Japan’s Motegi tells Rubio he regrets Okinawa robbery-murder case; ministers agree on prevention talks as protests renew calls to review U.S. forces pact

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio he regretted the alleged robbery-murder in Okinawa during a phone call on October 10. The ministers agreed to consult on effective measures to prevent similar incidents, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The U.S. State Department said Rubio offered condolences over the death of a Japanese national and pledged full U.S. cooperation with Japanese and local authorities investigating the case. The two sides also reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

The case involves Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who was arrested on October 4 on suspicion of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa’s prefectural capital. Ballard has denied the allegations, and police referred the case to prosecutors. The incident has prompted protests in Okinawa and Tokyo and renewed calls for a fundamental review of the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement. Okinawa hosts roughly half of the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

Following the arrest, the U.S. military ordered a 48-hour pause in normal operations on Okinawa and a 30-day curfew requiring service members to remain at home between midnight and 5 a.m.