Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium

History before the sanatorium

• Main article: Keisai Aoki

Major changes

• Nov 10, 1938: Okinawa Prefectural Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium opened.
• Apr 1, 1941: National Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium.
• Apr 25, 1946: Under American Military Government.
• Apr 1, 1952: Ryukyu Government Kungami Airakuen.
• Aug 26, 1961: Hansen's disease prevention law of Okinawa promulgated.
• May 15, 1972: Okinawa returned to Japan. "National Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen"
• Apr 1, 1996: The previous leprosy prevention law was abandoned.

Sanatorium and the war

• In Sept 1944, they dug many air-raid shelters, which were later named Hayata Goh (air-raid shelter).
• 400 new leprosy patients were hospitalized by the Japanese army in September 1944, for a total of 913 patients. Food and housing conditions were miserable.
• April 1, 1945, the American army landed at Chatan.
• April 10, 1945, Director Hiroshi Hayata allowed patients to leave the sanatorium.
• April 21, the Sanatorium was occupied after hand-to-hand fighting.
• May 4, the Sanatorium was formally occupied.

After the war

• August 1945, the director of the army hospital visited the Sanatorium.
• March 8, 1946, the "Yagaji Sanatorium", meaning the sanatorium on the Yagaji Island, became the restricted area.
• In 1949, Dr.V.Scorebrand visited the Sanatorium, and tried to use promin.
• In July, 1953, Dr.Doull visited Okinawa for two months and reported various recommendations concerning leprosy.
• In March 1951, Okinawa "Save-Leprosy Patient" Association started.
• In Feb 1954, the Jichi-kai(Patients' association) of the Airakuen started "Tomonokai", an association for those who were discharged from the Airakuen and Miyako Nanseien.
• In Feb 1960, an outpatient clinic started in Naha City. Similar clinics were built later in Ishigaki -jima and Miyako -jima.
• In March 1957, the Japanese Government started to send leprosy specialists to two Okinawan sanatoriums.
• In 1967, Okinawan schoolchildren surveys were started.
• 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.

Number of patients