Background

• The Japanese Government promulgated the first leprosy prevention law on March 19, 1907, but it became effective on April 1, 1909 because of financial difficulties. Japan was divided into 5 areas, and the fourth area included Shimane Prefecture
  Shimane Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
  
  , Okayama Prefecture
  Okayama Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
  
  , Hiroshima Prefecture
  Hiroshima Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
  
  , Yamaguchi Prefecture
  Yamaguchi Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
  
  , Tokushima Prefecture
  Tokushima Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
  
  , Kagawa Prefecture
  Kagawa Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
  
  , Ehime Prefecture
  Ehime Prefecture
  is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
  
   and Kochi Prefecture
  Kochi Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
  
  . In this area, Kagawa Prefecture
  Kagawa Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
  
   was selected as the site of the sanatorium.
• Two main reasons for the leprosy prevention law were, 1)foreigners who came into 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...
  
   after the Meiji Restoration
  Meiji Restoration
  The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
  
  （1868), were very much surprised to find wandering leprosy patients in Japan, and 2) the Japanese Government was worried about the considerable number of leprosy patients among those who were examined for the drafts at age 20.

Ooshima Seishoen

• Apr 1, 1909: Prefectural Ooshima Leprosarium was established in a small island 8 km off from the port of Takamatsu
  Takamatsu, Kagawa
  is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
  
  .
• 1910:Prefectural Ooshima Sanatorium.
• July 1, 1941:National Leprosarium Ooshima Seishoen.
• Nov, 1946:National Sanatorium Ooshima Seisoen.
• Apr 1947:"Patient Comfort Money" started.jthis was changed to "Patient Salary Money" in 1971, which was equivalent to the National Pension for Handicapped Grade 1.
• 1948:Promin treatment started.
• 1961:Aid work by patients began to be transferred to employees.
• Apr 1996:The 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law was abolished.
• Jul 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.

The Number of Patients

• The number of in-patients 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
  Leprosy stigma
  Leprosy stigma is a kind of social stigma, a strong feeling that a leprosy patient is shameful and is not accepted normally in society. Also called leprosy related stigma, leprostigma and stigma of leprosy.-Stigma:...
  
  might influence the number of those who went into the society.