Japan PM protests to US after Marine arrested on suspicion of murder in Okinawa

By Junko Ogura, Laura Sharman, CNN

Tokyo, Japan (CNN) — A US Marine was arrested Sunday on suspicion of murder and robbery after a woman’s body was discovered in a hotel room in Japan, prompting the country’s prime minister to express her outrage to the US over the alleged incident she called “ extremely brutal and heinous.”

A 39-year-old woman was found unresponsive in her hotel room in Naha city on Okinawa island and pronounced dead at the scene early Saturday, Okinawa police said.

“The Government of Japan has strongly protested to the U.S. side and has called for the fullest possible cooperation with the investigation, thorough discipline among U.S. military personnel, and comprehensive measures to prevent the recurrence of crimes and accidents,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a statement on X.

Police told CNN that based on the condition of the woman’s body, she appeared to have been murdered, but did not provide any more details.

The 20-year-old Marine was stationed at Futenma Air Station, also on the island, police added.

CCTV footage reportedly showed a man, believed to be a foreign national, with a shaved head, entering the hotel room with the woman and later leaving the building with her belongings in hand, police said.

In a statement, the US Marine Corps extended condolences to the victim’s family and said it takes the allegations “very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior.”

“We are actively cooperating with Japanese authorities in response to allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force,” it said.

The US embassy in Tokyo said on X it was “aware that a US service member is in custody following the death of a Japanese national in Okinawa.”

“As an investigation is underway to determine the facts of the case, the United States is communicating and cooperating with the Government of Japan and local authorities,” the embassy added.

The woman’s body was discovered at around 4.30 am local time on Saturday and the US Marine was arrested less than 24 hours later, at 1am local time, while walking around the city, the force added.

Police said an investigation is ongoing.

Despite Okinawa’s importance to US military strategy, the US troops stationed on the island have at times caused resentment and anger among residents.

In 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US servicemen unleashed outrage and mass protests in Okinawa.

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CNN’s Aleena Fayaz and Bruna Horvath contributed to this report.