U.S. Forces, Okinawa Launch Forum after Sexual Assaults

Jiji Press

16:49 JST, May 10, 2025

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.