Japan Press Weekly

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2012 October 31 - November 6 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

Court revokes some ‘Kimigayo’-related punishments on Tokyo teachers

The Tokyo High Court on October 31 revoked punishments given to 21 of 64 Tokyo public high school teachers for their refusal to stand up and sing the national anthem “Kimigayo” during school ceremonies.

This is a second lawsuit filed by teachers who were punished by the Tokyo Board of Education for failing to follow its order.

The ruling judged that all pay cuts and suspensions from work imposed on the teachers are illegal and thus should be revoked. It, however, acknowledged all reprimands issued to them as legitimate.

Meanwhile, it recognized that school principals’ order to teachers to sing “Kimigayo” at school events and the Tokyo educational boards’ earlier instruction to them to do so were constitutional.

At a press conference, the plaintiffs stated that the ruling has put a break on educational degradation promoted by Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro, but criticized it as failing to recognize the order as unconstitutional. They expressed their determination to appeal to the Supreme Court.