The Tokyo District Court on Monday dismissed a damages suit filed against the government by civilian survivors and relatives of people who died in the 1945 U.S. air raids on Tokyo, saying almost everyone suffered during World War II.
"Given that almost all the people suffered . . . it is impossible to select people subject to redress among them," presiding Judge Toshifumi Saiki said in reading out the ruling handed down by his predecessor, Toshihiko Tsuruoka.
While admitting in the ruling that "the argument that redress is needed for civilian victims is not beyond comprehension emotionally," the judge said, "The issue of redress should be resolved through the legislative process on the basis of various political considerations, and is entrusted to the broad discretion of the Diet."
The 131 plaintiffs were seeking a total of around ¥1.44 billion in compensation and an apology for their suffering, which they say was caused by the government's delay in ending World War II.
Brought to the court on March 9, 2007, the day before the 62nd anniversary of the Great Tokyo Air Raid, it was the first suit filed in connection with suffering caused by a wartime air raid, according to the group's lawyers.
The group also claimed it is neither fair nor constitutional that the government has barely compensated civilians while it has provided generous compensation to soldiers, paramilitary personnel and their relatives.
But Tsuruoka said, "The different treatment with former service members, civilians working for the military and atomic bomb victims does not represent clear discrimination."