The Fukuoka District Court ruled Tuesday that it was constitutional for the Kitakyushu Municipal Government to have ordered teachers to sing "Kimigayo" at school ceremonies, rejecting the teachers' claim for damages over pay cuts and reprimands for refusing to sing the national anthem.
The court, however, ordered the city to rescind salary cuts imposed on some of the teachers, citing abuse of discretion by the local government, while refusing to nullify the reprimands against the other teachers.
Eighteen elementary and junior high school teachers and a teachers' union in the city filed the lawsuit in 1996, seeking to invalidate the salary cuts and reprimands, claiming they were unconstitutional and demanding about 1.6 million yen in compensation for distress.
According to the ruling, the plaintiffs received admonitions or pay cuts for refusing to follow an order by school principals to stand up and sing the national anthem at entrance and graduation ceremonies between 1985 and 1999.