The prefectural assembly of Okinawa adopted a resolution on Friday, October 9, 2026, calling for a formal review of the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement. The decision follows the arrest of a 20-year-old US Marine accused of robbing and killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha.
Okinawa Assembly Demands Pact Review After Naha Killing
The assembly’s vote aims to pressure both the US military and the Japanese government into changing how foreign personnel are managed and disciplined on the island. Ryotaro Odo, who heads the assembly’s special committee on US military bases, stated that the US military was not functioning as an organisation, pointing directly to persistent failures in training and discipline. The resolution will be sent to the US embassy alongside a separate statement addressed to the Japanese government.
Lance-Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard has been accused of the killing at a Naha hotel. He has denied the allegations. The incident has triggered widespread public demonstrations in both Okinawa and Tokyo, reigniting long-standing tensions over the heavy military footprint in the region.
Okinawa hosts the majority of the 54,000 US soldiers stationed in Japan. Past offenses involving US personnel, including assaults, rapes, hit-and-runs, and drink-driving charges, have frequently sparked local anger. The island remained under United States control from 1945 until 1972, and it continues to host numerous facilities used exclusively by American forces.
| Key Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Date of Resolution | Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| Accused Individual | Lance-Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, 20 |
| Victim | Anna Yagi, 39 |
| Location of Incident | Naha, Okinawa |
| US Forces Stationed in Japan | 54,000 soldiers |
Immediate US Military Restrictions and Tokyo’s Diplomatic Protest
In response to the killing, the US military enforced a 48-hour operational pause starting Wednesday, followed by a 30-day curfew from midnight to 5 am beginning Friday. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the crime as heinous, and Tokyo summoned the US ambassador as well as the US forces commander in Okinawa to lodge official protests.
While the prefectural assembly united behind demands to prevent future incidents, some members opposed the final resolution because it stopped short of demanding the dismissal of the US military chief in Okinawa, according to Japan’s Kyodo News agency. The island’s assembly passed a similar resolution in 2024 after a series of sexual assaults by US servicemen came to light with the municipal assemblies of Naha, Ginowan, Miyakojima and Motobu filing protests.
