US Navy slaps alcohol ban for sailors in Japan
The US Navy has issued a total alcohol ban for its sailors in Japan and placed restrictions on their movement to curb a string of crimes that has angered the locals.
The announcement came a day after an American sailor was arrested on the Japanese island of Okinawa for drunk driving.
Naval Officer Aimee Mejia, 21, was arrested shortly after midnight on Sunday after Okinawa police said she drove the wrong way on a busy highway under the influence of alcohol, causing accidents.
Rear Admiral Matthew Carter, commander of US naval forces in Japan, said a recent “trend” of alcohol-related incidents was detrimental to the US-Japan alliance.
“For decades, we have enjoyed a strong relationship with the people of Japan,” Carter added. “It is imperative that each Sailor understand how our actions affect that relationship.”
While the alcohol ban is difficult to enforce, it is unprecedented as it applies to the whole country on- and off-base.
“I've never seen that done before,” said Gary Barthel, a retired Marine Corps attorney. “I've seen where they put certain bars or certain establishments off-limits.”
US military personnel on Okinawa have already been under a night-time curfew as part of a month-long period of “unity and mourning.”
The mourning period was declared after a base worker and former Marine was arrested May 19 on charges of rape and murder of a 20-year-old Japanese woman.
The latest incidents have further inflamed local anger over the US military presence on Okinawa, which is home to about 30,000 American military and civilian personnel.
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