Studies on Leprosaria in Japan

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The main purpose of this study is to grasp the life-world of inmates of leprosaria in Japan. Hansen's disease patients were isolated in leprosaria for almost 90 years under the Leprosy Prevention law (repealed in 1996) According to this purpose, the researcher interviewed to the inmates of both national sanatorium Kikuchi-keifuen in Kumamoto and national sanatorium Miyako-nanseien in Okinawa in 1998-99. The unique conditions of Okinawa's -- both cultural background and the existence of the U.S.Army -- were helpful for inmates in Miyako-nanseien. Because the people in Miyako island had relatively a little prejudice to Hansen's Disease that is contagious, the patient himself was not discriminated. The U.S.Army gave the place to work to inmates who recovered from Hansen's Disease. People of the base had no prejudice to Hansen's Disease.Also, the researcher examined the contents of the publications of the inmates, 'Kikuchi-no', at Kikuchi-keifuen from the middle of 1960's to the middle of 1970's. In this period, the inmates want to improve their level of living. There was not severe patient-movement against to the institution like in the end of 1950's any more and was not the confession of their life history as they show now. But the feeling of living at the isolated sanatorium expressed in tanka (Japanese poems). Several contributors' life stories were appeared through examining the tanka. One was denyed by his family. It was very sad experience for him.The methodological discussion of this research now depends on the study of illness experiences, especially on A.Kleinman's illness-naratives perspective. He insists that a healer should construct the mini-ethnography on a patient through his/her narratives on himself/herself, with analyzing the narratives by frameworks consist of cultural representations, collective experiences, and individual experiences. It seemed that such view pont for healer is useful for researchers who want to understand sufferers.