Although Japanese commit crimes at 12 times the rate of Americans in Japan (National Police Agency figures for 2004), every crime involving an American is treated like a deliberate act of war. The governor of Okinawa sends out the "hive is under attack" message, and the Japanese rise up on cue in "outrage." Meanwhile, hundreds of foreign women are trapped in sexual slavery for the amusement of Japanese businessmen. The hypocrisy of this double standard is breathtaking.
Sex crime in Japan is vastly under-reported. Men raised on explicit rape manga and sado-masochistic porn DVDs commit brutal crimes every day that are not reported, because of shame and fear. Yet the problem, as far as Japanese can see, is the Americans lurking around every corner.
The fact is that this isn't about crime: Americans are not wanted here, our soldiers are not wanted, and the Japanese do not deserve the protection they buy. It's time the U.S. removed its bases and Japan defended itself.