Former US Marine Charged With Brutal Rape and Murder of Japanese Office Worker

The decision to charge Shinzato with Shimabukuro's murder has been welcomed by anti-militarization and women's rights campaigners across Japan, who have long been opposed to the strategic presence of the US on the island. Military bases occupy almost 25 percent of the total area of Okinawa, which has a population of 1.3 million. The island has been the site of numerous acts of sexual violence against its female residents, particularly the sex workers and bar hostesses concentrated in Okinawa City and around the bases.

Shinzato, 32, worked at Kadena Air Base before he allegedly raped, strangled, and stabbed Shimabukuro, an office worker from the neighboring city of Uruma. Shortly before her death, she'd contacted her boyfriend to tell him she was going for a walk. News of her murder coincided with a diplomatic visit by President Obama in May 2016. After news of the murder broke, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe took the unprecedented step of publicly shaming Obama for America's inability to control its US workers, leading to an apology from the US president.

The Shinzato case is seen as particularly egregious as it came at a time of heightened diplomatic tension between the two countries, but the list of atrocities committed by US servicemen in Japan is lengthy. In 1995, the brutal gang rape of a 12-year old girl near Camp Hansen on the northern shore of the island galvanized the world's media and brought 85,000 people out onto the streets in protest. Three US servicemen were convicted of the crime and served sentences in Japanese prisons; the case had lasting implications for US-Japan diplomatic relations. More recently, then-US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice apologized in 2008 for the rape of a 14-year–old girl. In 2012, two sailors were convicted of gang-raping and robbing a local woman outside her apartment building.

Given he told prosecutors about the location of Shimabukuro's body back in May 2016, it might seem remarkable that Shinzato is only now being formally charged. Temple University Asian Studies expert Dr Jeff Kingston explains this is routine in such cases. "The Status of Forces Agreement means that servicemen aren't subject to Japanese law and prosecution, and prosecutors have to work through and with their military counterparts, which can make the process seem slow and drawn out."

Kingston points to the Japanese authorities' high conviction rates (over 90 percent) as evidence that a custodial sentence will be probable, although he makes the point that many of these confessions are suspected to be coerced. "As they can't find a murder weapon, and he's not been cooperating with the authorities, this has slowed the process considerably."

Kingston is optimistic, however, that Shinzato will likely serve a jail sentence, which—although probably not lengthy—certainly won't be fun. Convicted gang rapist Rodrico Harp served his sentence in Okinawa and said upon release: "Japanese prisons are prisons. You have to obey a very strict regimen. They're certainly not pleasant places for someone to be in."

Living with the American military hasn't been easy for the inhabitants of Okinawa. "Anger is really concentrated amongst Okinawans, and they've long resented the base controlling responsibilities that have been thrust upon them," Kingston says. While crimes tend to result in temporary measures—such as curfews and alcohol bans—these can have a deleterious effect on the local economy. "For some Okinawans, the bases represent good business opportunities, so when they're locked down, they suffer. Near large bases you'll find districts with high concentrations of sex workers, bar hostesses, and so on."

Despite the money the US servicemen bring, many Okinawans believe they've well and truly worn out their welcome. "People are fed up with them, and would like to see the backs of these servicemen for once and for all."

Meanwhile, life on Okinawa goes on—at least, until the next tragedy. "Okinawans look at [these military bases] as basically painting a bulls-eye on them. They don't feel safe. They feel threatened. Their interests don't seem to be at the heart of policy makers on either side of the country."