What restrictions did the U.S. military impose on Okinawa personnel after the alleged murder?

Benjamin T. Watson announced a complete 48-hour ban on alcohol consumption on and off base, suspended off-base liberty during that period, and ordered a 30-day curfew beginning Friday. Personnel must be in assigned quarters or their off-base residences from midnight to 5 a.m.

What happened in the Okinawa murder case involving a U.S. Marine?

Police said a U.S. Marine stationed on Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha and stealing her wallet. Local media reported that she was choked to death, while the Marine denied the allegations.

Why has the Okinawa case caused concern in Japan?

Crimes involving U.S. personnel have repeatedly strained relations between Okinawa residents and the United States. The governor said the latest case showed that discipline and human-rights education within U.S. forces were not functioning, while Japan’s defense minister said discussions with the United States would address preventive measures.

US military on Okinawa face curfew, alcohol ban after murder case

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Summary

U.S. forces on Okinawa imposed a 48-hour alcohol ban and a 30-day curfew after a Marine was arrested over the alleged murder of a woman in Naha. The measures require training on discipline and community responsibilities, with personnel confined to base or their residences from midnight to 5 a.m. Okinawa’s governor said the case deepened residents’ anxiety and criticized military discipline and human-rights education.

Key Facts

The Marine was arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a Naha hotel and stealing her wallet.
The alcohol prohibition applies both on and off base, while off-base liberty is suspended during the 48-hour operational pause.
The curfew begins Friday and requires all personnel to be in assigned quarters or their off-base residences from 2400 to 0500.
About 54,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa.
Okinawa governor Genta Koja said he would ask Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for action after meeting Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

By AFP

Published Oct 7, 2026 3:27 pm KST

A woman holds a sign at a protest against the killing of a woman in Okinawa allegedly committed by a US Marine in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Oct. 6. AFP-Yonhap

TOKYO — U.S. forces on Okinawa were on Wednesday barred from drinking alcohol for 48 hours and also face a 30-day curfew after the murder of a woman allegedly committed by an American Marine.

The case has triggered outrage in Japan, where any crimes involving U.S. forces have long inflamed criticism of the troops' presence.

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

Benjamin T. Watson, Okinawa area coordinator and commanding general 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 with all service members on "standards, discipline, and our responsibilities as members of the Okinawan community."

During this period, 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 for all hands, meaning you must be back on base in your assigned quarters or at your off-base domicile from midnight to 0500."

Police said Sunday that a U.S. Marine stationed on Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in the city of Naha and stealing her wallet.

Local media reported she was choked to death and that the Marine is denying the allegations.

U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard leaves a police station to be sent to prosecutors over the killing of a Japanese woman in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Oct. 5, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Reuters-Yonhap

The United States has around 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa.

Crimes committed by U.S. personnel have been a thorn in relations between the close security allies.

On Wednesday, Okinawa governor Genta Koja met Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo where he said the case had "caused deep anxiety" among Okinawa residents. He is 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 that he would "advance discussions with the United States on how to implement effective measures" to prevent such insidents occuring.

Last year, a Japanese court sentenced a U.S. Marine accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s to seven years in prison.

In 2017, a former U.S. Marine and civilian military base worker was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa.

The same year, U.S. Forces Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after an intoxicated U.S. Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck, killing its 61-year-old local driver.

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