Japan, US review troops’ off-duty rules after Okinawa killing

The policy governing US military personnel's private activities off base was last updated in 2024 following a string of sexual assaults by US service members in Okinawa. (EPA Images pic) TOKYO: Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday that officials were reviewing the off-base code of conduct for US troops in Japan following the alleged killing of an Okinawan woman by a US Marine.

"We plan to hold discussions, including whether the existing rules are effectively functioning," said Motegi, adding that "matters such as patrols and curfew management" would be under review in the talks with the US.

The high-level bilateral consultations will examine off-duty conduct and the "liberty" policy governing off-base private activities of US military personnel, he said.

The existing policy, updated in 2024 following a string of sexual assaults by US military personnel in Okinawa, includes a ban on US military personnel drinking in public off-base between 1am and 5am or even going to bars during those hours.

Japanese police arrested a US Marine stationed on Okinawa last week on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in the capital Naha and stealing her wallet.

The US military enacted a two-day operational pause after the Marine's arrest to reinforce discipline and standards, followed by a month-long curfew from midnight.

Motegi held a telephone call at the weekend with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who offered his "sincere condolences" over the alleged crime, pledging US cooperation in the investigation.