Japan Constitution Draft Would Change Religion Provisions

Today's People's Daily reports that Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has finalized its draft of a new constitution . This is the first amendment to it since it was adopted after World War II. The draft relaxes the ban on the state engaging in religious education or other religious activity. It would prohibit this only when the activity goes beyond the scope of socially accepted protocol or manners, Apparently this is an attempt to legitimize Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's recent visits to the war- related Yasukuni Shrine, which have been challenged as unconstitutional. (See prior postings 1, 2 .)