The Naha Confucius Temple lawsuit and religion-making in Japan's courts of law
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3868081 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ernils Larsson (0000-0003-4184-1626, Uppsala University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 26-41 |
| Publication date | 2024-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Research on Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2050-3032 • E-ISSN: 2050-3040 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/20503032241226968 |
| OpenAlex | W4391400099 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 22 |
This paper critically examines the process of "religion-making" as it occurs in Japanese courts of law, through an analysis of the recent Naha Confucius Temple case. The case concerned a small Confucius temple built on public land in Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa. The mayor of Naha had decided to waver lease for the land, since he considered the temple to be an "educational institution" focused primarily on disseminating knowledge about Okinawan history and local cultural heritage. Although the organization behind the temple was legally registered as a general incorporated foundation, the plaintiff argued that their activities and objectives were clearly religious in nature. In rulings handed down between 2018 and 2021, all three instances of the judiciary ruled in favor of the plaintiff, deciding that despite the organization's legal status and stated objectives, their connection to Confucianism meant that they should be considered a "religious organization" under law
Ancient history · Foundation (evidence · Institution · Lawsuit · Plaintiff · Political science · Sociology · Temple · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Japanese History and Culture · Law · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
Religion and World Politics
Haiboku o dakishimete
Regulating Aversion
Confucianism as a World Religion
Japanese Confucianism
The Ideology of Religious Studies
Before Religion
The Category of ‘Religion’ in Contemporary Japan
Beyond Methodological Nationalism
Okinawa. The History of an Island People
Two Concepts of Religious Freedom in the European Court of Human Rights
At the Boundaries of Religious Identity
Covenantal Pluralism in “Homogenous” Japan
Imposed Limitations on Freedom of Religion in China and the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine
Constitutional Migration and the Meaning of Religious Freedom
"Cutting Up a Chicken with a Cow-Cleaver"-Confucianism as a Religion in Japan's Courts of Law
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |