Torrance Bars Shinto Ritual in Program at City-Owned Theater : Religion: Officials say the traditional opening ceremony would mix church and state.

The city of Torrance has barred a Shinto priest from performing a centuries-old ceremony as part of a program to promote Japanese arts at a new city-owned theater.

The priest’s opening blessing would “cross the boundary of church and state,” the city attorney has determined. In response, a chief organizer says she has canceled plans for the priest’s appearance at the showcase of Japanese performing arts scheduled for Jan. 10 and 11 at the new $13-million Torrance Cultural Arts Center.

Even if an actor is substituted for a priest, the actor can neither offer a prayer nor make the traditional offering of salt during the ceremony, said city Parks and Recreation Director Gene G. Barnett.

The event’s main organizer, Mikko Haggott-Henson of Torrance, said Wednesday that she is planning to cancel the opening prayer and the offering because of the city’s objections.

“I just don’t understand, because I was told by all the arts people I know that this should be allowed,” Haggott-Henson said.

The concern, city officials said, is that the ceremony could be construed as religious.

“We don’t have religious dedications of our city facilities,” said Mayor Katy Geissert.

City Atty. Kenneth Nelson said the city is providing the theater and its technicians free of charge to the sponsoring groups, including the Torrance Sister City Assn. that promotes ties with Kashiwa, Japan.

“Can there be a religious ceremony consisting of a blessing of the theater which is partially sponsored by the city? The answer is no,” Nelson said.

After years of planning, city officials proudly dedicated the new Cultural Arts Center on Oct. 26.

The Japanese arts event is intended to “introduce the facility to the Japanese community and its artists” so that the theater will become “an important center for providing Japanese cultural activities in the future,” according to a Sister City Assn. announcement.

The main artist to appear will be Katada Kisaku, a Japanese virtuoso percussionist.

But city officials questioned the first part of the performance, the “Kokera Otoshi,” a traditional theater-opening ritual, which was to involve a Shinto priest.

Nelson’s legal opinion about that ritual states: “We think that a specific religious ceremony, conducted for a religious purpose designed to ‘benefit’ the publicly owned facility, would not be constitutionally permissible.”

The key issue is whether the ritual is religious, Nelson said.

But a UC Irvine anthropology professor said Wednesday he does not think the “Kokera Otoshi” should be treated as a religious event.

“It’s not a religious ceremony in any sense of the word,” said Robert Garfias, a member of the National Council on the Arts. He called it instead a “cultural ceremony.”

The California Arts Council is contributing $2,000 toward the Japanese arts event. “As far as I know, it’s an arts event,” said Juan Carrillo, deputy director for programs at the council’s offices in Sacramento.

The Torrance City Council opens each of its weekly meetings with a prayer led by a local religious leader. Nelson said that invocations at legislature meetings have been ruled legal.

City officials said that despite the dispute, they are looking forward to the Japanese arts showcase, which will go on without the opening ritual.