Oku-Komyo-En Sanatorium (光明園), or National Sanatorium Oku-Komyo-En is a sanatorium for leprosy

Leprosy

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...

 or ex-leprosy patients on an island called Nagashima, Oku-machi, Setouchi, Okayama

Setouchi, Okayama

is a city located in the southern part of Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 2004, the city has a population of 39,377. The total area is 125.51 km²....

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. On the same island is National Sanatorium Nagashima Aiseien. As of December 2, 2005, there were 252 residents (131 males and 121 females) in the Oku-Komyo-En.

History

Sotojima Hoyoen Sanatorium opened April 1, 1909 was opened in Nakashima, Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

 for patients in Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

 fu, Hyogo prefecture, Nara Prefecture

Nara Prefecture

is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....

, Wakayama prefecture, Mie

Mie Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....

 prefecture, Shiga prefecture, Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

, Fukui Prefecture

Fukui Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...

, Ishikawa Prefecture

Ishikawa Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...

, Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....

, and Tottori Prefecture

Tottori Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...

.

The sanatorium, in a low area where the Kanzaki River flows into the sea, was hit by the Muroto typhoon on September 21, 1934. Casualties included 2,702 dead and 334 missing. In the sanatorium, a total of 187 people died, including 173 patients, 3 employees, and 11 family members. On September 24, 1934, the Interior Ministry decided on the transfer of 416 survivors to other sanatoriums. They included Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium

Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium

, or the National Sanatorium Nagashima Aiseien, is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients on the island of Nagashima in Setouchi, Okayama, Japan, which was founded in 1930.-Background:...

 (78 patients), Kyushu Sanatorium (Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium

Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium

Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium or National　Sanatorium　Kikuchi　Keifuen　is　a　sanatorium　for　leprosy　patients　or　ex-leprosy　patients　at Kohshi-shi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto-ken, Japan founded in 1909...

) (50 patients), Ooshima Sanatorium (70 patients), Zensho Byoin (Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium

Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium

Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Tama Zenshoen, is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients situated in Higashimurayama-shi, Tokyo-to, Japan starting in 1909.-Background:...

 (70 patients), Hokubu Hoyoen Sanatorium (50 patients), and Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium

Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium

Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Kuryu Rakusen-en is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients situated at Kusatsu-machi, Azuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture, Japan which started in 1932.-Pre-Rakusen-en days:...

 (98 patients).

Timeline

• April 1938: Prefectural Oku-Komyo-En Sanatorium was opened at Nagashima Island, neighboring Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium
• July 1941: National Leprosarium Oku-Komyo-En
• 1946: National Sanatorium Oku-komyo-En
• May 9, 1988: the Oku-Nagashima-Oohashi Bridge was completed from the mainland to the islands of Oku-Komyo-En and Nagashima Airakuen
• April 1996: The 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law was abolished
• July 1998: The trial for compensation started
• May 11, 2001: The trial for compensation ruled that the previous Leprosy Prevention was unconstitutional
• May 25, 2001: The trial for compensation was confirmed. The compensation of 8,000,000 yen to 14,000,000 yen was given to patients, depending on the duration of unconstitutional periods

Number of patients at end of fiscal year

The number of inpatients is the sum of patients which changed not only by the newly diagnosed hospitalized and those who died among in-patients, by other factors such as the number of patients who escaped or were discharged, depending on the condition of the times. Recently they were encouraged to be discharged, but the long period of the segregation policy causing leprosy stigma might influence the number of those who returned to society.

Number of inpatients by year

Year	Number of patients
1945	871
1950	839
1955	962
1960	968
1965	931
1970	809
1975	728
1980	658
1985	585
1990	503
1995	422
1999	345

Number of inpatients by year

Year	Number of patients
2003	288
2004	267
2005	258
2006	244
2007	230
2008	215

See also

• Leprosy in Japan
  Leprosy in Japan
  As of 2009, 2600 former leprosy patients were living in 13 national sanatoriums and two private hospitals in Japan. Their mean age is 80. There were no newly diagnosed Japanese leprosy patients in 2005, but one in 2006, and one in 2007.- Ancient and Medieval Ages :...
  
  
• Takekichi Sugai
  Takekichi Sugai
  was a Japanese dermatologist. He was the first chief doctor at Sotojima Hoyoen Sanatorium and wrote many papers on leprosy. Sotojima Hoyoen was a public leprosy sanatorium present in Osaka Prefecture between 1909 and 1934.-Life:...
  
  , the first physician at Sotojima Sanatorium
• Torajiro Imada
  Torajiro Imada
  Torajiro　Imada　was　a　Japanese　police chief who　became　the　first　director　of　leprosy　sanatorium,　Sotojima Hoyoen, Osaka, Japan from 1909 to 1926. He admitted the autonomy right of the patients' association...
  
  , the first director of Sotojima Sanatorium