Kirk here with Claude’s translation of an article about an event at Kumamoto Castle. I don’t have a firm opinion about such events at the castle but it seems rather problematic to have three religious facilities (Kato Shrine, Inari Shrine, Kumamoto Daijingu) on the grounds and, at the same time, say that all activities held there must be completely secular. Of course, specifics about how the even is conducted, etc. may be relevant.
I’ll put URLs to the article and YouTube video in a comment.
—– start translation —-
Religious Events at Kumamoto Castle — Yes or No? Council Debates Multicultural Coexistence
In an era that calls for the realization of multicultural coexistence, the use of Kumamoto Castle became a topic of debate in the Kumamoto City Council.
The issue was sparked by a religious event held by Muslims at Ninomaru Plaza last June.
When questioned about the operational guidelines for large-scale group use of parks within the city, Mayor Onishi responded: “Parks with historical and cultural value that symbolize Kumamoto City, such as Kumamoto Castle, require different considerations from ordinary parks. Regarding large-scale group use of urban parks, we will carefully examine the appropriate criteria for decision-making and proper operational procedures, taking into account the impact on surrounding users, the extent to which the space is occupied, and the characteristics of each park.”
The religious event held last June was the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha (“Festival of Sacrifice”), held against the backdrop of a growing number of technical intern trainees arriving from Indonesia, and drew approximately 700 participants.
The city of Kumamoto authorized the event under the Urban Parks Ordinance, on the grounds that it did not constitute an event open to an unspecified general public.
The ordinance contains no provision prohibiting religious activities.
As the number of foreign residents moving to Kumamoto Prefecture continues to grow, the question of how to handle group use of public facilities has become a point of debate. The city notes that there are 1,100 parks within its boundaries, each requiring consideration appropriate to its historical value, and has stated that regarding religious activities, it wishes to “proceed cautiously while monitoring how other cities are handling the matter.”