Kume Shiseibyo (Koshibyo) in Matsuyama Park in Naha City
February 24, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On February 24, the Supreme Court ruled on the question of whether Naha City’s free provision of land in Matsuyama Park for the Kume Shiseibyo (Koshibyo), which is dedicated to Confucius, father of Confucianism, violates the principle of the separation of politics and religion in the constitution. The court, with Naoto Otani presiding, ruled that the free provision is unconstitutional.
The separation of politics and religion requires that national and municipal governments remain neutral in religious matters. After the case was remanded, the first and second rulings both held that Koshibyo is a religious facility, and thus the free provision of land by Naha City is unconstitutional.