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- [Special Exhibition 2023] 70 Years of the "Leprosy Prevention Law Struggle" - Countries and Societies that Chose Forced Isolation -
2023.11.10
The National Hansen's Disease Museum 2023 Special Exhibition
*The event has ended.
Photo: Sit-in in front of the third gate of the House of Councillors, taken in 1953, museum collection
70 years ago, on August 13, 1953, All-Japan National Leprosaria Patients' Association (now the National Council of Leprosy sanatorium Inmates) ended its "Leprosy Leprosy Prevention Law Struggle" (October 1952 to August 1953), calling for the revision of the "Leprosy Leprosy Prevention Law."
The "Leprosy Prevention Law Struggle" was a movement to revise the "Leprosy Prevention Law" which had caused various harms to residents, into a law that respected basic human rights in line with the era when the treatment drug Promin and the Japanese Constitution were introduced. Intense struggles were waged all over the country, and eventually residents ran out of sanatoriums to make direct petitions and even hold sit-ins in front of the National Diet and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Although there were some successes, Leprosy Prevention Law, which included provisions for compulsory confinement, maintaining order in sanatoriums, and prohibiting residents from going outside, was promulgated and put into effect on August 15. This law was subsequently abolished in 1996, and a 2001 court ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in the "Lawsuit Claiming Compensation from the Government for Unconstitutional Leprosy Prevention Law" established that the law violated fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Japan.
This exhibition looks back on the "Leprosy Prevention Law Struggle," a major turning point in the history of Issues related to leprosy, from the perspectives of the nation and society, with statements from the government, sanatorium officials, and Diet members involved in the enactment of the law, as well as newspaper articles from the time. We hope that the events of 70 years ago will provide an opportunity to think about the current Issues related to leprosy.
Basic information
[Date]
From Sunday, August 13, 2023 to Sunday, December 10, 2023
Please check the latest information before visiting. For more information, Here
【venue】
Special Exhibition Room
【closing day】
Mondays and the day after national holidays (open if Monday is a national holiday)
Admission is free
Event
gallery talk※Finished.
The curator in charge will provide an explanation of the exhibits.
[Date and Time]
August 13th (Sun), August 26th (Sat), September 9th (Sat), October 15th (Sun) *Only on the 15th, the event will be held from 13:00 to 13:30. November 18th (Sat), December 9th (Sat)
Each session from 14:00 to 14:30
【venue】
Special Exhibition Room
Museum Talk 70 Years of Struggle Leprosy Prevention Law※Finished.
The curator in charge will give a lecture on the theme of the exhibition.
September 30th (Sat) 14:00 to 15:30
Training room (on-site participation), Zoom webinar (online) *Advance reservations required
Archived video here
Lecture: “The Movement of Leprosy recovered persons and the Constitution of Japan”※Finished.
Mr. Yasushi Shimura, who participated in the movement at Kikuchi Keifuen during the "Leprosy Prevention Law Struggle", will talk about the relationship between the movement of Leprosy recovered persons and the Constitution of Japan.
*Pre-recorded video lecture
(Chairman of the National Council of Plaintiffs in the Unconstitutional State Compensation Lawsuit Hansen's Disease and President of the Resident Association Kikuchi Keifuen)
[Date and Time]
Saturday, October 7th, 2pm to 3pm (scheduled)
Video Hall (in-person participation), YouTube distribution (online) * Advance reservations required for in-person participation only
Archived video here
Tour “Tama Tama Zenshoen and the Struggle Leprosy Prevention Law ”※Finished.
We will actually visit and explain various parts of Tama Zenshoen that are related to the ``Struggle Leprosy Prevention Law''.
The ruins of the chapel where the inaugural ceremony of Leprosy Prevention Law Revision Promotion Committee, which led the struggle, were held, and the main gate where residents took to Tokorozawa Kaido to demonstrate in support of the petition group sitting in the Diet. , we will tour locations related to the `` Leprosy Prevention Law Struggle'' at Tama Zenshoen.
*In the event of bad weather, the event will be postponed. We will inform you of the postponed date at a later date.
*Please use the toilet beforehand.
*You will be walking outside for 1.5 hours. Please bring drinks to avoid heatstroke.
Talk event “Learning about Issues related to leprosy and “mental illness issues” from the movement of people affected by it”※Finished.
Representative of NPO Koral Taito, a psychiatric user
Psychiatric users, like Leprosy patients, Former leprosy patients, and their families, have been fighting against unwarranted social prejudice and discrimination. Issues such as forced hospitalization, physical restraint, and abuse, as well as situations where people have no place in society, still continue. These issues are not caused by the people involved, but rather by the country's laws and policies, and the prejudice and discrimination that have been fostered by them, and can be described as ``mental illness issues.'' These issues are common to Issues related to leprosy.
Those involved in Issues related to leprosy and the "mental illness issue" have carried out various initiatives and movements against social prejudice and discrimination, using the Japanese Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as weapons. By considering the two movements together, we will deepen our understanding of the significance of the movement of those involved.
[Date and Time]
December 2nd (Sat) 14:00 to 16:00
[Venue and participation method]
Video Hall (in-person participation, capacity 120 people), YouTube distribution (online) * Advance reservations required for in-person participation only
Archived video here
Exhibit change
The following exhibits will be changed during the exhibition period.
Click here for information on exhibit changes after September 9, 2023.
Click here for information on exhibit changes after October 7, 2023.
Click here
for information on exhibit changes after November 11, 2023.
*The above content may be changed without notice.
<Contact Information>
The National Hansen's Disease Museum
〒189-0002
4-1-13, Aoba-cho, Higashimurayama-shi, Tokyo
TEL: 042-396-2909 FAX: 042-396-2981
Email: pr@nhdm.jp