Amami Wakoen Sanatorium

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.
History.
Background.
The sanatorium in Amami Ōshima was the last one of national sanatoriums starting with the Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium in 1930. There was considerable resistance within the island to the establishment of a sanatorium.
Number of Patients.
The number of in-patients is the sum of patients which changed not only by the newly diagnosed hospitalized and those who died among in-patients, by other factors such as the number of patients who escaped or were discharged, depending on the condition of the times. Recently they were encouraged to be discharged, but the long period of the segregation policy causing leprosy stigma might influence the number of those who went into the society.