(Observer Network) According to the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK), Naha City Great Wall Ganzi announced at the city council on the 9th that it would charge the Confucius Temple land use fee.
Screenshot of the official website of Japan Broadcasting Association
On February 24 this year, the Supreme Court of Japan made a ruling, saying that the act of exempting Confucius Temple from land use fees by Okinawa Prefecture The capital (Naha City) violates the principle of separation of church and state (i.e. separation of politics and religion), and this clause prohibits state organs from engaging in religious activities.
Naha City later said, "This is a public facility that reflects the history and culture of Okinawa, and can also be regarded as a tourism resource." However, the court ruled in the first and second instances that "this should be regarded as a religious facility and violates the Constitution."
According to a report by Kyodo News on the 24th, this case is the third case determined by the Supreme Court of Japan in which religious organizations obtain privileges from the state.
htmlOn the 9th, the city Ganzi said at the meeting that in order to avoid 's unconstitutional behavior, , the policy of charging the park with the use fee will be clarified according to the Supreme Court's judgment.The specific fee amount will be negotiated with the city legal adviser before making a decision.
It is reported that the Confucius Temple in Naha City is also known as "Kumi Zhisheng Temple". It is managed by the Kumi Chongsheng Association, which consists of the "Kumi thirty-six surnames" who traveled from China to Ryukyu during the period of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The Confucius Temple, which was built in the 17th century, was originally located in Izumisaki, Naha City, but unfortunately it was burned down during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. It was later rebuilt in 1975 and is currently located in Wakasa Town, Naha City.
In 2013, the members of the Kumi Chongsheng Society were recognized by Naha City and provided land use rights free of charge. The Confucius Temple was rebuilt in the Matsuyama Park in Kumi, not far from the former site, covering an area of 1,335 square meters.
During the Second Shang Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the Zhisheng Temple and the Minglun Hall were the highest centers of Ryukyu Confucianism. Confucius worship ceremony is held every September, and the main priest will wear a rhododendron to sacrifice with ancient rituals.
In the same year, Weng Changxiongzhi, the mayor of Naha , believed that Confucius Temple was a public welfare learning and tourism place, so according to the law, it exempted except for its annual land rent of 576 yen (about 345,000 yuan) 50,000 yen (about 345,000 yuan) per year.
However, this move aroused opposition from residents of Naha City. In 2014, citizen Jin Chengzhao filed a lawsuit with the court. believes that the Zhisheng Temple is a religious facility. The municipal government's rent-free practice violates the principle of separation of church and state in the Japanese Constitution.
At the regular press conference on February 24, a reporter from Kyodo News asked what China has to comment on the Japanese Supreme Court's ruling that Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan to lend the park land to the "Confucian Temple" for free against the principle of "separation of church and state" in the Japanese Constitution.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "I don't understand what you are talking about."
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