Last Saturday (October 3rd), a US military soldier stationed in Okinawa was suspected of killing a woman in Okinawa Prefecture, which caused dissatisfaction among Japanese public opinion. According to reports by Reuters and other media on October 10th local time, a week after the incident, US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Japanese Foreign Minister Yasumichi Muto on Saturday, expressing “sincere condolences” to Japan and promising that the US will fully assist in the investigation.
The United States Department of State stated in a statement that the U.S. top diplomat spoke by phone with the Japanese Foreign Minister after a local woman died in a hotel, further escalating tensions surrounding the presence of U.S. troops. The statement said: “Rubio expressed sincere condolences over the death of a Japanese citizen in Okinawa, and stated that the United States is determined to communicate and cooperate fully with the Japanese government and local authorities as they conduct their investigation.”
The Japanese Foreign Ministry also stated in a statement posted on social media that both parties agreed to discuss "effective measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring." It is said that Mochizuki "reiterated the position of the Japanese government, including expressing regret over this incident."
According to reports, Rubio and Toshihide Mochizuki also discussed the United States’ sanctions against the International Criminal Court, as well as the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting scheduled to take place in Atlanta on October 30.
On October 4th local time, the police in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, arrested a US military soldier stationed in Japan. He is suspected of robbing and killing a local woman at a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, in the early hours of the 3rd.
After the incident, the United States Marine Corps said in a statement that the suspect belonged to the Third Marine Expeditionary Force stationed in Okinawa and was cooperating fully with Japanese authorities. The statement read: "The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior."
The highest-ranking U.S. military officer in Japan, Benjamin Watterson, did not apologize for the incident after being questioned by the Okinawa County Government building on the 5th. In his statement, he also avoided using words that indicated apology, and only expressed condolences to the victim's family.
Over the long term, there have been frequent criminal incidents involving US military personnel in Japan, including murders, rapes, and robberies. In 2025 alone, the Okinawa Prefectural police uncovered more than 100 criminal cases involving US military personnel and related individuals. However, according to the Japan-US Status Agreement, if US military personnel are suspected of committing crimes in Japan, the US side has priority jurisdiction. As a result, many cases involving US military personnel often go unreported or unhandled.
According to Reuters, after the incident, the US military stationed in Okinawa was placed under a one-month curfew, and they were prohibited from drinking alcohol during the disciplinary training period.
"I must say that (American) discipline and military education are completely ineffective."
This is absolutely unforgivable and we feel outraged.” He said.
