Japanese court rules against leader's shrine visits.The Japanese prime minister's yearly visits to a shrine shrine: see pilgrim. in honor of the millions who died during World War II, including war criminals, violates the nation's constitution, a Japanese court has ruled. Judge Kiyonaga Kamegawa ruled April 7 that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine Yasukuni Shrine (靖国神社 Yasukuni Jinja amounted to religious activity in violation of the church-state separation provisions of Japan's Constitution. Koizumi has gone to the Yasukuni Shrine four times since becoming prime minister. Those visits have drawn protests in China, which was occupied by Japan during the war. Some Japanese citizens also were angered. The court's ruling was prompted by a lawsuit lawsuit: see procedure; tort. on behalf of more than 200 citizens who argued Koizumi's trip to the shrine in 2001 violated vi·o·late tr.v. vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing, vi·o·lates 1. To break or disregard (a law or promise, for example). 2. To assault (a person) sexually. 3. the constitutional separation of religion and state. The prime minister told reporters he would not stop his visits to the shrine. "I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why it violates the constitution," he said. "I go there as prime minister and as an individual. I'm both a public and private person. I will continue my visits there." The case has been appealed to Japan's supreme court. |
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