A Japanese court ruled Thursday that a government order forcing teachers to sing national anthem at school events infringed upon freedom of thought, and is against the basic education law.

The suit against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was filed by 401 plaintiffs, who are teachers or former teachers, over a 2003 directive demanding public school employees stand and sing the Kimigayo national anthem in front of the Japanese flag Hinomaru during entrance and graduation ceremonies at schools.

"The court said in its reasons for the ruling, it can't deny the fact that Hinomaru flag and Kimigayo anthem have a history of being used for promoting militarism, and that people can agree or disagree over them," Hiroshi Oyama, who heads the lawyers'team for the suit, said.

Kimigayo, which carries lines originally wishing for the eternal reign of the emperor, is often seen as associated with Japan's wartime militarism.

The Tokyo District Court ordered the government to pay 30,000 yen (about 256 U.S. dollars) in damages to each plaintiff for causing distress.

Since the directive, 25 teachers who refused to comply have either lost their jobs or have been denied positions at schools, while 345 have been reprimanded. The suit was first filed by 228 teachers in January 2004, with more teachers joining as plaintiffs.

Tokyo metropolitan government's education board said in a statement the court's decision was regrettable and that it will decide whether to appeal or not after reviewing the details of the ruling.

Kimigayo was officially designated as Japan's national anthem and Hinomaru as national flag, under a law enacted in 1999, but they remain controversial due to their association with the country's imperial system and militaristic past.

Source: Xinhua