TAKAMATSU, Kagawa Pref. -- The Takamatsu High Court on Wednesday rejected compensation demands in a lawsuit filed by plaintiffs in Shikoku over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, without ruling on the constitutionality of the trips.
The ruling comes on the heels of a decision Sept. 30 by the Osaka High Court that Koizumi's visits to the war-related shrine were "official" and constituted "religious activities" in violation of the Constitution's separation of state and religion.
The Osaka court, however, also rejected damages, saying the visits did not harm the plaintiffs' freedom of thought or belief.