http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=294190

On basis that it violated State and Religion. Plaintiffs said that as Koizumi attended these rituals as a member of state, that Koizumi violated their freedom of conscience as they did not view shinto-ism and veneration of war dead as their own.

After this successful case, there are 5 other similar case proceedings in 5 other districts around Japan.

I think this is a good thing. Koizumi's always been a radical and I support his free thinking ways. But his visits to these shrines have not agreed with me well. Partly b/c being Chinese myself I feel he should be more sensitive, and partly b/c this furthers politically isolates Japan from her neighbours.

"Despite persistent opposition from the public and even from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the premier visited the shrine, which is not necessarily an appropriate place to honor war dead, based on political motivations," Presiding Judge Kiyonaga Kamegawa said.

Well, that's good news. Now if he (or any future PM) wants to visit the shrine, he has to go as an ordinary person, not as a head of state. I guess that takes care of the Yasukuni controversy.

Yup, him signing the g-book as premier koizumi was a bit over the top.


I fixed the title. Sorry I cannot be absolutely perfect when Im typing fast.

Umm, it still isn't fixed.

Happy??

btw, so I made a small mistake. What's your problem jumpin all over everyone when they make a slipup?

Paying respect to war criminals and brutal soldiers whose terrorised the whole East and South East Asia? Ludicrious. Koizumi should focus on warming relation with its neighbours, not inflaming their historic angers.

Exactly,

As a head of state, he should be doing things that would affect his country's relations with his neighbours positively. Attending these shrines with state resources and as a state figure does not acheive that. If he wants to attend these things, fine. He should do sos a normal civilian, not as their representative.

I'm not sure, but anyone know the percentage of how many Japanese support the president to vist the war criminals shrine?

If I were really like that, I would have smashed several people into the ground already.

I usually don't bother with spelling or grammatical errors, except for people's and places' names, and important stuff like that.

I find it ridiculus and a little funny when politicians participate in controversial activities and use the excuse that they are doing it as a "civilian".

It doesn't matter if Koizumi visits the Yasukuni shrine as a civilian or as the head of state of Japan, Koizumi is Koizumi. Just because he claims he's visiting the shrine as a civilian, does it suddenly make him a different person? When someone sees Koizumi visiting the shrine, do they see him as the head of state, or just a "common civilian"...

Japan isn't the only county that's guilty of this though. When I was in Taiwan, I thought it was interesting that mayors of different cities took days off from their jobs to rally for the party of their choice. The mayors couldn't do it as government officials, so they had to take days off from being a mayor and declare their support for their party of choice as "civilians". But when Ma Yingjiu walks up on the stage, do people see him as the Taipei mayor or a "common civilian"...

Koizumi never attended these things as a civilian. If he did, then there would be no problem. But he went using state resources, brought along with him his entourage and made it a part of his official itinerary. Thats what got people riled up. The point is that as going as a figurehead of state, that the visit is representative of everyone's views.

It makes a huge difference Kulong. Although its not as if he's a different person, its the context in which he makes the visit.

And your example, then this Ma Yingjiu guy is using his position improperly to further political goals. By walking up on stage and voicing support publicily while referencing to his position is much different than taking a noticeably less public role in the party.

From what I gather, you want Japan to block Koizumi and any other civil servant from practicing their freedom of worship?

Koizumi, during his term, is the head of state of Japan, is? Being the head of state isn't a part-time job, but a full-time job. He is the head of state 24/7, until his term is up.

There is no problem with TRUE civilians visiting the shrine or even Koizumi visiting the shrine before and AFTER his term, but certainly not during his term.

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If Bill Clinton joined the KKK during his term as the president of the U.S., he would've been joining the KKK as the president of the U.S. But if he joined the KKK before or after his term, he would've just been a private citizen joining the KKK.

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Mayor Ma at least declared his support for the KMT as a private citizen since he was "on vacation" as the mayor of Taipei. Koizumi visited the shrine as the head of state of Japan

Although I don't believe what Mayor Ma did was good enough, because just because he's on vacation and declaring his support as a private citizen, he is still the mayor. But at least he's better than Koizumi and didn't say "I, the mayor of Taipei, support the KMT."

Well, I think it makes a huge difference if Koizumi visits Yasukuni in an unofficial capacity. In that case, it is a person making the visit, not the state. I don't see why becoming a head of state doesn't entitle one to personal pursuits on one's own time.

Kazumi visiting is wrong.
Its wrong. It is unacceptable for Chinese. And it is unacceptable.

When one becomes the head of state, he or she is head of state 24/7 until his or her term is up. Wherever he goes, whoever sees him will recognize him as the head of state, not just a private citizen.

If people don't like what Koizumi does on his own time, they should protest against Koizumi, not Japan.

Koizumi is the head of state of Japan...

I know. And if people don't like what Koizumi does while he is not officiating on behalf of the state, they should protest against Koizumi personally, not the state.

Koizumi is the head of state of Japan, in a sense he represents both the Japanese government and the Japanese people.

While he is in his official capacity, yes. Japan is not a monarchy, and Koizumi is not royalty.

OMG... do you think him announcing that he is visiting the shrine as a "private citizen" during his term as the head of state of Japan would make any difference? Koizumi is still Koizumi, the head of state of Japan.

While he is not on the job, yes.

Just because he declare that he is visiting the shrine as a private citizen it doesn't mean the whole world would see him that way.

How would you feel if Bush joined the KKK as a private citizen... Or even better, what "he is not on the job"?

That would lower my opinion of him as a person (assuming that is even possible ) and definitely hurt his chances for re-election. However, I would not go railing against the US of A about it, because it is not a national issue. What he does as Dubya is his business, or at most, between him and the public, but what he does as President George W. Bush is between America and the world.

I thought this whole Yasukuni deal was overblown even before I heard that Koizumi might have to go there in unofficial capacity. So one can only imagine how impressed I am with the change in mood since then.

Bush = President of the U.S., 'nuff said.