The history of Yunosawa village and the policy of leprosy of Japan IV

Abstract

There was a village which was called Yunosawa, lots of leprosy patients lived, existed from 1887 to 1941, Kusatu town, Gunnma Prefecture, Japan. It was the only place continued securing self-government to the last as area was free from the isolation policy of State in prewar days there. The aim of this study will make clear the dynamism of "The protection from the tension of the society of leprosy patient currently persecuted" to "The defense of the society from the leprosy patient who is a source of infection". In this study, explained the factor of confusion to a National Leprosarium Kuryu Rakusen-en during World War II and considered relation between patient movement and residents of Yunosawa village at the postwar period.