The Sakishima Islands are an archipelago located at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago. They are part of the Ryukyu Islands and include the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands. The islands are administered as part of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
As of 2009, 2,600 former leprosy patients were living in 13 national sanatoriums and 2 private hospitals in Japan. Their mean age is 80. There were no newly diagnosed Japanese leprosy patients in 2005, but one in 2006, and one in 2007.
Keisai Aoki was a Japanese missionary who paved the way to the establishment of Hansen's disease (leprosy) sanatorium Kunigami-Airakuen, Okinawa, now Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium, Japan. At the age of 16 he developed leprosy and later, under the guidance of Hannah Riddell, he also helped people with leprosy in Okinawa.
Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium or National Sanatorium Kikuchi Keifuen is a sanatorium for leprosy patients or ex-leprosy patients at Kohshi-shi, Kumamoto-ken, Japan founded in 1909. The mean age of residents (ex-patients) is about eighty.
Hoshizuka Keiaien Sanatorium, is a sanatorium for leprosy patients or ex-leprosy patients in Kanoya-shi, kagoshima-ken, Japan which was established in 1935.
The Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium is a sanatorium for current or former leprosy patients in Nago, Okinawa, Japan that was established in 1938.
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, Japan which started in 1932.
Tama Zenshōen Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Tama Zenshōen, is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients situated in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan starting in 1909.
The Matsuoka Hoyoen Sanatorium or National Sanatorium Matsuoka Hoyoen is a sanatorium for leprosy and ex-leprosy patients situated in Aomori, Aomori, Japan that opened in 1909.
Amami Wakōen Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Amami Wakōen is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients in Amami-shi, Kagoshima-ken, Japan starting in 1943. In 2008, there were 56 almost healthy residents and their average age was about 80 years.
Suruga Sanatorium (国立駿河療養所) or National Suruga Sanatorium is a national sanatorium for leprosy and ex-leprosy patients situated in Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan since 1945.
Oku-Kōmyō-En Sanatorium (光明園), or National Sanatorium Oku-Kōmyō-En is a sanatorium for leprosy and ex-leprosy patients on the island of Nagashima, Oku-machi, Setouchi, Okayama, Japan. The same island holds the National Sanatorium Nagashima Aiseien. As of December 2, 2005, the Oku-Kōmyō-En housed 252 residents.
The Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium (国立療養所長島愛生園), or the National Sanatorium Nagashima Aiseien, is a sanatorium on the island of Nagashima in Setouchi, Okayama, Japan founded in 1930 for the treatment of leprosy. Currently, only former leprosy patients reside there.
Ooshima Seishōen Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Ooshima Seishōen is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients, situated in a small island called Ooshima, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-ken, Japan which was established in 1909.
Kazuo Saikawa was a Japanese physician, who contributed to the treatment of leprosy and to the administration of leprosy policy in Japan. Concerning the segregation policy of leprosy patients, he was against Kensuke Mitsuda and worked in Taiwan and Okinawa.
Kageyoshi Tada was a Japanese physician who worked in Miyako Nanseien Sanatorium, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, between 1938 and 1945. He put in-patients who were forcibly hospitalized under strict control; a special facility was built with barbed wire fences and in-patients were not allowed to leave. In 1945, 110 in-patients died of malaria, malnutrition, and as direct effects of air attacks, while his group escaped to the army shelter.
Chiyo Mikami was a Japanese nurse, who worked for leprosy patients and was given the Florence Nightingale Medal in 1957. She helped Cornwall Legh at St. Barnaba Hospital at Kusatsu, helped Kesa Hattori at Suzuran Hospital, started Suzuran-en Sanatorium, worked at an institution in Miyagi Prefecture, at Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium and at Kunigami Airakuen Sanatorium Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium.
Kohsaburo Iesaka was a Japanese Christian physician who headed the Miyako Nanseien Sanatorium (1933–1938) and Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium (1947–1951). The church he created, "Yomigaerino Kai", still remains in the Miyako Nanseien Sanatorium, as well as a church of Nippon Sei Ko Kai and a catholic church.
Nami Matsuda was a Christian Japanese female physician who worked at Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium, Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium and Hoshizuka Keiaien Sanatorium. In 1945, she was the head doctor under the director and survived extreme hardships with 7 nurses including chief nurse Chiyo Mikami at Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium.
Kanzen Teruya (1920–2004) was a physician who contributed much to the Okinawan medical world in postwar days. He reported a mass Cycas revoluta poisoning in people living in Miyakojima Island in 1956. He later became professor at the University of the Ryukyus (1978–1985).
