Japan, US review troops’ off-duty rules after Okinawa killing

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced on Tuesday that officials were examining the off-base conduct rules for U.S. troops in Japan following an alleged murder of an Okinawan woman by a U.S. Marine. Motegi stated that discussions would take place, including whether existing rules were effectively functioning, with matters such as patrols and curfew management being reviewed in talks with the United States.

The existing policy, revised in 2024 following a series of sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel in Okinawa, includes restrictions on public drinking in bars and consumption of alcohol between 1 am and 5 am while off base. Japanese police apprehended a U.S. Marine last week on suspicion of killing the 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha, prompting a two-day operational pause for the military to reinforce discipline and standards.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi revealed that high-level and working-level consultations between Japan and the United States began last week to determine effective measures to address the case and prevent future occurrences. Motegi spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the weekend, expressing condolences over the alleged crime and pledging United States cooperation in the investigation.

Conflicts involving U.S. personnel have been a persistent issue in relations between the strong security allies. Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a U.S. Marine accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her twenties to seven years in prison. The United States maintains approximately 54,000 military personnel in Japan, primarily stationed on Okinawa.