Masato Hirose

In two separate rulings, the court overturned previous rulings and rejected the claims by the plaintiffs that the central government should cover their medical costs for the period of their foreign residency. The two plaintiffs, Lee Kang-nyong, 78, and Masato Hirose, 76, are Nagasaki A-bomb survivors.

Lee Kang-nyong

The government recognizes about 285,600 A-bomb survivors who are eligible for allowances of up to ¥137,000 per month. However, many overseas survivors have had their expenses cut off after moving abroad, often over the question of who is responsible to cover them -- the central or a local government.

The central government has claimed that the local authorities are responsible to take care of the victims' medical costs.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 17, 2006
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