Supreme Court not fulfilling its role

A missed opportunity. The Supreme Court has a duty to judge the constitutionality of Koizumi’s Yasukuni visits:

"When Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals alongside the nation's war dead, did he violate the constitutional separation of state and religion?(...)

On Friday, the top court sidestepped the issue altogether, rejecting the plaintiffs' claims without ruling on the visit's constitutionality.(...)

If the Supreme Court continues to avoid making judgment calls about the separation of religion and state--a major pillar of Japan's Constitution--then it is not fulfilling its role as 'guardian of the Constitution'."

Koizumi visit to Yasukuni (Asahi - 2006/6/26)