National Hansen's Disease Museum

photo by Beewax32 · CC BY 4.0

Free state-run museum on the forced segregation of people with Hansen's disease (leprosy).

The museum, which is free, stands on the grounds of the Tama Zenshōen sanatorium, still in operation next to the building. The rooms hold everyday objects and written and filmed testimonies from patients and their families, together with the history of the legal battles for recognition of the harm they suffered. Several visitors writing first-hand report that the content is dense and advise allowing more time than expected.

The museum documents Japan's policy of forced segregation of people with Hansen's disease (also known as leprosy) in sanatoriums, in force until a few decades ago. It stands next to the Tama Zenshōen National Sanatorium, still in operation.

ℹ️ Open 9:30–16:30 (last entry 16:00). Closed on Mondays and on the day after a national holiday (if the Monday itself is a holiday, the museum stays open), at the end and start of the year, and on days of internal reorganisation. Free entry. Visiting the adjacent Tama Zenshōen sanatorium requires a separate application in advance, and according to a first-hand source it may not remain accessible in the future.

🚉 Shin-Akitsu · 21 min walk

Sources: nhdm.jp · nhdm.jp

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