Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto urges tighter U.S. military discipline TOKYO, May 28 (UPI) -- Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is urging tighter discipline for U.S. military forces in the region. Concerned over the rising number of alleged sexual assaults by U.S. servicemen stationed on Okinawa, Hashimoto recently stirred controversy when he suggested that U.S. servicemen avail themselves of Okinawa's sex industry to avoid committing sexual offenses against the general population, The Japan Times reported Monday. "I will urge (the U.S. and its military) to enforce strict discipline in a full-fledged manner" at an upcoming meeting of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan," Hashimoto said. Attempting to clarify his earlier remarks and quiet the controversy they engendered, Hashimoto said an additional factor in his observations in urging the U.S. military to "be more responsible" was the rising number of sex offenses against U.S. servicewomen by their male cohorts. "The situation within the U.S. military concerning sexual assaults against women soldiers has been horrible and President Obama is outraged about it," Hashimoto said.