Robbery Murder by U.S. Marine in Okinawa

Okinawa Prefectural Police arrested a U.S. Marine with suspicion of robbery murder in Okinawa city on October 4th. The suspect is doubted as killing a Japanese woman in a hotel room. Violence of U.S. military personnel has historically been causing firm opposition to U.S. military bases in Okinawa. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is going to face requests for improvement of current situation that most U.S. military bases in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa. 

The suspect, Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, stationed at U.S. Marine Corp Futenma Base, was arrested after the police found a dead woman in a hotel room in Naha city. A camera installed at the hotel captured Ballard entering hotel with the woman and left the hotel alone. Confirming the same feature between the man in the video and Ballard, including his hairdo and tattoo in both arms, the police identified him as the suspect.

 

The woman is supposed to be choked to death. Her backpack and wallet were stolen. Ballard denies his crime. The Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the U.S. provides that U.S. has jurisdiction on a case of U.S. military personnel at work. But Ballad was not at his work, when he was with the woman. Japanese police can continue investigation on him, because it was Japanese police that arrested him.

 

Prime Minister Takaichi posted to a social networking service that she regretted the occurrence of that extremely brutal and atrocious crime. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, called on U.S. Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, to his office and conveyed extreme regret and strong anger. The Governor of Okinawa, Genta Koja, who assumed the seat last month, announced that it could not be tolerated and he would visit Tokyo to protest the prime minister.

 

The sexual violence has been causing growing anti-U.S. sentiment in Okinawa. When a 12-year old girl was raped by three men with U.S. Force in 1995, the people in Okinawa stood against the U.S., causing relocation of Futenma Air Base. When atrocities were repeated for eight times in 2024, Japan demanded U.S. authority to take definitive measures to prevent those crimes. Although the U.S. Force prohibited its personnel to go out late at night, the crime has not been eradicated.

 

It is closely watched how Takaichi deals with this incident. Takaichi told U.S. President Donald Trump that Trump is the only person to bring peace and prosperity to the world. But it is clear that U.S. Force brought violence to Okinawa theoretically under Trump’s watch. Takaichi is expected to demand Trump to take stronger measure to prevent the same crime than previous ones. If she fails in taking a strong position toward the U.S., approval rate for Takaichi Cabinet may further go down with frustration on her diplomacy.

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