Photo/Illutration A professor was told to use tape to cover the colors on his socks at the Fukuoka District Court on June 8, 2023. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Steeped in “tradition and formality,” Wimbledon imposes a strict dress code on tennis players participating in championship tournaments.

Their clothing must be all white, not cream or off-white. And that goes for accessories, such as bandannas, hats and socks, too.

I was reminded of all that by a damages suit that was filed with the Tokyo District Court.

A university professor, who was wearing white socks with rainbow stripes, was barred from attending a hearing on a case concerning same-sex marriage. The judge, who may have overreacted to the rainbow’s symbolic association with the LGBTQ community, ordered the professor to cover up the stripes with tape. The professor and other interested parties decided to sue the national government for damages.

This got me thinking: What if the entire front row of the gallery was occupied by people in T-shirts, each wearing one of the seven colors of the rainbow?

Or what would happen if the judge entered the courtroom to find every single person in the gallery decked out in the judge’s black robes?

I know it’s utterly ridiculous, but I keep fantasizing. For the judge, there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer.

To preserve order in the courtroom, presiding judges are vested with all sorts of prerogatives. Then, where should they draw the line when determining what clothing or conduct is inappropriate?

There will be a “gray zone” where case-by-case decisions must be made.

When denying someone’s freedom, that is precisely why judges must explain their reasons in earnest.

The professor who instituted the above-mentioned suit asserted: “No explanation was given. None whatsoever.”

The world is a complex palette of colors—white, black, gray, cream, off-white and so on and so forth. And surely, the task of the judiciary is to deal with that world with words and reason.

—The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 21

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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