Paper short abstract:

This paper will review arguments presented by both sides in the Naha Confucius Temple lawsuit, resolved by the Japanese Supreme Court in 2021. The paper argues that the case should be read as reflecting a broader political dispute over the nature of contemporary Okinawan and Japanese identity.

Paper long abstract:

In February of 2021, the Japanese Supreme Court handed down their ruling on the Naha Confucius Temple lawsuit. The case concerned a small Confucius temple (shiseibyō) built on public land in Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa. The temple was owned and maintained by a general incorporated foundation, Kume Sōseikai, devoted to commemorating the history and culture of Naha’s 14th century Chinese immigrant community, and because of the temple’s function as an educational institution and tourist attraction, the municipal government decided to waver rent. The lawsuit was filed by a local conservative activist, who argued that by doing so, the municipal government violated the principle of secularism as established in Articles 20 and 89 of the 1947 constitution. All three instances of the judiciary sided with the plaintiff, concluding that while the organization was not registered as a religious corporation, the ceremonies carried out at the temple should still be considered religious activity under the constitution.

This paper will use the Naha Confucius Temple case to illustrate contemporary disputes over Okinawan and Ryukyuan identity and heritage. For the plaintiff and her many supporters in Japan’s conservative and nationalist right, Okinawa is understood as a fully integrated part of Japan, and the Confucius temple was presented as a symbol of Chinese encroachment on Japanese territory. In contrast to this, Kume Sōseikai and the municipal government viewed the temple as a historical site representing the former Ryukyu kingdom’s role as an independent trade nation located between China and Japan. By analyzing arguments presented by both sides in and outside court, the paper will show how different understandings of history, culture, and religion continue to cause tensions between Japan’s majority population and people inhabiting one of the country’s last colonial holdings.