The Tokyo District Court ordered the government Friday to pay 69.3 million yen in compensation to victims of pneumoconiosis who worked on tunnel projects ordered mainly by the state.
The court ruled that the state's failure to exert its regulatory authority in connection with the disease was illegal and ordered the state to pay between 550,000 yen and 2.2 million yen each to 44 of the plaintiffs, for total damages of 69.3 million yen.
The 49 plaintiffs, who hailed from 19 prefectures, were seeking damages of 3.3 million yen per person, or 161.7 million yen. The court found the remaining five ineligible for compensation.