"Freedom of religion should be guaranteed. The defendant's refusal to offer an apology to the photo of the deceased does not mean he was insincere. However, if he had apologized in front of the photo of the deceased, it would have better eased the mental anguish of the bereaved family," the judge said in a recent ruling.
and
The judge thus ordered him to pay 73 million yen to the plaintiffs -- 66 million yen in compensation for causing the victim's death and 7 million yen for refusing to apologize in front of the photo of the deceased.
Okay, let me get this straight. The judge says that freedom of religion should be guaranteed, yet slaps an additional $55,000 on the total bill because he refused to commit idolatry.