Okinawa, Japan

Japan's government is calling for increased supervision of US troops stationed in the country after a US soldier was charged over the alleged sexual assault of a Japanese teenager in Okinawa.

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The prosecutors in the southern island region charged the US soldier in March, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Tuesday (June 25).

According to the local media, the 25-year-old man allegedly assaulted her on 24 December and he was identified through security camera footage after the girls' family reported it.

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The Japanese government expressed regret to US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel over the incident and called for stronger oversight of behaviour by military personnel, Hayashi said.

Okinawa, despite comprising just 0.6 percent of Japan's land area, accommodates approximately 70% of all US military bases and facilities in the country. The islands are home to more than half of the 54,000 US soldiers serving in Japan.

Residents have faced numerous issues stemming from these bases, including pollution, noise, and helicopter crashes, leading to widespread complaints about bearing the primary burden of hosting troops.

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Notably, in 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers in Okinawa prompted widespread calls for a change of a 1960 pact that outlined the legal status of Japan-based US military personnel.

Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki said, “The act committed against a minor not only instills fear among local residents coexisting with US bases but also violates the dignity of women.”

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"The extreme burden of hosting military bases is an everyday matter for us, and is intolerable," he added.

A nationwide poll conducted by broadcaster NHK in 2022 revealed that 80% of Japanese view the current disproportionate distribution of United States forces as wrong or somewhat wrong.

(With inputs from agencies)