Published October 4, 20264 October 2026 Japan summoned the US envoy after a US Marine was arrested on suspicion of robbing and murdering a woman. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass pledged “full cooperation” on Sunday. Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard is accused of killing Anna Yagi, 39, on the southern island of Okinawa, where thousands of U.S. service members are stationed. List of 3 items recommended storiesend of list“The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and atrocious incident is a cause for deep regret,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrote on social media. “As the Government of Japan, we have lodged a strong protest with the US side, while firmly demanding maximum cooperation with the investigation.” Glass stated that the United States “confirmed our policy of providing full cooperation with the investigation” while sharing his condolences on social media. The 20-year-old sailor has denied the charges. CCTV footage, according to local Japanese media, showed a non-Japanese man entering a hotel room with the Japanese woman in the city of Naha. Footage later shows the man leaving alone, with what appears to be the woman’s belongings, the AFP news agency reports. “Incidents and accidents involving US military personnel cause significant anxiety to the local community and should never occur,” Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi wrote on social media. Japan is home to about 54,000 U.S. military personnel, including 18,000 Marines. Most of these forces are based on Okinawa, a Japanese island that came under US administrative control at the end of World War II and was returned to Japan in 1972. Since its handover, around 6,000 US service members have been arrested in Japan, according to the local newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.
