Do Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo violate the constitutional separation of state and religion? It is a tricky question, legally and otherwise, that in the past has eluded a clear-cut judiciary answer. On Wednesday, however, the Fukuoka District Court ruled that his first official visit there in August 2001, four months after he took office, did violate the principle because the visit constituted a religious act performed in his capacity as prime minister and it did so in ways that promoted the shrine.

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by more than 200 citizens, including religious figures, in Kyushu. The plaintiffs demanded compensation from the government on the grounds that his trip to the Shinto memorial violated the separation of state and religion and caused them psychological suffering as a result. The court, however, rejected the demand for compensating, thus handing the defendants -- the prime minister and the government -- a technical victory.

So far Mr. Koizumi has visited the shrine four times, most recently in January. Each trip has drawn sharp criticism both at home and abroad. China, South Korea and Taiwan have reacted strongly, straining diplomatic relations, as Japan's militaristic past still evokes bitter memories. Wednesday's ruling avers, by extension, that the succeeding three visits were also unconstitutional.