U.S. Marines patrol American Village bars in Chatan, Okinawa, Aug. 2, 2024. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Government officials representing Japan and Okinawa repeated pleas to the U.S. military to discipline its population following a fourth sexual assault allegation against a service member on Okinawa in just over a year.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged U.S. Forces Japan to “tighten discipline and thoroughly prevent reoccurrences” of criminal incidents involving service members, according to video of a Thursday news conference posted on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s website.

“Generally speaking, crimes and accidents caused by U.S. service members cause strong anxiety to the local community and shouldn’t happen,” Hayashi said. “The important thing is that the series of preventive measures announced by the U.S. side do actually prevent accidents and crimes.”

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday expressed “strong anger” on social media platform X about the latest case, in which Okinawa police allege a Marine in his 30s injured a woman during a sexual assault in November. That day, Okinawa Prefectural Police forwarded the case to prosecutors for possible charges, according to a police spokesman.

Tamaki and the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly filed multiple protests last year to the Japanese government and U.S. military after two sexual assault cases roiled Okinawa over the summer.

They called for changes to the status of forces agreement governing the U.S. military population in Japan.

Tamaki on Wednesday called for more protests to the U.S. and Japanese governments.

“We strongly ask [U.S. Forces Japan] to review the content of education and to thoroughly educate the service members, tighten the liberty policy, and apply more effective measures,” he wrote in the statement posted on X.

Tamaki and the prefectural government plan to send a fresh complaint to the U.S. military and government and the Japanese government, but no specific date is set, a spokesman with Okinawa’s Military Base Affairs Division said by phone Friday.

Some Japanese government officials may speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.

The allegations revealed Wednesday against a Marine were the latest in a string of similar accusations that caused friction between U.S. and Japanese authorities.

In December, a Japanese court convicted Senior Airman Brennon Washington of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl a year earlier and sentenced him to five years in prison with hard labor. He has appealed the verdict.

A Marine lance corporal was indicted in June of attempted sexual assault. In September, another Marine lance corporal was charged with injuring a woman during a sexual assault.

The allegations prompted USFJ to amend liberty rules for all service branches across Japan in September. Those rules aim to reduce the opportunities for off-duty service members to consume alcohol.

In July, the Marine Corps imposed enhanced gate checks at its installations in Japan. The checks have been “effective in ensuring individuals are better prepared to operate safely when off-post by checking for liberty buddies, sobriety, driver’s licenses, vehicle insurance, etc.,” III Marine Expeditionary Force spokeswoman 1st Lt. Isabel Izquierdo told Stars and Stripes by email Friday.

Tamaki on X expressed doubt that “the preventive measures applied by the U.S. military” have been effective.

“We are in a serious situation that questions the discipline of the U.S. military in Japan,” he wrote.