The arrest of former U.S. Marine Kenneth Franklin Shinzato in Okinawa in connection with the murder of 20-year-old office worker Rina Shimabukuro has stirred deep anger among the prefecture's residents. Both the Japanese and U.S. government must examine what has happened and sincerely consider how to respond in a manner that best addresses residents' concerns.
Shimabukuro, from the city of Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, disappeared on April 28 after she went out for a walk. Her body was found last Thursday in the village of Onna on the basis of a statement made by the 32-year-old suspect, who is now a civilian worker at the U.S. Kadena Air Base. Details of the crime that have surfaced in media reports illustrate its heinous nature. After driving around looking for someone to rape for two or three hours, Shinzato allegedly forced Shimabukuro into his car and then raped and strangled her and hit her with a club. Shinzato, who did not know the victim, is quoted as saying that he transported her body in a suitcase.
Shinzato is no longer a member of the U.S. military and committed the alleged crime while he was off duty. But given the prevalence of crimes committed by people with ties to U.S. forces in Okinawa, it would not be unreasonable if local residents link this case to the heavy U.S. military presence in the nation's southernmost prefecture. Okinawa, which occupies a mere 0.6 percent of Japan's territory, hosts 74 percent of the military facilities solely used by the U.S. forces in this country. U.S. military facilities occupy 18 percent of Okinawa's main island. According to local police statistics, from the reversion of Okinawa to Japan in 1972 to the end of 2015, the prefecture saw 574 heinous crimes committed by members and civilian workers of the U.S. forces and their relatives, with 741 investigated. These crimes included 26 cases of murder, 129 cases of rape, 394 cases of burglary and 25 cases of arson.