重監房 資料館

One of the things you should know in your life. In the past, many patients gathered from rumors that Kusatsu Onsen was effective against Hansen's disease, so the prewar isolation policy opened the second national sanatorium in Japan. Currently, leprosy is a disease that is easily cured because it is weakly infectious and a silver bullet that cures completely even if it is affected is provided free of charge. However, in the past, due to lack of knowledge about leprosy, thorough public health isolation and discrimination had been carried out, and patients had to deal with discrimination from society in addition to illness. Among them, the heavy cell for Hansen's disease patients attached to the sanatorium here was discriminated against because the punishment was decided by a completely closed room trial and sent here and was treated extremely inhumanely. There is a sad fact that further discrimination has taken place. The Leprosy Prevention Act was abolished in 1996, but it was too late, nearly 40 years after the cure was established. Discrimination from society continued even after the illness was completely cured. Rehabilitation of former patients and enlightenment of correct knowledge of leprosy by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare are natural measures. We hope that as many people as possible can visit the Hansen's disease exchange facilities in various parts of Japan, including here. Why do we have to be treated like sinners just because we got sick? I am afraid that this is currently discriminatory against patients suffering from the new corona, as well as the feeling that it is common in social life.

Early November 2020 I visited from Aichi prefecture. It was reported that the autumn leaves were in full bloom in Aichi and Gifu, but it was already winter in Yubatake with a glimpse of snow. The mountains were covered with snow and the windshield of the car froze in the morning and it was very cold. Kusatsu says it will be even more difficult in the future. I understood the coldness by looking at the exhibition materials and videos. The connection between Kusatsu Onsen and leprosy. It is also good to visit the Shinagi Dam Water Quality Management Office to learn about the effects and quality of Kusatsu Onsen. If you look at Kusatsu from various perspectives, you may find out the true Kusatsu.

草津温泉での楽しい休日の帰り、施設の看板を見つけ、ほんの軽い気持ちで立ち寄った。想像を絶する展示内容に言葉を失い、重苦しい気持ちで施設を後にした。 その後数日間鬱々としてしまい、本音を言えば、ここに立ち寄ったことを少し後悔した。 病に冒された人が健康な人たちの社会から切り捨てられる。病める人たちはそれでも人生を諦めず、病んだ人どうしのコミュニティの中で人間らしく生きようとする。すると健康な人たちは、健康な社会を守るためにと、病める人たちのコミュニティを破壊し、収容し、反抗的な者を監房に閉じ込める。 これは、今もどこかの場所で続いているかもしれない、人間の営みの非情な一部分だ。 伝染病の恐怖が我が身に迫る今の時代だからこそ、ひとしお恐ろしく、悲しく、苦しい気持ちにさせられる施設だ。

I was a little scared, but I learned a lot. You can watch the video freely in 25 minutes or 8 minutes. Free. It is recommended that you have plenty of time.

There is only a small sign at the entrance (and half hidden by grass), so why not overlook it even if you go there? The appearance. The facility is very simple (it costs money) with only a video, a reproduction set of the past heavy cell, and a reference room, but due to the sensibility and imagination of the viewer, it feels very deep when you read the space between letters. It was done. You may feel a strange feeling in the off-limits area outside the museum, but you can understand the meaning by visiting the materials (once you understand the meaning of the facility and the lives of the people who live there). Although the museum focuses on the “heavy cell” and the explanations, it is recommended that those resident in general facilities that are not in the heavy cell also pay attention to the tour.