On Feb. 10 a very divisive mayoral election in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, ended in victory for the candidate who supports the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan. The election results delighted the Japanese government.
Early the next morning, though, a U.S. marine in Okinawa was arrested by Japanese police on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old Japanese girl, casting a shadow over U.S. military realignment plans.
The Iwakuni mayor-elect won by a margin of only 1,782 votes. Had the report of the alleged rape occurred ahead of the election, the results might have been different. U.S. forces are stationed in Japan with the mission of protecting Japan's security, but recently they've been causing some serious problems.