The incident threatened to reignite opposition to the US military presence on Okinawa, home to around 30,000 American service members. (EPA Images pic)

TOKYO: Japan is demanding tighter discipline among American troops after a Marine Corps lance corporal was arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman on the southern island of Okinawa, Tokyo’s top government spokesman said.

Local police arrested a 20-year-old US serviceman on suspicion of killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi early Saturday at a hotel in the city of Naha. National broadcaster NHK said that a cord-like object was found wrapped around the woman’s neck, citing police investigators.

Japanese authorities have sought “stricter discipline and steps to ensure there’s no recurrence” from the US military, chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said at a regular press conference on Monday. “We would like to work together with the US to ensure that this incident does not happen again.”