Koizumi Visit to Shrine Ruled Unconstitutional
A regional court ruled that a visit by Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi to a Tokyo war shrine violated Japan’s Constitution, media reported. The visit to Yasukuni shrine was religious in nature and violated the division between religion and state, said Kiyonaga Kamegawa, chief justice of Fukuoka District Court.
The ruling came in a lawsuit by 211 activists, who were denied their request for $200,000 in damages. Koizumi has visited the shrine several times, which has angered other Asian countries because of its association with Japan’s wartime exploits. After the ruling, he said the visits would continue.
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