Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi lamented the lack of discipline among the US military after a marine stole a car in the city of Iwakuni, got into an accident and fled the scene.
“It is extremely deplorable. The Japanese government has asked the US side to strengthen discipline and show a serious attitude towards the victims,” Hayashi told a news conference.
On December 3, a US Marine stationed at the Iwakuni Air Force Base stole a sports car from a local dealership, collided with another car at an intersection the same day and fled without providing first aid or calling authorities, according to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.
“It is very unfortunate that an incident like this has occurred, as it greatly worries the residents living near the base,” local authorities were quoted as saying by the outlet.
Thus, the city of Iwakuni, which represents Yamaguchi prefecture and four other municipalities near the air station, asked the Defense office on December 12 to take measures to prevent similar incidents.
There are few cases that come to light
The military base, home to the Army’s 5th Air Wing, is located about 40 kilometers south of Hiroshima.
By a bilateral agreement, the US does not have the obligation to hand over to local courts military personnel who have committed a crime in Japan.
However, according to the Associated Press agency report, a member of the US Navy in Japan was imprisoned in July 2022, since falling unconscious behind the wheel caused a fatal accident. The accident claimed the lives of two Japanese citizens in May 2021.
