was a Japanese man charged for a 1952 murder and executed by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

in 1962. His guilty verdict, death sentence, and execution were controversial, because he suffered from

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

and the Japanese government discriminated against people with leprosy at that time. On August 1, 1951, a dynamite charge was set in the house of a functionary who supported the segregation of leper patients. The police arrested Matsuo Fujimoto and he was detained at a

leper colony A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. '' M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Af ...

Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium or National Sanatorium Kikuchi Keifuen is a sanatorium for leprosy patients or ex-leprosy patients at Kohshi-shi, Kumamoto-ken, Japan founded in 1909. The mean age of residents (ex-patients) is about eighty. History Ba ...

, in

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to ...

. He escaped from the hospital on June 16, 1952. On July 6, the functionary was murdered. The police announced that Matsuo had killed him, and shot and captured him on July 12. Although there was none of the victim's blood on his dagger, the police extracted a confession from Matsuo. Fujimoto's trial was abnormal, taking place in a special isolated court because of his condition. His first lawyers agreed with the prosecutors, and his supporters, including

Yasuhiro Nakasone was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1982 to 1987. He was a member of the House of Representatives for more than 50 years. He was best known for pushing through the ...

, viewed his trials as unfair. Kumamoto district court sentenced him to death on August 29, 1953, and he was eventually executed by hanging on September 14, 1962, after Kunio Nakagaki signed his death warrant. Later, when Japanese policy against lepers was criticised as unethical, the case came under review. In March 2005, a verification committee established by the

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare. It was formed with the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare or and the ...

concluded that "Fujimoto's case did not even come close to satisfying the constitutional requirements."Verification Committee Concerning Hansen's Disease Problem: Final Report
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujimoto, Matsuo 1922 births 1962 deaths People from Kumamoto Prefecture Leprosy in Japan 20th-century executions by Japan People executed by Japan by hanging Executed Japanese people Discrimination in Japan Japanese people convicted of murder People convicted of murder by Japan

See also

References