The issue of U.S. military forces in Japan has come to the fore again following the alleged rape of a 14-year-old Okinawan girl by a U.S. Marine. Although the girl has withdrawn the accusation, locals and politicians have seized on the incident — a reminder of the 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by two marines and a navy corpsman — to compel a rethink of the presence of U.S. forces in Japan.
Following are some questions and answers on the matter:
How many U.S. service members are based in Japan, how many dependents do they have with them here and what is the breakdown by branch of service?