There is freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in Japan, but it also matters where those freedoms are exercised. According to the Japan Times:

Venerated by militarists and marinated in over a century of militarism and war, Yasukuni Shrine may well be Japan’s least friendly venue for a demonstration by pacifists.

Still, every Aug. 15, a motley crew of Christians, radicals and antiwar campaigners come here to stage what has traditionally been a token protest against visits to the shrine by prominent politicians.

The activists range in age from 19 to 90 and seldom carry anything more dangerous than white flags and placards, which is why they were stunned last month when the police waded in and arrested six of their members.

Dressed in full riot gear, the police behaved aggressively, swinging batons, feet and fists against people who were posing no threat to anyone, claim the activists.

The protesters claim they were jostled, kicked and punched as they tried to get to the shrine, where they intended to shout antiwar slogans during the traditional one-minute’s silence at noon; four — including a law student and a musician — were grabbed and held with the other two arrestees, without charge, for 12 days.

As always on Aug. 15, the shrine was serenaded by martial music from dozens of ultranationalist sound trucks and heavily ringed by thousands of police.

Hardly a venue, in other words, likely to be seriously threatened by at most 500 mostly middle-aged pacifists, but the authorities disagree.

The Yasukuni arrests follow the successful prosecution of Masaki Kinoshita last year after he sprayed a public toilet wall in Suginami-ku in Tokyo with antiwar slogans. The prosecuting judge in the case said that Kinoshita had “spoiled the beauty of the toilet, making users uncomfortable and unhappy.”