Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium

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Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Geography
Location	1192 Sumuide, Nago, Okinawa, Japan
Organisation
Care system	HealthCare of those who had leprosy
Type	National hospital run by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
Services
Beds	423 (Japanese health and medical law) and 309 (in-patients)
History
Opened	1938
Links
Website	http://www.hosp.go.jp/~airakuen/
Lists	Hospitals in Japan

The Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium (or National Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen) is a sanatorium for current or former leprosy patients in Nago, Okinawa, Japan that was established in 1938.

History[]

History before the sanatorium[]

Major events[]

On November 10, 1938, the sanatorium first opened as the Okinawa Prefectural Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium. In April 1941 it was renamed as the National Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium.

• April 25, 1946: operated by United States Military Government
• April 1, 1952: transferred to the newly created Ryukyu Government
• August 26, 1961: Leprosy Prevention Law is promulgated in Okinawa
• May 15, 1972: Okinawa returned to Japan. Renamed the National Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen.
• April 1, 1996: Leprosy Prevention Law is abolished

World War II[]

Nearly 400 new leprosy patients were admitted by the Japanese army in September 1944 for a total of around 913 patients. The high population led to food shortages, and housing conditions were deplorable. When the Battle of Okinawa began in April 1945, the sanatorium director Hiroshi Hayata allowed patients to leave and avoid the battle. By the end of April, US forces had occupied the sanatorium.

After World War II[]

• August 1945: the director of the army hospital visits the sanatorium.
• March 8, 1946: the Yagaji Sanatorium on Yagaji Island becomes the restricted area
• 1949: Dr. V. Scorebrand visits the sanatorium and tries to use promin.^{[clarification needed]}
• July 1953: Dr. Doull visits Okinawa for two months and reports various recommendations concerning leprosy.
• March 1951: Okinawa 'Save the Leprosy Patients' Association is founded
• February 1954: the Jichikai (patients' association) for Airakuen founds the Tomonokai association for those discharged from Airakuen and Miyako Nanseien Sanatoriums.
• February 1960: outpatient clinic is started in Naha. Similar clinics are later built on the islands of Ishigakijima and Miyakojima
• March 1957: the Japanese Government begins sending leprosy specialists to two Okinawan sanatoriums.
• 1967: Okinawan schoolchildren surveys begin
• April 1996: Leprosy Prevention Law of 1953 is abolished
• July 1998: trial for compensation begins
• May 11, 2001: previous Leprosy Prevention Law is ruled unconstitutional during the trial
• May 25, 2001: trial for compensation is decided. 8 to 14 million yen is given to patients depending on the duration of unconstitutional period

Number of patients[]

See also[]

• Nami Matsuda
• Keisai Aoki

Notes[]

References[]

• The transitions of the leprosy policy (1999) Kazuo Saikawa, Okinawa Leprosy Prevention Association. in Japanese.

External links[]

• Airakuen Sanatorium HP, in Japanese

Coordinates: 26°40′34.2″N 128°01′08.3″E / 26.676167°N 128.018972°E / 26.676167; 128.018972