Crimes involving US troops on Okinawa have been a constant source of tension between Tokyo and Washington

Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has led public outcry over crimes committed by US servicemen after a marine suspected of killing a woman on Okinawa was arrested on Saturday.

In a speech in parliament, Takaichi described the alleged crime as “heinous” and urged US military authorities to enforce discipline among American servicemen stationed on Okinawa, an island 1,000 miles south of Tokyo.

Crimes and accidents involving US troops on Okinawa have been a constant source of tension between Tokyo and Washington and the target of protests among local people. The island hosts most of the 50,000 US troops in Japan and 70% of the country’s military facilities there.