TOKYO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Okinawa prefectural assembly has adopted a protest resolution and an opinion statement over a U.S. Marine's suspected robbery-murder of a local woman in the southern Japanese prefecture, demanding that the U.S. take effective measures to prevent similar incidents and calling for a fundamental review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
Analysts said the case had once again exposed the consequences of Japan's long-standing security dependence on the United States and the unequal nature of their bilateral relationship. Meanwhile, Japan's continued military buildup in Okinawa is adding to security concerns among local residents, who have long borne the burden of hosting U.S. military bases.
CRIME REIGNITES PUBLIC ANGER
The suspect, identified as Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa, allegedly killed Anna Yagi, a 39-year-old local woman, and stole her wallet and other belongings at a hotel in the prefectural capital of Naha in the early hours of Oct. 3.
Okinawa police arrested him on Oct. 4. Japanese media, citing police sources, reported that surveillance footage showed a person whose physical characteristics matched those of Ballard. He has denied the allegations, responding "I don't know" to police questioning, according to the reports.
Following the arrest, the U.S. side expressed condolences to the victim's family and said it would cooperate with the Japanese investigation, but did not issue an apology.
The killing and the U.S. response have fueled anger among local residents. On Oct. 4, more than 100 people gathered in Naha to protest. One female demonstrator said she was constantly afraid that she or her daughter could become the next victim.
Anger has also spread across social media, with comments accusing the Japanese government of weakness and excessive deference to Washington, while some users likened Japan's position to that of a colony.
NIGHTMARE LINGERS IN OKINAWA
The anger in Okinawa is rooted in a long history of wartime trauma and the burden of hosting U.S. military bases.
Japan forcibly annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879 and established Okinawa Prefecture. During the final stages of World War II, Okinawa became a major battlefield as Japan sought to delay the U.S. advance toward its mainland, resulting in heavy civilian casualties. After the war, the islands came under U.S. administration.
Although the United States returned administrative control of Okinawa to Japan in 1972, the prefecture has continued to bear a disproportionate share of the U.S. military presence. Okinawa accounts for only about 0.6 percent of Japan's land area, yet it hosts approximately 70 percent of all exclusive-use U.S. military facilities and installations in Japan. Crime, noise and pollution associated with the bases have long troubled local communities.
According to Okinawa Prefecture statistics, U.S. military personnel and their family members committed 6,409 criminal offenses from 1972 through 2025. Cases involving U.S. military-related personnel have shown an upward trend in recent years.
Analysts say the recurrence of crimes involving U.S. military personnel is closely linked to the special legal status granted to U.S. forces under the Japan-U.S. SOFA, signed in 1960.
Under the agreement, the United States has the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S. military personnel while on duty, while Japan has the primary jurisdiction over crimes occurring off duty.
However, if a U.S. service member is accused of a crime over which Japan has jurisdiction, but the suspect manages to return to a U.S. military base before being arrested by local authorities, custody legally remains with the United States until the person is formally indicted by Japanese prosecutors.
In practice, this arrangement can complicate Japanese investigations and the transfer of suspects to Japanese custody. Critics argue that the special treatment afforded to U.S. personnel undermines accountability and public confidence in the justice system.
The issue has remained contentious since a 1995 case in which three U.S. servicemen brutally raped an Okinawan schoolgirl, triggering widespread protests and calls for a revision of the agreement. Yet its fundamental provisions have remained unchanged.
Analysts point out that Japan's reluctance to pursue substantive revisions reflects its dependence on the United States for security. An editorial in Japan's Mainichi Shimbun criticized the government's hesitation over fundamental measures, including revising the SOFA, saying it exposed Tokyo's underlying fear of antagonizing Washington, its key security ally.
MILITARY BUILDUP ADDS TO CONCERNS
Beyond the burden of U.S. bases, Okinawa residents are facing new risks as Japan accelerates its military buildup, analysts say.
In recent years, Japan has stepped up its military expansion and designated Okinawa as a "forward base for combat readiness" amid shifts in U.S. security strategy and Washington's growing expectations that Tokyo assume a greater military role.
The government of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October 2025, has been particularly active in promoting military expansion. During a visit to Ishigaki and Yonaguni islands in Okinawa Prefecture in November 2025, Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said plans to deploy a medium-range surface-to-air missile unit on Yonaguni Island were proceeding as scheduled.
In June this year, Japan's Akahata newspaper reported that the Defense Ministry planned to expand the number of beds at the Japan Self-Defense Forces' Naha Hospital and establish a medical evacuation system to transport casualties from outlying islands in Okinawa to mainland Japan.
Koja Genta, who was recently elected Okinawa governor with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has also said he is willing to adapt prefecture-managed airports, ports and other infrastructure to better support the government's military deployments "in times of emergency."
Local media and left-wing figures in Japan have criticized the government's approach, arguing that its pledges to ease Okinawa's burden and revitalize the local economy have not translated into meaningful relief. Instead, they say, the military presence is being reinforced, further entrenching Okinawa's role on the front line of Japan's defense buildup.
Tomoko Tamura, chairperson of the Japanese Communist Party, criticized the government for pushing ahead with military expansion while disregarding Okinawa's history of devastating wartime suffering, warning that the prefecture could once again become a battlefield.
Hiromori Maedomari, a professor at Okinawa International University, has also argued in an article that strengthening military deployments in Okinawa in the name of responding to a so-called emergency threatens local livelihoods and the regional economy, warning that Japan's continued reliance on military means could lead the country toward war.
For Okinawa, the latest killing is therefore more than an isolated criminal case. It has renewed questions about the unequal security arrangement with the United States, the Japanese government's ability to protect local residents, and the risks of turning the prefecture into an increasingly militarized frontier. ■
