The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday dismissed a retrial request over a 1959 Supreme Court ruling that found the U.S. military's presence in Japan constitutional.
The 1959 ruling is often referenced by proponents of security policy reforms to justify the use of the right to collective self-defense.
Mitsuo Yoshinaga, a lawyer representing a citizens' group that has been fighting the 1959 ruling, said Tuesday's decision was "illogical." He said the district court was determined from the beginning to reject the retrial request.