Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday offered an apology to family members of leprosy patients for their suffering, after the government decided not to appeal a court ruling ordering the state to pay compensation.
Making the first official apology to relatives of leprosy patients who suffered under the government's segregation policy between 1907 and 1996, Abe acknowledged the "hard fact" that they endured "extremely severe prejudice and discrimination in society."
"The government deeply reflects on the pain and suffering endured by leprosy patients and their family members and offers a heartfelt apology," Abe said in a statement endorsed Friday by the Cabinet.