According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), after a US soldier stationed in Okinawa was arrested, Japanese Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Kenyu Shumenji called in the US Ambassador to Japan, Robert Glinske, on the morning of the 4th local time.
Ship Yue Jian Yu expressed that the event was "extremely regrettable," and strongly protested while urging the US military to fully cooperate with the investigation and strengthen discipline.
Regarding this, Ambassador Glass expressed deep regret: "We will fully cooperate with the Japanese investigation and do everything possible to prevent such incidents from happening again."
Photo of the US Air Base of Puntianji in Okinawa, Japan
According to Japanese media reports, on the 3rd, a woman was found murdered in a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, and her belongings were stolen. On the 4th, Japanese police arrested a 20-year-old German-born man named Devvin Jacob Barad, who belongs to the US Navy's Umami Base, on suspicion of robbery and homicide.
Currently, the Japanese police are investigating the details of the incident.
For a long time, there have been frequent crimes committed by U.S. military personnel in Japan, including murders, rapes, and robberies. In 2025 alone, the Okinawa Prefectural Police uncovered more than 100 criminal cases involving U.S. military personnel and related individuals.
However, according to the Japan-US Status Agreement, if American military personnel are involved in criminal activities in Japan, the United States has priority jurisdiction. As a result, cases involving American military personnel often go unaddressed.
