Torajiro Imada
Encyclopedia
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 Sotojima sanatorium was destroyed in Muroto Typhoon in 1934 and it was reconstructed as Oku-Komyo-En Sanatorium
, Okayama Prefecture
.
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...
, 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...
from 1909 to 1926. He admitted the autonomy right of the patients' association. The Sotojima sanatorium was destroyed in Muroto Typhoon in 1934 and it was reconstructed as Oku-Komyo-En Sanatorium
Oku-Komyo-En Sanatorium
Oku-Komyo-En Sanatorium , or National Sanatorium Oku-Komyo-En is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients on an island called Nagashima, Oku-machi, Setouchi, Okayama, Japan. On the same island is National Sanatorium Nagashima Aiseien...
, 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 :...
.
Personal History
- He was born in Okayama PrefectureOkayama Prefectureis 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 :...
in 1859. After becoming the chief of several police stations in OsakaOsakais 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...
, he became the chief of the most important Sonezaki Polic Station of OsakaOsakais 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...
. In 1909, he was appointed the director of the Sotojima Hoyoen Sanatorium, situated in Osaka PrefectureOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
. - He retired in April 1926 and lived in SakaiSakaiSakai most often refers to one of the following:*Sakai, Osaka, a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan*Sakai , Japanese surnames written with various kanji*Sakai Project, an open-source educational and research software project...
Osaka PrefectureOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
. - After 8 months, Masataka MurataMasataka Muratawas a Japanese physician. He invented a Murata's method for the serodiagnosis of syphilis, and studied leprosy. He worked at the Osaka Prefectural Sotojima Sanatorium and was the director between 1926 and 1933. He treated leprosy patients as respectable persons. After the Sotojima Incident, in...
became the second director of the sanatorium. - He died around July, 1940 in SakaiSakaiSakai most often refers to one of the following:*Sakai, Osaka, a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan*Sakai , Japanese surnames written with various kanji*Sakai Project, an open-source educational and research software project...
.
Sotojima Hoyoen Sanatorium(1909-1934)
- At the start of the sanatorium, it was a lawless area with wandering vagabonds. However, order and safety were gradually established by his efforts. He used a free hand considerably admitted the director of the sanatorium.
- With the exception of Kyushu Sanatorium, Kumamoto, directors of leprosy sanatoriums came from police, since wandering leprosy patients included criminals. However, physicians took the parts of directors later in other santoriums.
- Imada exceptionally stayed long the director of the sanatorium for 17 years.
- He appeared a well-built important person.
- The first chief doctor was Takekichi SugaiTakekichi Sugaiwas 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:...
, who studied leprosy intensively, wrote many papers and guided other doctors. - There were about 300 leprosy patients which was the capacity of the sanatorium in one and a half year. The problems of food, drinking water and clothing, first appeared very difficult, became later stablized. A patient recreation organization was formed at his proposal. Those who could work were given money, and farms and gardens were made. A church was established. He was an able administrator and was loved by patients.
- In 1919, when the patient organization wanted to withdraw their autonomy right, Imada strongly inspired the spirit of autonomy.