Les politiques d’assistance envers les vétérans infirmes au Japon durant le 20ème siècle

Abstract The following study provides an insight into Japanese policies on wounded veterans’ relief during the twentieth century. During the long war (1937–1945) with China and later with the Allied Forces (1941–1945), the Japanese government established strong physical, occupational and spiritual rehabilitation programs in addition to several laws that provided pensions or allowances for military disabilities. After the defeat in 1945, under the Occupation’s new rules of democratization and demilitarization, wounded veterans quickly lost all their benefits. Furthermore, their image was devalued in the eyes of society and their voices were marginalized. However, because of their struggles, the State established a new non-discriminatory law for all disabled people. Nevertheless, after the return of Japanese autonomy in 1952, the wounded veterans still felt that they were not treated adequately because no law addressed their specific circumstances. In order to attain their goal, they created a new association of disabled veterans to express their frustration and to lobby the Japanese government for change. Because of their stubborn mobilization, the Law for Special Aid to the Wounded and Sick Retired Soldiers was finally enacted in 1963 and provided veterans with the assistance they needed and for which they had long-since been asking.