http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid=721&e=10&u=/ap/20031121/ap_on_re_as/japan_leprosy<snip>
TOKYO - Japan's Justice Ministry filed a criminal complaint Friday against a hot springs resort for refusing to let a group of former leprosy patients take a dip in its communal baths.
The Kurokawa Onsen Hotel is accused of violating a national law requiring hotels to accept anyone who does not have a contagious disease. The charge carries a fine of up to $180.
"It is a serious violation of human rights," Justice Minister Daizo Nozawa said. "We'd like learn from this case as we strengthen efforts to eliminate misunderstanding and prejudice toward leprosy sufferers."
The hotel canceled the group's reservations after discovering the would-be guests are residents of a nearby leprosy treatment center, according to the complaint filed in the southeastern prefecture of Kumamoto.