Japan’s Supreme Court ruled Feb. 24 that officials in the city of Naha may not deed free land to a Confucian temple.

The court ruled that the giveaway violated Article 20 of the country’s constitution, which states, “No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the State, nor exercise any political authority.”

The court wrote, “The Naha city government could be judged to be aiding a certain religion,” reported The Mainichi, a Japanese newspaper.

The temple sits on the grounds of a city-run park. City officials proposed exempting the temple from land-use fees, essentially deeding the land to a religious organization. City officials argued that the temple had historic meaning and was a tourist attraction.

A Naha resident challenged the arrangement in 2014, arguing that the policy was unconstitutional. A lower court agreed, holding that the temple is “highly religious” and that much of the time, it was not open to tourists.

 

BREAKING NEWS

Americans United & the National Women’s Law Center file suit to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans.

Abortion bans violate the separation of church and state. Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center—the leading experts in religious freedom and gender justice—have joined forces with thirteen clergy from six faith traditions to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans as unconstitutionally imposing one narrow religious doctrine on everyone.


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