It is absurd to completely entrust decisions to the U.S. military as if Japan is a subordinate or Okinawa is still under military occupation. Revising the pact, which has never been done, is naturally

Well that's an interesting comment but I don't know what to think after reading it. Japan IS supposedly an ally and no longer a subordinate of the USA. Aren't the guilty found to be guilty and punished by both parties? Is the justice system rigged in favor of the military? What exactly is the problem?

IMO the problem with SOFA is with the way US Civilians who work on the bases are allowed to be covered by SOFA. Some people may not know but there are a lot of US Civilians working on the bases and some of them are Mission Essential Personnel but a lot of them are not. A lot of them work for AAFES, MWR and MCCS and work at jobs like selling cars, work at the Golf Course work at Burger King etc. The US Military says it cannot control or place restrictions on Civilians the same way it does its Military Members but yet the Civilians are under the same SOFA and have the same rights and protections as the Military Members. So the Military cannot control the civilians but still places them under SOFA status which means they are responsible for them as long as they are under SOFA. They probably should be a review of US Civilians working on the bases and strict guidelines set for who and who cannot be under SOFA determined by the actual work they do. Does a person who sells Cars for AAFES deserve to be under SOFA?

Thanks @Japanforlife

So there's still things like SOFA which are probably dated from the occupation period. Has this been a big problem in the past as well or is this being scrutinized because of the recent incident?

Either this politician has no idea what is in the SOFA or she is ignoring the facts and engaging in pure fabrication merely to further her own career or political agenda – I’ll let you guess if it’s the former or latter…

Name one “SOFA protection” Mr Shinzato (murder/rape suspect) received or is receiving – was he “scooped up” by US authorities and taken away from the Japanese Police – no. Is he now in US custody - no. Is he being tried by US authorities – no. Will he serve time in a US jail if convicted – no. He is in a Japanese jail, being interrogated by the Japanese Police, will be tried by a Japanese judge if indicted and serve time in a Japanese prison if convicted. The SOFA has and will do nothing for him - he's being treated exactly the same as any other local Okinawa citizen suspected of a crime.

What is true is that anti-base politicians routinely skew and exaggerate what’s in the SOFA – so we hear calls for revision even when the SOFA does absolutely nothing for a suspect in a crime – like this case.

So, to this politician, and others, I would ask, what specific article or passage in the SOFA do you want revised – and what is your specific language to replace the revision? When you ask that question, it’s always met with silence.

Actually, it's not at all Okinawa's right to ratify the pact -- it is the Central Government's right, along with the US. That's all there is to it.

There have been some high profile crimes since Reversion and IMO the SOFA Agreement has worked and the perpetrators who have committed those crimes were tried in Japanese Court and sentenced in accordance with Japanese Laws. I think the the problem with Mr. Shinzato (I imagine his wife` s family are very sorry they ever let him use their name) is given the nature of the job he had on base is that whether he should have even been under SOFA status. Even though the US Military did not give Mr. Shinzato any special rights or protection under SOFA the fact is that they could have. Should a person who just because they are a US citizen be given SOFA status to work a Non- Essential Military Mission job on base. Since SOFA Status does give a US citizen that is under it special rights and privileges shouldn't there be stricter guidelines as to who is authorized SOFA?

Don't worry! After Trump becomes president, he will remove all the US military from Japan. He said. And give Japan atom bombs.

The Okinawan people want all US military bases removed from Okinawa. Therefore, it shall be done.

The U S military treat Japan as a occupied country, which is why so many Japanese nationals are mistreated . Second rate citizens. Military serving in Japan are told by their superiors they are, in law, a occupying force.

@Zenji

I don't know what goes on inside of military barracks or their attitudes, but I for the most part think that Americans and Japanese (I also being dual) treat each other quite well. Especially considering that our grandparents were at war with each other. But I disagree completely that "So many Japanese nationals are being mistreated". By some bad apples yes maybe, but this is also the way life is.