US Forces in Japan banned all personnel from consuming alcohol after a drink-driving accident on the island of Okinawa where anti-base sentiment runs high.
A US Marine crashed his vehicle into a mini-truck at an intersection on Sunday, killing the other driver, 61.
The 21-year-old, whose breath test showed an alcohol level three times the legal limit, was arrested and charged with negligent driving resulting in death, police said in a statement.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo made an immediate complaint about the case to the US side, demanding the US military enforce strict discipline and take preventive steps.
“It is extremely regrettable that this accident happened even though the Japanese government has repeatedly asked them for the thorough implementation of preventive measures and enforcement of disciplines,” he told reporters.
The US has several military bases in Japan and stations about 47,000 troops in the country as part of a joint security treaty.
But crimes by US personnel have seen relations with locals strained.
In the most recent case, a former US Marine employed at the US Air Force’s sprawling Kadena Air Base on Okinawa was charged with the murder of a 20-year-old woman last year.
The incident intensified longstanding local opposition to the American military presence on the island.
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