The Japanese government will give ¥8 million (US$68,000) in compensation to former leprosy patients in Taiwan and South Korea who suffered cruel treatment under Japanese rule, Jiji Press reported yesterday.
In addition to the surviving leprosy patients, the families of deceased leprosy patients will also be eligible for compensation.
Japanese leprosy patients who suffered under government policies sued and received compensation of between ¥8 million and ¥14 million each in 2001.
Taiwanese patients followed suit and won their case last October, but the court rejected the pleas of South Korean patients.
Tens of thousands of leprosy patients were locked up in sanatoriums in Taiwan and South Korea when the regions were controlled by the Japanese government.
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
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