nistration. The latest case comes as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet pushes to further fortify its Japanese military presence on Okinawa and work more closely with the U.S. military.

 The occurrence of the heinous crime is extremely regrettable,  Takaichi said in her message on X. She said her government has strongly protested to the U.S. side and demanded maximum cooperation with the Japanese authorities in the investigation, as well as tougher discipline for U.S. service members and preventive measures.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass to his office and conveyed  outrage,  the ministry said in a statement.

Glass, on X, expressed condolences to the victim's family, adding that the United States is cooperating with the Japanese national and local governments.

The U.S. Marine Corps said in a statement the suspect is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa and that it is fully cooperating with Japanese authorities.  The Marine Corps takes these allegations very seriously and expects every Marine to adhere to the highest standards of behavior. 

Futenma base, located in a densely populated area in central Okinawa, has been a sore spot for many Okinawans for decades, who demanded its relocation. Despite protests, the central government greenlit construction to relocate the base to Henoko on Okinawa's eastern coast, though the project has faced massive delays.

A high-profile 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. service members sparked massive protests against the heavy U.S. troop presence on Okinawa. The number of arrests related to U.S. service members and their families exceeded 100 last year, according to prefectural police. Repeated occurrence of sexual crimes and some of their delayed disclosures have also sparked outrage on Okinawa in recent years.