Japanese court rejects suit against war shrine visit

A Japanese court today rejected a lawsuit against visits by the prime minister and the Tokyo governor to a war shrine vilified by China and other Asian countries, a court spokesman said.

The suit was filed by some 1,000 Japanese and South Korean citizens claiming the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara violated the constitution.