Miyako Nanseien Sanatorium
A national sanatorium in Miyakojima, Okinawa, serving people affected by leprosy, including former patients.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Miyako Nanseien Sanatorium, also known as National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien, is a Japanese public sanatorium on Miyakojima in Okinawa Prefecture. It was established in 1931 as the Okinawa Prefectural Miyako Hoyoen Sanatorium and later became part of Japan's national network of institutions associated with leprosy care. The institution's history reflects the development of Japan's segregation-based leprosy policy, the effects of the Second World War and the subsequent American administration of Okinawa, and the long-term consequences of social stigma against people affected by leprosy. Before Miyako Nanseien opened, Okinawa had experienced difficulty applying a consistent approach to leprosy treatment. Although resistance to establishing sanatoriums existed in the prefecture, opposition was comparatively limited on Miyako Island. The facility opened on March 6, 1931, under the name Okinawa Prefectural Miyako Hoyoen Sanatorium. It was redesignated National Sanatorium Miyako Sanatorium in October 1933 and became National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on July 1, 1941. The sanatorium was severely damaged during the Battle of Okinawa and the air raids on Miyakojima. A raid on March 26, 1945, killed one patient and left several others wounded; some of those injured later died. On April 3, 1945, the facility was completely destroyed. Patients sought shelter in caves and other locations, including the stalactite cave known as Nusudogama. Accounts of this period describe deaths from air attacks, malaria, malnutrition and the wider privations of wartime displacement. In 1945, 110 patients reportedly died, mostly from malaria and malnutrition. After the war, the institution was rebuilt under American administration and operated from January 1946 under the authority governing the Ryukyu Islands. The sanatorium became the Ryukyu Government Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on April 1, 1951. Following Okinawa's reversion to Japan, it returned to the national system as National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on May 15, 1972. Its institutional history is inseparable from Japan's former legal policy of compulsory segregation. The Leprosy Prevention Law of 1953 remained in force until April 1996, even as effective treatment and changing medical knowledge reduced the need for institutional isolation. The end of the law did not immediately remove the social and personal consequences of decades of separation from family, education, employment and community life. Compensation litigation brought by former patients began in July 1998. On May 11, 2001, the court found the former leprosy prevention regime unconstitutional, and the ruling became final on May 25, 2001. Compensation awards varied according to the length of time affected by the unconstitutional policy. The sanatorium therefore functions not only as a healthcare institution but also as a site of historical memory, testimony and public discussion concerning leprosy, wartime suffering, state policy and human rights. Contemporary descriptions identify it as serving leprosy patients and people formerly affected by leprosy, while the broader institutional context includes support for residents whose lives were shaped by the former segregation system.
History
Miyako Nanseien's origins lie in the difficulty of providing consistent leprosy treatment in Okinawa during the early twentieth century. Japan had established several prefectural sanatoriums from 1909 onward, but resistance to such institutions affected their development in some areas. On Miyako Island, opposition was comparatively limited, allowing the Okinawa Prefectural Miyako Hoyoen Sanatorium to open on March 6, 1931. The institution changed administrative status and name during the prewar period. It became National Sanatorium Miyako Sanatorium in October 1933 and National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on July 1, 1941. These changes placed it within the national framework of leprosy institutions and reflected the expanding role of state-managed segregation and residential treatment. The most destructive episode in the sanatorium's history came during the Second World War. Miyakojima was attacked in 1944 and 1945. During the March 26, 1945, raid, one patient was killed and several others were wounded, with some subsequently dying. The facility was completely destroyed on April 3. Patients dispersed into caves and improvised shelters, including Nusudogama, a stalactite cave near the sanatorium. Testimony from survivors describes severe shortages, deaths from malaria and malnutrition, and the difficulty of caring for the sick and transporting the dead. A total of 110 patients died in 1945 according to the historical account cited for the institution. After Japan's defeat, the sanatorium came under American rule in January 1946. It was reorganized as the Ryukyu Government Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on April 1, 1951. When Okinawa reverted to Japanese administration, the institution became National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien again on May 15, 1972. For much of the postwar period, the institution operated within the legal and social framework created by Japan's 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law. The law was abolished in April 1996, but former residents and patients continued to pursue recognition of the harms caused by prolonged segregation. Compensation proceedings began in July 1998. On May 11, 2001, the court held that the former prevention policy was unconstitutional; the judgment was confirmed on May 25. Compensation amounts were differentiated according to the length of time during which individuals were subject to the unconstitutional system. Miyako Nanseien's historical significance consequently extends beyond clinical care. It represents the experience of people affected by leprosy in Okinawa, the wartime destruction of a medical institution, the operation of state segregation policy and the continuing effort to preserve survivors' testimony. Historical materials associated with the institution include local testimony collections and anniversary publications produced in Japanese.
- 2001
Unconstitutionality of former policy confirmed
[1]A compensation judgment finding the former leprosy prevention policy unconstitutional was issued in May and became final later that month.
- 1996
Leprosy Prevention Law abolished
[1]Japan abolished the 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law in April.
- 1972
Returned to Japan's national system
[1]Following Okinawa's reversion to Japan, the institution again became National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on May 15.
- 1951
Placed under the Ryukyu Government
[1]The institution became Ryukyu Government Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on April 1.
- 1945
Destroyed during wartime air raids
[1]The sanatorium was destroyed on April 3 after attacks on Miyakojima. Patients sheltered in caves and improvised locations.
- 1941
Renamed Miyako Nanseien
[1]The facility received the name National Sanatorium Miyako Nanseien on July 1.
- 1933
Transferred into the national sanatorium system
[1]On October 6, the institution became National Sanatorium Miyako Sanatorium.
- 1931
Opening as Miyako Hoyoen
[1]The Okinawa Prefectural Miyako Hoyoen Sanatorium opened on Miyako Island on March 6.
Products and positioning
A Japanese national public sanatorium combining long-term care and support for people affected by leprosy with an important role in preserving the history of Okinawa's leprosy policy and wartime experience.
Healthcare service · 1931
Residential leprosy care
The sanatorium's core function is institutional healthcare and residential support for people affected by leprosy. Its historical role developed under Japan's former segregation policy, while its continuing significance includes care and support for former patients and residents whose lives were shaped by that system.
Public education and archives
Historical testimony and preservation
Miyako Nanseien is associated with records and testimony concerning leprosy policy, wartime destruction, evacuation and postwar life on Miyakojima. These materials help document the experiences of patients and former patients and the institution's place in Okinawan social history.
Brand decisions
2001
Compensation judgment concerning former leprosy policyOtherBackground
Former patients pursued compensation in litigation that began in 1998, challenging the constitutionality of the previous segregation regime.
Action taken
The court ruled on May 11 that the former Leprosy Prevention policy was unconstitutional; the judgment was confirmed on May 25.
Aftermath
Compensation was awarded to patients, with amounts varying according to the duration of the unconstitutional period. The ruling became a major point of recognition for former residents of Japan's leprosy sanatoriums.
1996
End of the statutory segregation frameworkOtherBackground
The institution had operated for decades within the framework of Japan's Leprosy Prevention Law, which was associated with compulsory segregation of people affected by leprosy.
Action taken
Japan abolished the 1953 Leprosy Prevention Law in April 1996.
Aftermath
The abolition removed the legal foundation of the former policy, although former patients continued to seek redress for its long-term effects.
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