US Marine indicted for murder in Okinawa as Japan reviews rules for US troops
Japan, United States · since Oct 4, 2026
The news everyone is arguing about, checked like a protest card: two newsrooms or more, both sides, every line sourced.
What happened
Prosecutors in Naha indicted a US Marine stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on 25 October on charges of murder and robbery. He is accused of strangling a 39-year-old woman in a Naha hotel on 3 October and taking her backpack and wallet. He denied the allegations when he was arrested.12
Who's saying what
Japan's government
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called it a "heinous crime", and Tokyo called in the US ambassador and the commander of US forces in Okinawa. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said officials are reviewing the off-base code of conduct for US troops in Japan.23
Okinawa
On 9 October the prefectural assembly adopted a resolution calling for a review of the Japan–US Status of Forces Agreement. The head of its committee on US bases said the US military was "not functioning as an organisation".3
US military
US forces paused operations for 48 hours and imposed a 30-day curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. The III Marine Expeditionary Force said it recognises "the seriousness of the charges" and will cooperate with Japanese authorities.13
What's next
The case will be tried in a Japanese court. Okinawa hosts most of the roughly 54,000 US troops in Japan, and the island has long urged other regions to share the burden of hosting them.23
The full story
The killing in early October led to protests in Okinawa and Tokyo and a formal protest from the Japanese government. Okinawa's assembly asked for changes to the agreement that governs US forces in Japan, as it did after an earlier case in 2024. The US military responded with an operational pause and a curfew, and Japan is reviewing the rules for US troops off base. Reuters describes the case as the latest in a series of incidents that have fuelled unease about the large US presence on the island, which lies near Taiwan and China.
checked Oct 31, 2026
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