Ryumyo Tsunawaki
Ryumyo Tsunawaki
(January 24, 1876 - December 5, 1970 was a Buddhist priest who established a 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...

 hospital Minobu Jinkyo-en, in Minobu-cho, Yamanashi-ken, Japan in 1906.

Early life

He was born on Jan. 24, 1876 in Fukuoka

Fukuoka

Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...

-ken. His parents were farmers. After his tuberculosis cleared miraculously at the end of his primary school days, he determined to become a priest. He attended several temples and then a school
"Tetsugakkan" (Now "Toyo University”)　and studied philosophy. He happened to visit the Kuonji Temple, the center of the Nichiren Sect of Buddhism in Yamanashi

Yamanashi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...

-ken. There he witnessed a group of miserable leprosy patients living in the dry riverbed and decided to save them. His wife Sada was surprised to hear his determination, but cooperated with him for many years.

Minobu Jinkyoen Hospital

The Minobu Junkyoen Hospital started in 1906. Prior to the start he visited the Interior Ministry of the Japanese government, where he was encouraged to go, while he was told that the government would not be involved in 10 to 15 years. Contrary to this statement, the government started five leprosy sanatoriums three years later. The Kuonji Temple also helped him. For funding, he started a peculiar donation system, saving 1 rin a day, which was 3 sen a month, equivalent to 1 yen a year, and for 100,000 people. For the running of private leprosy hospitals, the financial system differed greatly; Hannah Riddell

Hannah Riddell

Hannah Riddell was an English woman who devoted her life to the salvation of Hansen's disease patients in Japan.-Early life and her determination:...

 relied on donation from England and rich families, Cornwall Legh

Cornwall Legh

Cornwall Legh, Mary Helena Cornwall Legh was a highly-educated English woman, who devoted herself after age 50, to missionary work in Japan and especially to the welfare, education and medical care of leprosy patients in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.-England and Japan:She was born at...

 was from her fortune.

His Papers

• He wrote many articles, chiefly concerning his religion.
  • "Leprosy can be eliminated by this way" was reported at the second leprosy meeting by Osaka Prefecture in 1929. Although statistics were taken by policemen, the number of leprosy patients were decreasing. Those who have been given a diagnosis of leprosy should be hospitalized as early as possible and be given chaulmoogra oil. They will surely improve.
  • "The Religions and Saving Leprosy Patients", I have seen many cases who have dicharged; some became soldiers, or housewives. I believe that leprosy, even in the second stage, can be cured.
    • These papers were written before the promin age.

Branch Hospital in Fukuoka

In 1930, Tsunawaki accepted a hospital "Ikunomatsubara Ryoyoin" of Motoji Tanaka which was in trouble financially and made it a branch hospital. Dr. Hayata, his nephew, worked there In 1942, it was given to the Army and was made
a tuberculosis sanatorium. The patients were transferred to Hoshizuka Keiaien.

Episodes

Like Father Damien, out of necessity, he amputated a leg of a patient after learning from Kensuke Mitsuda

Kensuke Mitsuda

was a Japanese leprologist and director of the Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium and the National Sanatorum Nagashima Aiseien. He had been at the frontier of leprosy policy of Japan. He was given the Order of Cultural Merits and Damien-Dutton Award...

. He visited Sotojima Hoyoen Sanatorium soon after a flood in 1934, attended the opening ceremony of Nagashima Aiseien Sanato
rium, visited Ooshima Seishoen. He attended the Congress of Japanese Leprosy Association. A photograph was left of him not in usual Buddhist uniform but in a suit with a necktie in 1935.

Michi Tsunawaki, his Daughter

Michi Tsunawaki, his only daughter, helped with his father and mother, and became the director of the hospital when Ryumyo died in 1970. She was married to a doctor who helped them but died a few years later. She again was married to another doctor who also helped with them but later died. The Hospital was closed in 1992, and the patients were transferred to 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:...

.

Criticisms

• The leprosy problem verification project condemned that the religious people cooperated with the segregation policy of the Government, and stressed too much the glorification of the Imperial Family. Making a branch of the Jinkyoen in Fukuoka was to complement the Government leprosy policy.

Honours

• In 1930 he was given the 6th Order of the Sacred Treasure (social contributor)
• In 1976 he was given the 3rd Order of the Sacred Treasure at his death