Dozens protest in Tokyo over crimes by U.S. service members

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Thursday to voice their outrage over allegations that a U.S. Marine, Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, killed a 39-year-old woman, Anna Yagi, in Naha, Okinawa. According to prosecutors, Ballard is suspected of taking Yagi's wallet and backpack in a hotel room. The man denies the allegations.

The incident has reignited tensions between Japan and the United States, with demonstrators holding signs that condemned crimes committed by U.S. servicemen. The case is part of a series of incidents over the years that have caused unease among Okinawan residents about the large U.S. military presence on the island near Taiwan and China. These protests are far smaller than those that took place in 1995 following the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the killing as "extremely brutal and heinous," and the Japanese government has strongly protested to the U.S. over the incident. In response, the U.S. has put 18,000 Japanese-based marines on a 48-hour pause of military operations and a ban on alcohol while they undergo training on standards and discipline. Additionally, service members have been given a monthlong curfew as part of a "period of reflection."