World News Koizumi's Yasukuni visit unconstitutional

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FUKUOKA (Kyodo) - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine in 2001 was unconstitutional because it violated the separation of state and religion, the Fukuoka District Court ruled April 7.

In the first ruling of its kind concerning Koizumi's visits to the Shinto shrine, which honors the nation's war dead as well as convicted Class-A war criminals, the court said the visit falls under religious activity that the state is banned from participating in under the Constitution.

The decision was handed down in response to a lawsuit filed by 211 plaintiffs in Kyushu, who claimed that Koizumi's visit to the shrine on Aug. 13, 2001, violated the constitutional separation of state and religion.

"Despite persistent opposition from the public and from even some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the prime minister visited the shrine, which is not necessarily an appropriate place to honor war dead, based on political motivations," said presiding Judge Kiyonaga Kamegawa.

The plaintiffs had sought ¥21.1 million, or ¥100,000 each, in damages from the government, citing the psychological suffering they experienced as a result of the prime minister's shrine visit.

But the court rejected the plaintiffs' compensation demands, ruling the visit did not violate their freedom of conscience.

Tsuneaki Gunjima, leader of the plaintiffs, told reporters, "It is the best ruling. Our request for compensation was rejected, but our purpose was achieved."

The plaintiffs said later in the day that they would not appeal the ruling.

首相靖国参拝に違憲判決

福岡地裁は7日、小泉純一郎首相の2001年靖国神社参拝は政教分離に反するとして、違憲の判決を下した。

Shukan ST: April 16, 2004

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