Okinawa lawmakers seek review of Japan-US military pact after Marine accused of murder

Following the alleged killing of a Japanese woman in Okinawa by a US Marine, protesters gather outside Japan’s foreign ministry on October 8 2026. (Photo/Reuters)

Japan’s Okinawa prefectural assembly has called for a “fundamental review” of the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement after a US Marine was accused of killing a woman in a case that has sparked protests and public outrage.

The assembly adopted a resolution on Friday urging the US military to take action against Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who has denied wrongdoing, to “prevent a recurrence”, Kyodo News Agency reported.

It also adopted a statement addressed to the Japanese government, with both documents calling for a fundamental review of the agreement governing US forces stationed in Japan.

Ballard, assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, was arrested on Sunday and sent to prosecutors. He is suspected of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in the prefectural capital of Naha on Saturday.

Okinawa hosts roughly half of the 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan, making the island a focal point of longstanding opposition to the US military presence.

Protests and military response

The case has triggered protests in Okinawa and Tokyo, with demonstrators calling for action against the accused and renewed scrutiny of the US military’s conduct.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has condemned the incident. The Japanese government has summoned the US ambassador and the commander of US forces in Okinawa to lodge protests.

The US military in Okinawa imposed a 48-hour pause in operations from Wednesday and announced a curfew for the next 30 days, beginning on Friday.

Okinawa was under US control from 1945 to 1972 and has repeatedly seen protests following cases of sexual assault involving US military personnel.

“Past crimes involving US military personnel, including those against women and girls, have angered residents of Okinawa,” the report said.

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Source: TRT