Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that the government will not file an appeal against a recent court ruling in Kumamoto awarding damages to former leprosy patients' kin.

"We have decided not to appeal," Abe told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office.

"We must not prolong the hardship of family members who have gone through something indescribable," Abe said. "Though it's a rare move, we've decided not to appeal against the ruling."