The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld lower court decisions that say there is no legal basis for local governments to reject residency registration applications from Aum Shinrikyo members.
Ruling on the case for the first time, the top court demanded that Tokyo's Suginami Ward and Nagoya's Chuo Ward reverse their decisions on applications submitted by six cultists.
The court concluded that municipalities are required to accept residency applications, saying a resident registry book is "the basis for processing administrative duties, such as voter records, concerning residents by keeping accurate records conforming to (actual) residence (data)."