The governing coalition agreed Thursday to pay some 8 million yen each to former leprosy patients who were placed in leprosariums in South Korea, Taiwan and other overseas territories during Japan's colonial rule.
That is the same amount given to domestic patients.
The Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito will submit a bill to revise the Hansen's disease compensation law when the Diet opens Friday to carry out this plan, sources said.
The revision bill is assured of enactment as the opposition has said it will endorse it.
More than 400 former overseas leprosy patients will receive compensation, and a ruling bloc lawmaker said, "The total amount will come to some 3.9 billion yen."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.