Japan calls on US to enforce discipline after second Marine arrest

TOKYO — Japan called on the United States to crack down on its military personnel following the arrest of a second Marine for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. The incident occurred on Saturday, just days after the arrest of a Marine accused of murder. In response to the murder charge, US forces on Okinawa were placed under a 30-day curfew and barred from drinking alcohol for two days earlier in the month.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had previously expressed concerns to lawmakers about the strong protest lodged by Japan and urged the US to cooperate fully with the investigation, demanding "strict discipline among US military personnel". The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the 20-year-old Marine suspect allegedly strangled the woman with a telephone cord in a hotel on October 3.

Japan hosts approximately 54,000 US military personnel, with the majority stationed on Okinawa. The ongoing presence of US forces in Japan has led to several controversies, with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressing that officials were reviewing the off-base code of conduct for US troops in Japan after a series of incidents, including sexual assaults.