Kuryū Rakusen-en Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Kuryū Rakusen-en is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients situated at Kusatsu-machi, Azuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture in Japan, which started in 1932.
History Pre-Rakusen-en days 1869: There was a big fire in the Kusatsu Hot Spring. Later, a publicity book Kusatsu Onsen Shi (Kusatsu Hot Spring is good for health) circulated and by and by leprosy patients gathered around Kusatsu. 1888: Erwin Bälz wrote that after studying Kusatsu Hot Spring, Japanese hot springs should be used for health purposes. 1907: Bertrand met opposition to his plan of building a hospital in Kusatsu. 1913: Hannah Riddell sent the missionary Yonehara to Kusatsu. 1914: Koenkai (Light and salt society), a Christian group, was formed in Kusatsu.
Mary Cornwall-Legh
1915: Mary Cornwall-Legh inspected Kusatsu. 1916: Mary Cornwall-Legh started the Barnabas' mission. 1917: St. Barnabas' Hospital started with Dr. Kesa Hattori and Nurse Chiyo Mikami. 1924: Suzuran Hospital was started by Kesa Hattori and Chiyo Mikami but soon closed after the death of Hattori. 1929: St.Barnaba Hospital was renewed (Dr. Ichiro Tsuruta). 1930: The population of Yunosawa Community was 817, one third of Kusatsu.
Kusatsu Rakusen-en Sanatorium 1932: Kusatsu Rakusen-en Sanatorium started (director: Yoshiichi Furumi) 1938: Special prison "Juukanbou" Kusatsu Special Prison, was built within the sanatorium. 1941: St. Barnabas' Hospital was closed. 44 patients were transferred to Kusatsu Rakusen-en. 1947: The cruel condition of the special prison was spotlighted. The director was suspended from office. 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 to 14 million yen was given to patients depending on the duration of unconstitutional periods.
Number of in-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 might influence the number of those who went into the society. Year Number of in-patients 1945 1314 1950 1040 1955 1064 1960 994 1965 911 1970 811 1975 777 1980 689 1985 580 1990 477 1995 401 1999 309
Fukken Eno Jitsugetsu (2001), Koyo Shuppansha, Tokyo, p375 Year Number of in-patients 2003 251 2004 236 2005 223 2006 200 2007 186 2008 169
http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~libell/main.html 2009.12.24
See also Kusatsu Special Prison
References Fusetsu-no-mon (1982), The 50-year history of leprosy patients at Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium, edited by Kuryu-Rakusen-en Jichikai (patients' organization). . Kindai-shomin-seikatu-shi (1995) The 60 years of Yunosawa Community, by Kiyoshi Shimosaki, Ken Inoue, (first : Repura 12,6).
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