Do you think the U.S. military in Japan is doing all it can to prevent crimes by its personnel?

Sunday 06th April, 01:48 PM JST

Latest 15 of 29 Total Comments Show All

outhousejt at 11:09 PM JST - 7th April

US Millitary do already occupy 25% of Okinawa. They occupy the city of Yokosuka and what not on the tax payers expense.
anderstungtwist at 12:52 AM JST - 8th April

Reality check. If American troops are kept off the streets of Japan, Japan is a safer country.

I agree. The 18-24-year-old age group is the most dangerous. Let's keep them off the streets. We should do the same with the Japanese of the same age group.
JETteacher48 at 04:32 AM JST - 8th April

If you're looking for a reason that the US military personnel have been stereotyped as brutal thugs, you have no farther than to look at the innate xenophobic attitudes inherent in a homogenous culture. Are crimes committed by US military personnel in Japan? Of course there are, no one debates that. However, anytime this does occur, the story blankets the media where anti-American sentiments can point to it and say, "Look, we told you so! Throw those horrible Americans out!" Exactly the same thing happens in South Korea. What they fail to realize is, that under the SOFA agreement, if the Diet really didn't want the US to maintain bases in Japan, all they have to do is not renew the treaty. But, of course, if that happened, Japan would have to assume responsibility for its own national defense in the face of growing regional assertiveness from China. So there's your options citizens of Japan: live with the US and try not to take every instance of a young fool as an affront to your national honor, or deal with the possibility of Chinese power marginalizing your interests and influence in Asia for perpetuity.
outhousejt at 05:34 AM JST - 8th April

Its the millitary. stupid.
robin_hood at 08:09 AM JST - 8th April

Please tell us how the Military isn't doing enough to prevent crimes? Do you actually believe the Military wants these kind of incidents?????? You don't think they do everything in their power to try and prevent them?

Of course they don't want their people to commit crimes, that's ridiculous...

But they could start with enforcing their own standards that they already have in place, in addition to adding a few extra items to the "overseas screening" process...

How about a "Psyche Eval," this is a great predictor of what kind of behavior you could expect...

They already have a policy that, "non-U.S. citizen" first termer's aren't suppose to be assigned overseas... This is a prime example of Mr. Nigeria...they didn't follow their own regulations..

But the biggest factor is that any standard can be waived because of "needs" of the service.... So take all the rules they have in place regarding standards of individuals for serving overseas and throw them out the window, because they can be waived at any time for needs...

Bottom line, they can do a lot more...
Hughgarse at 02:32 PM JST - 8th April

"Reality check. If American troops are kept off the streets of Japan, Japan is a safer country."

now that`s funny!
sabiwabi at 02:32 PM JST - 8th April

We should also ask ourselves whether the US military is needed in Japan. I think not. Japan should get rid of the US military.
gogogo at 02:01 AM JST - 10th April

3rd option please...
tashidelek at 11:15 AM JST - 10th April

one blk Single men change u.s. no way
NotJohnWayne at 04:15 PM JST - 10th April

For those who think the military should just be locked down and never allowed off base, I have to say, that reaction is the same one that military leaders take now which does no good... punish the 99.9% to attempt to get at the .1% who don't have the sense to react properly in the first place. While I have only been in country for 3 months, I haev hearn innumerable military members tell me how wonderful this country is... and how many life-long friendships they have made with Japanese people. It makes no sense to put up walls and lock us all inside.... that would be a loss on both sides of the wall.

Kneejerk reactions like banning alcohol sales after the arrest of the taxi driver killer makes no sense... alcohol wasn't the reason the crime was committed. Banning it was just "publicity stunt" to show something was being done... whether it had anything to do with the crime or not.

As a proud American citizen it pains me to see my fellow countryman commit these crimes and make us all look bad. As a long-time military member, it infuriates me to see service members disgrace our military service. I don't care if it is a result of stupidity, alcohol, or being sociopathic... if you go off base (or even on base) and commit a crime, the individual (once found guilty) should be thrown to the wolves and serve their time in a Japanese jail with no assistance from the U.S.

While I agree that leadership at any level shoud be held accountable for failing to follow established procedures, but beyond that, the individual needs to be held accountable for their actions...

/rant off
greenteaonsens at 10:43 AM JST - 11th April

No foreign standing armies in Japan! (And that includes Uncle Sam's boys)

Get out: you not wanted or needed. It is only the LDP gerrymandered ruling bloc that keeps the U.S. here. Majority of Japanese do NOT want U.S. military here. When will we have a true democracy?
fireant at 12:01 PM JST - 11th April

When will we have a true democracy?

When you vote for one.
Loki520 at 08:44 PM JST - 11th April

"you not wanted or needed"

You know, I haven't heard anything that funny in a very long time. You should come and preach to all my Japanese neighbors. They LOOK Japanese. They sound it. They even have Japanese names. Funny enough, I guess they're not in the majority. Not a single one of them will tell you that we are not wanted or needed. Not a one of them has treated me different than before the murder. Matter of fact, just about every one of them has approached me since he was turned over to the JN's telling me "tai-hen desu ne?" (I just know that spelling is whacked!) or even "good job".
BrightEyes at 05:33 PM JST - 12th April

There should be no US military presence in Japan.

Now all that has to happen is for Japan to revise its constitution and create an independent defense capacity to deal with any conceivable threat to its security or interests without recourse to aid from the United States.

Or...

Maybe a few crimes committed by GIs isn't such a high price to pay for security without responsibility after all.

But admitting that the free ride is a pretty good deal would be just so ... humiliating.

Much better to whine about the occasional crime when it comes up than admit to one's own political and military impotence.
kitzrow at 12:07 PM JST - 20th April

I imagine there is a lot of effort to curb crime in the military but maybe the soldiers need to be told that if they commit a crime against a Japanese, they would be put in Fuchu Prison for a period of time, lose their rank and be kicked out of the military. Wow, that might get them thinking but I think they should watch a video of Fuchu Prison to get an idea that it is not a sweet place to go to. I knew an American civilian years ago who had a rather large amount of marijuana stashed in a locker in Shinjuku. He was caught and sent to Fuchu prison. I believe he was there about a year and later sent back to the States.

Another thought is if alcohol is not often a reason that crimes are committed at all. I know I did some pretty crazy things under the influence when I was younger. Do not think they were actual crimes, but I am lucky someone did not bop me a good one the way I acted when I had one too many.

I think we could go back and forth on this subject, but there will always be an isolated case or incident that will crop up no matter what kind of discipline is enforced. This goes for people in the army as well as not military people.