Japan protests to US after Marine arrested for murder in Okinawa

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lodged a formal protest with the United States on Sunday after a U.S. Marine was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering a Japanese woman in Okinawa. The suspect, Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, is accused of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi in a hotel in Naha on Saturday and taking her wallet and backpack, though he has denied the allegations.

"The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and vicious incident is extremely regrettable," Takaichi said in a statement.

"The government of Japan strongly protests to the US side and strongly seeks maximum cooperation with the investigation, as well as the tightening of discipline and thorough measures to prevent a recurrence," she added.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told NHK that the incident was unacceptable and expressed outrage. The U.S. embassy and the Marine Corps offered condolences and said they were cooperating with Japanese authorities. The Marine Corps, which said the suspect is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, emphasized that it takes the allegations seriously and expects all Marines to uphold high standards of conduct.

The case arrives amid longstanding local resentment toward the roughly 18,000 U.S. service members stationed in Okinawa, a base that has been a focal point for protests over noise, accidents and past crimes. The incident could affect ongoing discussions about relocating troops from the crowded Futenma air base to a more remote site at Henoko.