Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said, “It is very deplorable. We’ll strongly urge the U.S. military to take measures that would be effective to prevent a similar incident.”
Last Friday, the U.S. military and local police carried out a joint patrol in entertainment districts in the city of Okinawa as part of efforts to prevent sexual crimes involving American military personnel.
The island of Okinawa hosts 70 percent of all the U.S. military bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country’s total land area. Crimes committed by U.S. service members and nonmilitary personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals.