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Anger in Japan grows after US Marine is arrested over the killing of a woman on Okinawa

Police said the 20-year-old Marine denied strangling Anna Yagi and stealing her belongings as prosecutors reviewed whether to file charges.

  • On Saturday, Okinawa police arrested U.S. Marine Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, for allegedly strangling 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a Naha hotel and stealing her wallet and backpack.
  • Okinawa hosts 70% of America's military facilities in Japan, fueling long-standing resentment as U.S. military-related criminal cases rose to 101 last year from about 40 in 2020.
  • About 160 residents protested in Naha on Sunday demanding base removal, while Defense Ministry official Sanae Takaichi urged the United States to provide "full cooperation with the investigation" and enforce "strict discipline among US military personnel."
  • Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja summoned III Marine Expeditionary Force commander Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson and U.S. Consul General Andrew Ou on Monday, demanding effective preventive measures. Japanese prosecutors are determining whether to press formal charges in coming weeks.
  • U.S. Ambassador George Glass expressed condolences Sunday and pledged to "hold our American service members to the very highest levels of discipline and integrity" while discussing next steps to strengthen trust with Japanese partners and base-hosting communities.
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Associated Press NewsAssociated Press News
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Anger in Japan grows after US Marine is arrested over the killing of a woman on Okinawa

A U.S. Marine's arrest on suspicion of robbing and killing a woman in Okinawa has sparked outrage in Japan.

·New York, United States
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Lean Left

In the case where the body of a 39-year-old woman was found in a hotel in Naha City, the Okinawa Prefectural Police sent Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old Marine Corps corporal stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City), to the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office on the afternoon of the 5th on suspicion of robbery and murder...

·Tokyo, Japan
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The Straits Times broke the news in Singapore, Singapore on Monday, October 5, 2026.
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