These rights are protected in the Japanese Constitution which was put in place after WWII. They are outlined in the section of the constitution called "The rights and duties of citizens". Article 20 guarantees both freedom of religion and the separation of religion from government: "Freedom of religion is guaranteed to every person. Any religious organization must not make use of political power. No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the state or exercise any political authority. No person shall be compelled to take part in any religious acts. The state and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity." Article 21 guarantees the unconditional rights to freedom of speech, freedom to assemble and associate with anyone, and freedom from state censorship. In addition, the Japanese constitution "guarantees freedom of thought and conscience; academic freedom; the prohibition of discrimination based on race, creed, social status, or family origin; and a number of what could be called welfare rights: the right to "minimum standards of wholesome and cultured living"; the right to "equal education"; the "right and obligation to work" according to fixed standards of labor and wages; and the right of workers to organize." (http://countrystudies.us/japan/113.htm) For a brief outline of the history of the Japanese constitution and its specific construction, see Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Japan And an official translation to English of the constitution is available at http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html . Japan are rated highly for their freedoms by the US Department of State.

In thoery, yes! In practice, not always! There are cases of people who have exercised their right to free speech, as guaranteed by the constitution, and yet still ended up being arrested and receiving heavy prison sentences. It all depends on your choice of "free speech" If its something the government isn't particularly sensitive about, fine, you're free to bang your drum and talk til you're blue in the face, but if its a hot issue that the politicos have an interest in, you could find yourself on the receiving end of some blatant rights violations.