawa to Tokyo Government

Three days after a woman in Okinawa was killed and a U.S. Marine was arrested with suspicion of murder, the Governor of Okinawa, Genta Koja, visited Tokyo and had a meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. While Koja demanded Takaichi to take measures not to repeat that crime by U.S. military personnel in Japan, Takaichi replied with her intention not more than taking “appropriate measures.” No one knows whether such a violence by members of U.S. Forces in Japan will never be repeated.

 

A number of incidents of sexual violence by U.S. military personnel were reiterated in Okinawa. Okinawa has been frustrated with the response of U.S. Force and government of Japan. In 1995 when a girl was raped by a U.S. soldier, the U.S. Force rejected handing the suspect to the Japanese law enforcement before indictment. When multiple incidents were revealed in 2024, the U.S. Force prohibited its members drinking in bars and restaurants during 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Nevertheless, the murder of a woman happened this month.

 

Koja argued that education in the U.S. Force was insufficient and handed out a document to Takaichi for revising Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Koja won the gubernatorial election last month with firm support of Takaichi and the Liberal Democratic Party. He also asked Takaichi to resume Okinawa Policy Council to discuss reducing the burden of Okinawa and promotion of economic support, which has been paused from 2013.

 

Takaichi promised that the government of Japan would discuss preventive measures with the U.S. side. She proposed an idea that Japan will be involved in the education of U.S. military personnel. However, Takaichi did not make clear whether she would resume Okinawa Policy Council. Japanese government has been highly reluctant to revise Japan-U.S. SOFA. The government recognizes that this murder case has nothing to do with the SOFA.

 

The U.S. Force in Okinawa issued a notice to its personnel that would suspend all the activities of the force for 48 hours. The period is designated as the time for practice, and taking any kind of alcohol is prohibited and the members are required to study on drinking and culture of Okinawa and to discuss responsibility of allied force of Japan. For 30 days starting September 9th, all the members are prohibited going out from 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

 

The same measures were laid out when a woman was killed and her body was abandoned in 2016. At the time, the U.S. Forces in Okinawa took the same measures, including prohibition of going out in the night. The people in Okinawa have been protesting weakness of Japanese government against U.S. military. But Takaichi did not tell Koja that she would discuss sexual violence by U.S. military personnel with U.S. President Donald Trump.


Before establishing deterrence against China or North Korea’s possible attack on Japan, Takaichi government needs to deter sexual offence of U.S. soldiers on Okinawan women. 

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