Defining Hibakusha in Postwar Japan: The Boundaries of Medicine and the Law

Special Topic 1: The A-bomb and Medical HistoryThis brief essay concerns the history of the relationship between hibakusha, medical science, and the law in Japan. First, I give an overview of the context that led to the original 1957 law, and outline the lawsuits and points of contention it produced. I then examine the origins of medical science which formed the basis of the lawsuits, and conclude with some thoughts on the significance of these issues