- The government failed to educate the public about Hansen’s disease correctly, causing unnecessary fear and hate towards the patients. This was the root cause of various incidents surrounding Hansen’s disease.
- In Osaka Prefecture, due to the objections of the local residents Hansen’s disease sanatoria could only be built in places such as the banks of rivers that were prone to flood during heavy rain. Actually, a sanatorium was damaged by a major typhoon in 1934 killing many patients and staff.
- In Kumamoto Prefecture, there was a movement protesting the school attendance of children whose parents were affected by Hansen’s disease.
- Also, in Kumamoto Prefecture, a Hansen’s disease patient was arrested on charges of murder. From fear of the disease among the judiciary officers on the case was not properly investigated, nor was the patient’s plea of not guilty accepted. The patient was executed.
- Discrimination extended to the families of the patients as well, depriving them of opportunities for marriage and work.
