The Osaka High Court on Friday dismissed a damages suit against the state filed by a cram-school teacher who passed the national bar exam but was prevented from becoming a judge in 1994.
Naoki Kamisaka, from the city of Minoo in Osaka Prefecture, had argued in the 11 million yen suit that the Supreme Court's decision was discriminatory and based on his ideological or political beliefs.
Kamisaka, 39, passed the National Bar Examination in 1991 and completed his studies at the Legal Training and Research Institute, but his application to become an assistant judge was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Kamisaka claimed his rejection was due to his past support for a group suing Minoo for allegedly violating the constitutional separation of religion and politics.
In the ruling that supported an earlier decision by the Osaka District Court, Presiding Judge Yukio Ota said the rejection was not based on ideology or politics but on his character and attitude.
"He was not suitable to become a judge because a judge needs to listen to other people's opinions and correct mistakes if they are pointed out," Ota said.
Ota said Kamisaka had resisted writing dates under Imperial-era names and instead used the Christian era on his documents during his legal training, defying his teachers.