U.S. media: Japan has lodged a rare protest with the United States over the murder case involving U.S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa.
Dwight Ballard, a 20-year-old Marine Corps private first class, was arrested early Saturday at a hotel in Naha, allegedly for robbery and the killing of 39-year-old woman Anna Yagi. He is currently detained by Okinawa authorities.
The case risks reigniting long-standing local discontent over the U.S. military presence—Okinawa comprises just 0.6% of Japan’s land area but hosts approximately 70% of U.S. military installations, including around 30,000 active-duty American service members.
On Sunday, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned U.S. Ambassador George Glass to express concern. Prime Minister Sanae Hata requested full cooperation from U.S. authorities in the investigation and measures to prevent recurrence. The newly elected conservative governor of Okinawa, Genji Kusunoki, described the incident as “particularly brutal,” adding it has deepened anxiety among residents who are forced to coexist with military bases. A similar case occurred in 2017, when a former U.S. soldier was convicted of raping and murdering a 20-year-old Okinawan woman and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878132412201996/
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