Japanese Christian wins lawsuit

A Japanese Christian won a lawsuit against a mayor who gave free use of government land for a shrine belonging to the Shinto religion, a faith based on Japanese traditions and way of life.

"I am convinced that we have won regarding the unconstitutionality," said Sakae Taniuchi, one of two plaintiffs.

But the member of the Church of Christ in Japan expressed concern about the court's wording.

"I feel very angry about the fact that the court said that the unconstitutionality could have been avoided through certain means [by transferring the land to the shrine for free]," he said.