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Kyodo News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
U.S. military, Okinawa hold 1st safety forum after sex assault cases
KYODO NEWS - May 9, 2025 - 22:44 | All, Japan Representatives of U.S. forces in Japan and Okinawa authorities held their first meeting Friday under a new forum to discuss joint safety measures, following alleged sexual assault cases involving American service members in the southern island prefecture. In closed-door talks at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Foster, the U.S. military outlined its existing preventive measures, while both sides agreed to work toward holding a regular joint community patrol, like the one conducted in April in the city of Okinawa, and expanding it to other parts of the prefecture, according to a local government official. The launch of the new dialogue venue, named "Okinawa Community Partnership Forum," was announced in July last year by U.S. Forces Japan, after revelations of alleged sexual assault cases in June sparked renewed safety concerns among locals. Okinawa Prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members. The participants of the first meeting of the new forum included representatives from the Okinawa prefectural government, the city of Okinawa, local police, the U.S. forces on Okinawa and the U.S. Consulate General Naha. Officials from Japan's foreign and defense ministries also took part. The meeting is expected to be held about once a year going forward. Specific assault cases were not discussed in the meeting, according to the local government official. "Establishing an avenue for each organization to propose measures to prevent incidents involving U.S. military is of great significance," Masahito Tamari, director general of the Okinawa governor's office, told reporters after the meeting. The U.S. military said in its statement that the talks "highlighted the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration between USFJ and the Okinawa community." "Both sides reaffirmed their dedication to fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and respect," it added. Related coverage: U.S. Marine in Okinawa indicted over rape, injury U.S. Marines from Okinawa to start moving to Guam barracks in June U.S. Marine suspected of raping woman at Okinawa base
Yomiuri Shimbun
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. Forces, Okinawa Launch Forum after Sexual Assaults
Courtesy of the U.S. military in Japan Officials attend the first meeting of the Okinawa Community Partnership Forum at U.S. Camp Foster in Okinawa Prefecture on Friday. TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The Okinawa prefectural government and the U.S. military on Friday held the first meeting of a new forum to discuss preventive measures in response to a spate of sexual assaults involving U.S. military personnel in Japan's southernmost prefecture. The meeting of the Okinawa Community Partnership Forum was held behind closed doors at U.S. Camp Foster in the village of Kitanakagusuku, and attended by a total of about 40 officials, including those from the prefectural government, local police, the U.S. military, Japan's foreign and defense ministries and the U.S. Consulate General in Naha. The participants agreed to hold meetings regularly and work to prevent such incidents from happening again. 'It's very significant that a forum has been set up for each institution to propose what can be done to prevent incidents and accidents involving the U.S. military,' Masahito Tamari, head of the Okinawa governor's office, told reporters at the prefectural government office after the meeting. During the meeting, the U.S. military explained ongoing measures such as setting up sobriety checkpoints. The participants discussed reviewing the content of training for new U.S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa, as well as expanding joint patrols by the U.S. military, local police and others.
Japan Today
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
U.S. military, Okinawa hold 1st safety forum after sex assault cases
Representatives of U.S. forces in Japan and Okinawa authorities held their first meeting Friday under a new forum to discuss joint safety measures, following alleged sexual assault cases involving American service members in the southern island prefecture. In closed-door talks at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Foster, the U.S. military outlined its existing preventive measures, while both sides agreed to work toward holding a regular joint community patrol, like the one conducted in April in the city of Okinawa, and expanding it to other parts of the prefecture, according to a local government official. The launch of the new dialogue venue, named "Okinawa Community Partnership Forum," was announced in July last year by U.S. Forces Japan, after revelations of alleged sexual assault cases in June sparked renewed safety concerns among locals. Okinawa Prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members. The participants of the first meeting of the new forum included representatives from the Okinawa prefectural government, the city of Okinawa, local police, the U.S. forces on Okinawa and the U.S. Consulate General Naha. Officials from Japan's foreign and defense ministries also took part. The meeting is expected to be held about once a year going forward. Specific assault cases were not discussed in the meeting, according to the local government official. "Establishing an avenue for each organization to propose measures to prevent incidents involving U.S. military is of great significance," Masahito Tamari, director general of the Okinawa governor's office, told reporters after the meeting. The U.S. military said in its statement that the talks "highlighted the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration between USFJ and the Okinawa community." "Both sides reaffirmed their dedication to fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and respect," it added. © KYODO
Kyodo News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
U.S. military, Okinawa hold 1st safety forum after sex assault cases
KYODO NEWS - 4 minutes ago - 22:44 | All, Japan Representatives of U.S. forces in Japan and Okinawa authorities held their first meeting Friday under a new forum to discuss joint safety measures, following alleged sexual assault cases involving American service members in the southern island prefecture. In closed-door talks at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Foster, the U.S. military outlined its existing preventive measures, while both sides agreed to work toward holding a regular joint community patrol, like the one conducted in April in the city of Okinawa, and expanding it to other parts of the prefecture, according to a local government official. The launch of the new dialogue venue, named "Okinawa Community Partnership Forum," was announced in July last year by U.S. Forces Japan, after revelations of alleged sexual assault cases in June sparked renewed safety concerns among locals. Okinawa Prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members. The participants of the first meeting of the new forum included representatives from the Okinawa prefectural government, the city of Okinawa, local police, the U.S. forces on Okinawa and the U.S. Consulate General Naha. Officials from Japan's foreign and defense ministries also took part. The meeting is expected to be held about once a year going forward. Specific assault cases were not discussed in the meeting, according to the local government official. "Establishing an avenue for each organization to propose measures to prevent incidents involving U.S. military is of great significance," Masahito Tamari, director general of the Okinawa governor's office, told reporters after the meeting. The U.S. military said in its statement that the talks "highlighted the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration between USFJ and the Okinawa community." "Both sides reaffirmed their dedication to fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and respect," it added. Related coverage: U.S. Marine in Okinawa indicted over rape, injury U.S. Marines from Okinawa to start moving to Guam barracks in June U.S. Marine suspected of raping woman at Okinawa base
09-05-2025
- Politics
U.S. Forces, Okinawa Launch Forum after Sexual Assaults
News from Japan Society May 9, 2025 20:59 (JST) Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)--The Okinawa prefectural government and the U.S. military on Friday held the first meeting of a new forum to discuss preventive measures in response to a spate of sexual assaults involving U.S. military personnel in Japan's southernmost prefecture. The meeting of the Okinawa Community Partnership Forum was held behind closed doors at U.S. Camp Foster in the village of Kitanakagusuku, and attended by a total of about 40 officials, including those from the prefectural government, local police, the U.S. military, Japan's foreign and defense ministries and the U.S. Consulate General in Naha, the prefecture's capital. The participants agreed to hold meetings regularly and work to prevent such incidents from happening again. "It's very significant that a forum has been set up for each institution to propose what can be done to prevent incidents and accidents involving the U.S. military," Masahito Tamari, head of the Okinawa governor's office, told reporters at the prefectural government office after the meeting. During the meeting, the U.S. military explained ongoing measures such as setting up sobriety checkpoints. The participants discussed reviewing the content of training for new U.S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa, as well as expanding joint patrols by the U.S. military, local police and others. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
