The Governor of Okinawa and the prefectural assembly have called on the Japanese government to revise the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
On October 7, Kenta Koza, the newly elected governor of Okinawa, met with Prime Minister Sanae Takaiichi in Tokyo, as well as Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. He stated, "Establishing military discipline and human rights education for U.S. troops alone is not effective," demanding a comprehensive revision of the agreement, which has not been amended since it was signed in 1960.
On October 9, the Okinawa Assembly held a special session and adopted a resolution and opinion statement urging the Japanese government and U.S. military to revise the SOFA. The vote resulted in 45 in favor and 2 against. The two dissenting members cited the absence of a demand for the dismissal of the U.S. Forces Japan commander in Okinawa as their reason for opposing the resolution. The assembly identified the provision regarding the transfer of custody of suspects to the U.S. military as a key area for revision.
This demand follows the murder of a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha on October 3. Local police have arrested 20-year-old Marine Private Devin Jacob Ballard on charges of robbery and murder. Ballard has denied the allegations. The U.S. military suspended activities in the prefecture for 48 hours starting at noon on October 7 and has prohibited off-base outings from midnight to 5 a.m. for 30 days starting October 9.
The SOFA has not been amended since its inception in 1960. Article 17 of the agreement stipulates that Japan has primary jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S. military personnel outside of official duties, but custody of suspects is retained by the U.S. military until charges are filed. Following a 1995 incident involving the rape of a schoolgirl by U.S. servicemen, an operational agreement was reached to 'consider favorably' the transfer of custody for serious crimes, but this agreement lacks legal binding force, leading to ongoing calls for fundamental revisions.
Governor Koza, who took office on September 30 after being elected on October 13, has shown a cooperative attitude toward the relocation of the Futenma base to Henoko, in contrast to his predecessor, Denny Tamaki, who opposed base construction. On his first day in office, he dissolved the 'Henoko Base Construction Measures Office' effective October 1.
Okinawa hosts about 70% of Japan's U.S. military facilities. Since the return of administrative rights in 1972, there have been 6,409 criminal cases involving U.S. military personnel, including 600 serious crimes such as murder and robbery. The Japanese government is enhancing its defense capabilities in the southwest and expanding cooperation with U.S. forces to counter China.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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