A member of the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Japan (Alkonis) caused a fatal accident in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, resulting in two deaths. Due to political intervention, he was transferred back to the United States and subsequently granted parole. The accident was reportedly triggered by a sudden loss of consciousness, leading some Republican lawmakers in the U.S. to demand that Japan issue an apology.

A CNN host’s social media post hailing the development as a “wonderful breaking news story” sparked anger among many Japanese. The post explained that he was released immediately with no probation, accompanied by a photo of him smiling alongside his wife and three children. Few in Japan realize that his wife, Brittany, and other supporters had actively lobbied the U.S. government for his release. President Joe Biden met and embraced Brittany in 2022 during the State of the Union address. Japanese media gave only limited coverage to this incident, and neither the Japanese nor U.S. government has issued an official comment.