Military officials consider easing Japan liberty rules

According to an article published in Marine Corps Times, on Aug. 3rd, U.S. Military officials announced that they are considering relaxing the current liberty policy of Marines based in Japan by tweaking the current curfew hours.

The officials have not confirmed yet when the changes would take effect, if at all. Potential changes would extend the current midnight curfew to 1 a.m., and ease the limit of two glasses of alcohol with a dinner off base, plus loosen the buddy requirement.

The current curfew and off-base alcohol rules and other restrictions were imposed in 2012 after a sexual assault incident on Okinawa.

  • Larry Muse

    what happened to the service men that had live-ins out in the ville’s???

  • Ernest Molina

    Leave it as is I say. Until they prove to have good sense and act like good ambassadors should. Having been stationed there i can say it does suck if you do the right thing. But there has to be a line. And expectations should be met. They make all service members look bad. And don’t say “well the locals do it too!” It’s their home. We are guests. We wouldn’t tolerate foreign military doing those sorts of things in America why should they tolerate or change what they do?

  • John Sulzynski

    The majority of military personnel here in Japan do exactly what they should and represent both the service and their country well. This last lockdown was caused by two sailors from Texas, who were only here to gas their plane, raping a local woman. These weren’t military members stationed, or even TAD to Okinawa. There have been very few incidents since (a few DUI’s actually) but local crime statistics do count speeding tickets and such in their numbers so they are inflated by US standards. The local businesses outside of the gates are now almost non-existent and the owners of the bars and restaurants, who are mostly locals, want this ban lifted.

    • Ernest Molina

      What service members are you looking at? The whole time I was there we were on mini lockdowns pretty regularly because of someone screwing up. Most treated locals like crap. Expected them to learn English or lose business. Hell like a month if that after rape incident is when airman broke curfew and broke into a home and punched a kid. So represent what well? Foolishness? There were a number of other incidents that followed too. And don’t even pull the well what about things the locals do. It’s their country. They have every right to get pissed. We as Americans would crucify a foreign visitor that did even half the crap service members do there. So why the double standard. Plus like my CO always said. Nothing good happens after midnight. So yeah I’m fully for keeping restrictions.

    • Ernest Molina

      Seems to contradict most do what they’re supposed to do when as soon as relaxing the rules comes up airman is busted. Look I know a lot of guys there do the right thing. But I also know most are borderline racist and arrogant fools. Using some sort of I’m an American wherever I go I rule type thing. And we always lived under the shadow of possible lockdown when I was there. It’s silly. Respect the local culture and conduct yourself as an ambassador. Not a drunken fool. Not saying don’t drink. But be responsible about it.

  • matt99

    Yankee thugs go home

  • Foxx561

    i hope they lift it. id rather be stationed on a ship in the us than be stationed in okinawa. to hell with this place and theyre curfew. im too old to be told when i can go out and come home and to anybody who thinks it should stay screw you

22:31 29 Mar , 2024