The history of Yunosawa village and the leprosy policy in Japan: a study of a free medical-treatment area for leprosy patients.

Abstract

The village of Yunosawa, near Kusatsu town, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, existed as a refuge for Hansen's disease sufferers from 1887 to 1941. It was the only such place to maintain, to its final closure, self-government free from the pre-war State isolation policy. The aim of this study is to clarify the dynamism from the notion of "the protection from social persecution of leprosy patients" to the notion of "the defense of society from the leprosy patients as a source of infection". Herein, I will explain history of Yunosawa village and its relation to the shift in State policy concerning leprosy. In addition, I will demonstrate the value of a free medical-treatment area.