U.S. troops on Okinawa facing curfew, alcohol ban after Marine charged with murder

U.S. forces on Okinawa were barred from drinking alcohol for 48 hours on Wednesday and were put under a 30-day curfew in the wake of the murder of a local woman allegedly committed by an American Marine.

The case has triggered outrage on the Japanese island, where any crimes involving U.S. forces have long inflamed criticism of the troops’ presence. Locals also object to noise and pollution caused by the U.S. military, though many residents recognize the strategic value of having U.S. bases there due to what’s widely viewed as a growing threat from China.

The governor of Okinawa, where the bulk of the 54,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan are based, is due to meet with the country’s premier on Wednesday to voice his concerns.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, announced a “complete prohibition of alcohol consumption on or off base” starting Wednesday.

Watson said that the 48-hour period — described as “an operational pause” — would give commanders the time to lead training of all service members on “standards, discipline, and our responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community.”

During this period, military operations will cease and “we will not allow off-base liberty,” said Watson in a statement posted on X late Tuesday.

The lieutenant general, the most senior U.S. military figure on Okinawa, also announced a 30-day “period of reflection” beginning Friday.

“During this period, we will implement a curfew in which liberty will expire at 2400 (midnight) for all hands, meaning you must be back on base in your assigned quarters or at your off-base domicile from midnight to 0500 (5 a.m.).”

Police said Sunday that Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old U.S. Marine stationed at Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, was arrested on suspicion of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in the island’s capital city of Naha early Saturday and stealing her wallet and backpack. He has denied the allegations, according to Japanese media.

On Wednesday, Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo, where he said the case had “caused deep anxiety” among Okinawa residents. He was due to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi later on Wednesday.

“The prefectural government has repeatedly demanded that the U.S. military take measures to prevent a recurrence every time an incident occurs, but the fact that such an incident has happened again forces us to conclude that discipline within the U.S. forces and their human rights education are not functioning at all,” he told Koizumi.

Koizumi said he would “advance discussions with the United States on how to implement effective measures” to prevent such incidents from occurring.