JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: To Japan now, where the new prime minister, Yoshiro Mori, is again embroiled in controversy. Now, he has created a storm over remarks he made about Japan's former state religion. Our Tokyo bureau chief Marina Kamimura reports.</s>MARINA KAMIMURA, CNN TOKYO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): This time, Mr. Mori told fellow lawmakers that Japan is a divine country with the emperor at its core. That was a bedrock principle in Japan before World War II, but it's problematic now because of the strict separation between state and religion that was carefully etched out in post-World War II Japan, particularly relevant for other countries in Asia, since Japan's aggression in the years leading up to and including that war were made in the name of the so-called divine emperor.</s>TAKASHI INOGUCHI, UNIV. OF TOKYO: In the constitution, the politics should be separated from religion very clearly and then his difference to his support for one of the religious organization can be very damaging.</s>KAMIMURA: As Mr. Mori attended the private funeral to lay to rest his predecessor, Keizo Obuchi, his remarks created a firestorm in Japan's political circles. The new prime minister made an effort to calm the critics, saying he never meant to contradict post-second World War principles, saying that Japan's sovereignty rests with its people, not its emperor. Mr. Mori says he only meant to encourage the Japanese to cherish their culture. But with a general election expected next month, this is one play the opposition, and even those within his party, will be keen to exploit. Marina Kamimura, CNN, Tokyo.
Japan's New Prime Minister Sparks Controversy