Misawa Air Base
© WikipediaAN/FLR-9 antenna array at Misawa Air Base.
A US employee at Misawa base in Aomori prefecture, Japan, is being accused of slashing a local woman with a knife and reportedly injuring her face, Japanese media report. She has been taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to Japanese media, the incident took place on base premises at 2 a.m. local time. The victim is 50 years old and an employee at the base's accommodation facility. Japanese TV reported that the man slashed her face.

He has been taken into US custody, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry's Tohoku Bureau. His identity and rank are not being disclosed at this time, according to Kyodo, who were among the first to report on the incident.

Aomori prefecture is situated on the northern tip of mainland Japan, just south of the island of Hokkaido. American troops have been stationed in Japan since its occupation during World War II. The contingent numbers roughly 50,000 troops, with the small Okinawa Island hosting the largest portion of the force.

Many local citizens complain of problems associated with the Americans, including crimes, noise pollution from military transport and environmental damage. Civil action groups regularly stage protest in front of the US military sites on the island.