In short
- Lance Cpl Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, a US marine stationed on Okinawa, was arrested on suspicion of murdering Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha, police said.
- Ballard denies the allegations, police said, according to NBC News.
- Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said Japan had lodged a protest with US authorities and called the crime “exceptionally brutal and vicious”.
- About 54,000 US military personnel are stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa, which hosts about 70% of US military facilities in the country.
- About 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested since Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, and annual arrests reached 80 in 2024, the highest in 20 years, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
A US marine stationed on Okinawa has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 39-year-old Japanese woman at a hotel in the city of Naha, Japanese police said on Sunday. Police identified the suspect as Lance Cpl Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, and the victim as Anna Yagi. Ballard denies the allegations.
What are the police allegations?
Police told Japanese news outlets that the suspect allegedly killed the woman at a hotel in Naha and stole her wallet and her backpack. NBC News, citing police, named the suspect as Lance Cpl Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, and the victim as Anna Yagi.
How did police identify the suspect?
Public broadcaster NHK and other Japanese media, citing investigation sources, reported that CCTV footage from near the scene showed a foreign man entering a room with a woman and later leaving with her belongings. Police found a 20-year-old man matching the suspect’s description and asked him to accompany them voluntarily to a local police station, where he was arrested, NHK reported.
What has Japan’s government said?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had lodged a protest with US authorities and called the crime “exceptionally brutal and vicious”. The government urged the US “to provide maximum cooperation with the investigation, enforce stricter discipline among US military personnel, and take thorough measures to prevent the recurrence of similar crimes”, Takaichi said.
US ambassador George Glass said on social media that he had spoken with Japan’s foreign ministry and Okinawa’s governor, offering “sincere condolences to the victim’s family” and pledging cooperation with the investigation. Defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi said incidents and accidents involving US military personnel “cause great anxiety among the local community and must not be allowed to happen”.
What has the victim’s family said?
Anna Yagi’s brother said through local police: “We have lost a family member and are deeply saddened. My parents, in particular, are utterly devastated at the loss of their daughter,” the Asahi Shimbun reported.
How many US troops are based in Japan?
The US has about 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa, which hosts about 70% of US military facilities in the country. Crimes by US personnel including rape, assault, hit-and-run and drunk driving have long sparked protests on the island. Detentions have also drawn large demonstrations elsewhere, as when Imran Khan supporters marched on Islamabad demanding his release.
What happened in earlier cases?
In June 2025 a Japanese court sentenced US marine Jamel Clayton, then 22, to seven years in prison after convicting him of choking and sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s. In 2017, former US marine and civilian base worker Kenneth Shinzato was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa.
US forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol in 2017 after an intoxicated American marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck, killing its 61-year-old local driver. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, about 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested since Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, and annual arrests reached 80 in 2024, the highest in 20 years.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the suspect in the Okinawa hotel killing?
Police identified the suspect as US marine Lance Cpl Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, arrested on suspicion of murdering Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha. Police said Ballard denies the allegations.
How has Japan’s government responded?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had lodged a protest with US authorities, called the crime “exceptionally brutal and vicious” and urged maximum cooperation with the investigation and stricter discipline among US military personnel.
How many US military personnel are based in Japan?
The US has about 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly on Okinawa, which hosts about 70% of US military facilities in the country.
Have US personnel been convicted in similar cases in Japan?
In June 2025 a Japanese court sentenced US marine Jamel Clayton, then 22, to seven years in prison for choking and sexually assaulting a woman. In 2017, former US marine Kenneth Shinzato was sentenced to life for the rape and murder of a local woman in Okinawa.
With reporting from The Guardian.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)