The inhumane treatment of Hansen’s disease (leprosy) patients is a national issue in Japan but Kumamoto has been and continues to be an important battleground:
“In 2001, the Kumamoto District Court ruled in favor of former Hansen’s disease patients who sought damages for their mistreatment under the segregation policy, which they charged was unconstitutional.”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/04/05/editorials/special-trials-for-hansens-patients/