About This Site
Welcome to the Drug-Induced Suffering (D.I.S.) Portal Site.
This website introduces some of the archival materials and catalogues held by the General Incorporated Association Yakugai Museum and Research Center.
It represents one of the outcomes of the research project “Practical Study on the Construction and Utilization of a Fundamental Archive for Drug-Induced Suffering Materials” (Project No. 25KC2015), supported by the Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants Program.
What is “Drug-Induced Suffering”?
Visitors who wish to learn more about Yakugai Drug-Induced Suffering will encounter a part of Japan’s postwar history of social movements by the victims, including those affected by radiation exposure and environmental pollution.
They will also learn about the transformation of Japan’s pharmaceutical administration and the enduring social tendencies that continue to stigmatize and isolate the victims. Each Drug-Induced Suffering differs in its cause, timing, and symptoms.
However, the victims share a common feature in that the damage extends far beyond physical health, leading to the breakdown of family relationships, economic hardships, and social discrimination.
Therefore, drug-induced suffering is not only a medical or legal issue but also a deeply human one that affects every aspect of daily life.
Purpose of This Portal
This site aims to portray the lived realities of victims: an “actual-size portrait” that cannot be conveyed only by statistics, such as the number of victims or compensation amounts. Through the personal belongings, court records, and audio–visual testimonies left behind by the victims and bereaved families, we hope to illuminate their voices, experiences, and dignity. These materials embody the determination of victims with drug-induced suffering who, at the cost of their lives, seek to communicate their experiences to the future generations. By preserving and making these materials publicly accessible, we strive to continue conveying their will to raise social awareness about the ongoing significance of Drug-Induced Suffering. This archive will continue to expand, allowing more individuals to confront the structural and ethical questions posed by these cases.
The Term“D.I.S.”
The acronym D.I.S. stands for Drug-Induced Suffering, a term that has occasionally been used in Japan as an English rendering of Yakugai.
There are no established English equivalents of yakugai.
Therefore, to communicate the concept internationally, one must go beyond mere translation and examine the historical processes and lived experiences that define it, as presented on this site.
We invite you to explore the Chronology and Bibliography sections of this portal as an entry point to understanding the depth and complexity of drug-induced suffering in Japan.
It will be our greatest honor if this site serves as a first step toward such an understanding.
January 2026
Principal Investigator
Masatake Hongo (Momoyama Gakuin University)