A severer ban on off-base drinking issued Sunday by U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) has now applied to all U. S. Marines across Japan, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported Monday.

The U.S. forces in Okinawa said Monday that the order, which originally applied to bases in the Japan's southernmost prefecture, has now covered all U.S. Marine Corps personnel throughout the country, including bases in western Japan.

According to the order, all U.S. servicemen in Okinawa are banned from drinking at any hour of the day outside bases with the only exception of staying in their own homes.

Drinking and selling liquor are also banned within U.S. bases from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. local time, and anyone who leaves bases after sunset and is found to have drunk will be prevented from leaving their bases.

On Nov. 30, a U.S. serviceman was arrested by Japanese police for drunk driving which injured two people as his car crashed into three other vehicles in Okinawa.

As of now, drinking has become a troublesome issue of the U.S. forces in Japan as increasing crimes and offenses have been committed by drunken U.S. soldiers.

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