Japan urges U.S. military to take actions to prevent sexual assaults in Okinawa

TOKYO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday urged the U.S. military to implement preventive measures regarding further sexual assaults following a recent incident involving a U.S. Marine in Okinawa.

The latest case, in which the serviceman in his 30s is accused of sexually assaulting and injuring a woman in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa last November, has caused renewed concern among local residents, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said.

"We will urge U.S. forces in Japan to tighten discipline and fully implement preventive measures," Hayashi told a press conference.

Okinawa police referred the sexual assault case to prosecutors on Wednesday, the latest in a series of violent attacks on women on the island hosting the bulk of U.S. military facilities.

The island of Okinawa hosts 70 percent of all the U.S. military bases in Japan while accounting for only 0.6 percent of the country's total land area. Crimes committed by U.S. service members and non-military personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals.