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93-535: Despite the moniker of 'four' becoming the prominent way to refer to the events, Minamata disease and Niigata Minamata disease were the same pollution disease caused by the same poison, just in different locations and times. Due to lawsuits , publicity , and other actions against the corporations responsible for the pollution, as well as the creation of the Environmental Agency in 1971, increased public awareness, and changes in industrial practices,

186-599: A Trial Research Group, which included law professors, medical researchers (including Harada), sociologists and even Michiko Ishimure to provide useful material to the lawyers to improve their legal arguments. Their report, Corporate Responsibility for Minamata Disease: Chisso's Illegal Acts , published in August 1970, formed the basis of the ultimately successful lawsuit. The trial lasted almost four years. The litigation group's lawyers sought to prove Chisso's corporate negligence . Three main legal points had to be overcome to win

279-405: A catalyst and manganese dioxide or since August 1951, ferric sulfide as a co-catalyst. Acetaldehyde reacts with acetic anhydride in order to produce ethylidene diacetate , which is heated to produce vinyl acetate . Acetaldehyde was also used to produce acetic acid by oxidizing acetaldehyde and vinyl chloride , which is polymerized to make PVC ; however, the use of ferric sulfide had

372-427: A catalyst. Starting in August 1951, the co-catalyst was changed from manganese dioxide to ferric sulfide. A side reaction of this catalytic cycle led to the production of a significant amount (about 5% of the outflow ) of the organic mercury compound methylmercury . As a result of the catalyst change, this highly toxic compound was released into Minamata Bay regularly between 1951 and 1968, when this production method

465-542: A chemical factory in Minamata , Kumamoto Prefecture , located on the west coast of the southern island of Kyūshū . Initially producing fertilisers, the factory followed the nationwide expansion of Japan's chemical industry, branching out into production of acetylene , acetaldehyde , acetic acid , vinyl chloride , and octanol , among others. The Minamata factory became the most advanced in all of Japan, both before and after World War II . The waste products resulting from

558-451: A complete victory for the patients of the litigation group: The defendant's factory was a leading chemical plant with the most advanced technology and ... should have assured the safety of its wastewater. The defendant could have prevented the occurrence of Minamata disease or at least have kept it at a minimum. We cannot find that the defendant took any of the precautionary measures called for in this situation whatsoever. The presumption that

651-602: A diagnosis of organic mercury poisoning. Chisso did not reveal these significant results to the investigators and ordered Hosokawa to stop his research. In an attempt to undermine Kumadai researchers' organic mercury theory, Chisso and other parties with a vested interest that the factory remain open (including the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Japan Chemical Industry Association) funded research into alternative causes of

744-427: A downside: methylmercury (or organic mercury) was a by-product in the making of these chemicals due to its use. The methylmercury was then dumped into Minamata Bay as chemical waste. Chisso decided not to stop the use of the mentioned catalysts or the dumping of their byproducts into the bay until 1966. Today, Chisso makes compensation payments to all certified (recognized) patients of Minamata disease. Over 50 hectares of

837-480: A glass of water supposedly treated through the Cyclator to demonstrate that it was safe. In fact, the wastewater from the factory, which the company knew still contained mercury and led to Minamata disease when fed to cats, was not being treated through the Cyclator at the time. Testimony at a later Niigata Minamata disease trial proved that Chisso knew the Cyclator to be completely ineffective: "The purification tank

930-488: A heavy metal as the causal substance, the wastewater from the Chisso factory was immediately suspected as the origin. The company's own tests revealed that its wastewater contained many heavy metals in concentrations sufficiently high to bring about serious environmental degradation , including lead , mercury , manganese , arsenic , thallium , and copper , plus the chalcogen selenium . Identifying which particular poison

1023-516: A joint survey in late 1960 and early 1961 into the level of mercury in the hair of people living around the Shiranui Sea. The results confirmed that organic mercury had spread all around the inland sea and that people were still being poisoned by contaminated fish. Hundreds of people were discovered to have levels greater than 50 ppm of mercury in their hair, the level at which people are likely to experience nerve damage. The highest result recorded

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1116-644: A long time an abnormally high frequency of cerebral palsy and other infantile disorders in the Minamata area. In 1961, a number of medical professionals, including Masazumi Harada (later to be honored by the United Nations for his body of work on Minamata disease), set about re-examining children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The symptoms of the children closely mirrored those of adult Minamata disease patients, but many of their mothers did not exhibit symptoms. The fact that these children had been born after

1209-560: A one-off ¥320,000 ($ 2935) payment. On 21 October 1959, Chisso was ordered by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to switch back its wastewater drainage from the Minamata River to Hyakken Harbour and to speed up the installation of wastewater treatment systems at the factory. Chisso installed a Cyclator purification system on 19 December 1959, and opened it with a special ceremony. Chisso's president Kiichi Yoshioka drank

1302-424: A partial ban on the sale of fish caught in the heavily polluted Minamata Bay – but not an all-out ban, which would have legally obliged it to compensate the fishermen. The fishing cooperative protested against Chisso and angrily forced their way into the factory on 6 August and 12 August, demanding compensation. A committee was set up by Minamata Mayor Todomu Nakamura to mediate between the two sides, but this committee

1395-682: A re-examination of that done in Minamata and the decision of Niigata patients to sue the polluting company allowed the same response to be considered in Minamata. Masazumi Harada has said that, "It may sound strange, but if this second Minamata disease had not broken out, the medical and social progress achieved by now in Kumamoto... would have been impossible." Around this time, two other pollution-related diseases were also grabbing headlines in Japan. People with Yokkaichi asthma and itai-itai disease were forming citizens' groups and filed lawsuits against

1488-543: A significant impact on the actions of the company or the coverage of Minamata in the Japanese media. Despite the almost universal assumption to the contrary, the wastewater treatment facilities installed in December 1959 had no effect on the level of organic mercury being released into the Shiranui Sea. The pollution and the disease it caused continued to spread. The Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectural governments conducted

1581-521: Is a poisoning disease that affects mainly the central nervous system and is caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish living in Minamata Bay and its surroundings, the major causative agent being some sort of organic mercury compound. During the Kumadai investigation, the causal substance had been identified as a heavy metal and it was widely presumed that the Chisso factory

1674-596: Is methylmercury. Methylmercury produced in the acetaldehyde acetic acid facility of Shin Nihon Chisso's Minamata factory was discharged in factory wastewater... Minamata disease patients last appeared in 1960, and the outbreak has ended. This is presumed to be because consumption of fish and shellfish from Minamata Bay was banned in the fall of 1957, and the fact that the factory had waste-treatment facilities in place from January 1960. The conclusion contained many factual errors: eating fish and shellfish from other areas of

1767-468: The Edo period . The Chisso factory first started acetaldehyde production in 1932, with 210 tons that year. In 1951, production had jumped to 6,000 tons and eventually peaked at 45,245 tons in 1960. The factory's output historically amounted to between a quarter and a third of Japan's total acetaldehyde production. The chemical reaction used to produce the acetaldehyde employed mercury sulfate as

1860-600: The litigation group (who decided to sue the company). That summer, Chisso sent gifts to the families who opted for arbitration rather than litigation. An arbitration committee was duly set up by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on 25 April, but it took almost a year to draw up a draft compensation plan. A newspaper leak in March 1970 revealed that the committee would ask Chisso to pay only ¥2 million ($ 5,600) for dead patients and ¥140,000 to ¥200,000 ($ 390 to $ 560) per year to surviving patients. The arbitration group were dismayed by

1953-692: The 1959 agreement. Minamata disease broke out again in 1965, this time along the banks of the Agano River in Niigata Prefecture . The polluting factory (owned by Showa Denko ) employed a chemical process using a mercury catalyst very similar to that used by Chisso in Minamata. As in Minamata, from the autumn of 1964 to the spring of 1965, cats living along the banks of the Agano River had been seen to go mad and die. Before long, patients appeared with identical symptoms to patients living on

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2046-459: The British syndrome, rather than basing their diagnosis on the disease in Japan. This resulted in many applicants being rejected by the committee, leaving them confused and frustrated. As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially certified and over 10,000 people had received financial compensation from Chisso, although they were not recognised as official victims. The issue of quantifying

2139-476: The Citizens' Council for Minamata Disease Countermeasures, which was to become the chief citizens' support group to the Minamata patients. A founding member of the citizens' council was Michiko Ishimure , a local housewife and poet who later that year published Pure Land, Poisoned Sea: Our Minamata disease , a book of poetic essays that received national acclaim. Finally on 26 September 1968 – twelve years after

2232-421: The Japanese government to set up a binding arbitration committee to decide. This proposal split the members of the patients' society, many of whom were extremely wary of entrusting their fate to a third party, as they had done in 1959 with unfortunate results. At a meeting on the 5 April 1969, the opposing views within the society could not be reconciled and the organisation split into the pro-arbitration group and

2325-459: The Minamata population in general. In patients, the maximum mercury level recorded was 705  parts per million (ppm), indicating very heavy exposure and in nonsymptomatic Minamata residents, the level was 191 ppm. This compared to an average level of 4 ppm for people living outside the Minamata area. On 12 November 1959, the Ministry of Health and Welfare 's Minamata Food Poisoning Subcommittee published its results: Minamata disease

2418-567: The Shiranui Sea, and the outbreak was made public on 12 June 1965. Researchers from the Kumamoto University Research Group and Hajime Hosokawa (who had retired from Chisso in 1962) used their experience from Minamata and applied it to the Niigata outbreak. In September 1966, a report was issued proving Showa Denko's pollution to be the cause of this second Minamata disease outbreak. Unlike the patients in Minamata,

2511-564: The Shiranui Sea, not just Minamata Bay, could cause the disease; eating small amounts, as well as large amounts of contaminated fish over a long time also produced symptoms; the outbreak had not, in fact, ended in 1960 nor had mercury-removing wastewater facilities been installed in January 1960. Nevertheless, the government announcement brought a feeling of relief to a great many victims and their families. Many felt vindicated in their long struggle to force Chisso to accept responsibility for causing

2604-529: The Strange Disease Countermeasures Committee at the end of May 1956. Owing to the localised nature of the disease, it was suspected to be contagious and as a precaution patients were isolated and their homes disinfected. Although contagion was later disproved, this initial response contributed to the stigmatisation and discrimination experienced by Minamata survivors from the local community. During its investigations,

2697-557: The Yokkaichi area who met the following criteria were paid by the program: Today, there are many laws regulating the amount of sulfur dioxide a factory can release into the air. These laws help keep the disaster of Yokkaichi Asthma from happening once again within Japan's borders. Minamata disease Minamata disease ( Japanese : 水俣病 , Hepburn : Minamata-byō ) is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning . Signs and symptoms include ataxia , numbness in

2790-475: The alliance members took their campaign to Tokyo , securing an official visit to Minamata by members of the Japanese Diet . During the visit on 2 November, alliance members forced their way into the factory and rioted, causing many injuries and ¥10 million ($ 100,000) worth of damage. The violence was covered widely in the media, bringing the nation's attention to the Minamata issue for the first time since

2883-443: The area, and the last possible cause of the outbreak was said to be the cause of an earthquake that took place a year before the disease was discovered in Niigata. As the name implies, Niigata Minamata disease is similar to Minamata disease; they both share the similar symptoms: In the spring of 1966, the research team determined the most likely cause to the dumping of methylmercury from Showa Denko Corporation factory. Showa Denko

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2976-453: The autumn of 1959. Hosokawa died three months after giving his testimony. Former factory manager Eiichi Nishida admitted that the company put profits ahead of safety, resulting in dangerous working conditions and a lack of care with mercury. Former Chisso President Kiichi Yoshioka admitted that the company promoted a theory of dumped World War II explosives, though it knew it to be unfounded. The verdict handed down on 20 March 1973 represented

3069-547: The bay were reclaimed, using the contaminated sludge from the bottom of the bay with a non-contaminated layer of soil on top. In 1970, the Japanese Water Pollution Control Act , which states that all factories are required by law to regulate disposal of dangerous chemicals, was enacted. In 1977, the Japanese government took on the task of cleaning Minamata Bay by vacuuming out 1.5 million cubic metres of methylmercury-contaminated sludge from

3162-518: The bottom of the bay and using them to reclaim over 50 hectares of the bay along with non-contaminated soil on top. Then in 1997, after fourteen years and $ 359 million, the Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture deemed Minamata Bay safe. In 1965, a number of patients in Niigata Prefecture exhibited signs of Minamata disease. Niigata Minamata was caused by methylmercury poisoning in the Agano River basin. However, this second outbreak of Minamata disease

3255-405: The case. First, the lawyers had to show that methylmercury caused Minamata disease and that the company's factory was the source of pollution. The extensive research by Kumadai and the government's conclusion meant that this point was proved quite easily. Second, they needed to show that Chisso could and should have anticipated the effect of its wastewater and taken steps to prevent the tragedy (i.e.,

3348-400: The cause of the strange disease. They found that the victims, often members of the same family, were clustered in fishing hamlets along the shore of Minamata Bay. The staple food of victims was invariably fish and shellfish from Minamata Bay. The cats in the local area, which tended to eat scraps from the family table, had died with symptoms similar to those now discovered in humans. This led

3441-513: The change of route of wastewater output in 1958, pollution had spread up and down the Shiranui Sea, damaging fisheries there as well. Emboldened by the success of the small Minamata cooperative, the Kumamoto Prefectural Alliance of Fishing Cooperatives also decided to seek compensation from Chisso. On 17 October, 1,500 fishermen from the alliance descended on the factory to demand negotiations. When this produced no results,

3534-479: The city and among neighboring districts. In the middle of this city was the largest heavy oil-fired power station and refinery in Japan during this time period. Unfortunately, this refinery was not equipped with machines that could lower sulfur dioxide emissions before releasing them into the air. In the early 1960s, respiratory diseases began to emerge in the general population of Yokkaichi and even in some neighboring districts. This increase in respiratory problems

3627-402: The committee uncovered surprising anecdotal evidence of the strange behaviour of cats and other wildlife in the areas surrounding patients' homes. From around 1950 onward, cats had been seen to have convulsions, go mad, and die. Locals called it the "cat dancing disease", owing to their erratic movement. Crows had fallen from the sky, seaweed no longer grew on the sea bed, and fish floated dead on

3720-439: The council has always been under immense pressure to reject claimants and minimise the financial burden placed on Chisso. Rather than being a council of medical recognition, the decisions of the council were always affected by the economic and political factors surrounding Minamata and the Chisso corporation. Furthermore, compensation of the victims led to continued strife in the community, including unfounded accusations that some of

3813-584: The day of the signing, the Minamata Citizens' Council held a protest outside the Chisso factory gates. One of the Chisso trade unions held an eight-hour strike in protest at the poor treatment of the arbitration group by their own company. The litigation group, representing 41 certified patients (17 already deceased) in 28 families, submitted their suit against Chisso in the Kumamoto District Court on 14 June 1969. The leader of

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3906-477: The defendant had been negligent from beginning to end in discharging wastewater from its acetaldehyde plant is amply supported. The defendant cannot escape liability for negligence. The "sympathy money" agreement was found to be invalid and Chisso was ordered to make one-time payments of ¥18 million ($ 66,000) for each deceased patient and from ¥16 million to ¥18 million ($ 59,000 to $ 66,000) for each surviving patient. The total compensation of ¥937 million ($ 3.4 million)

3999-405: The discovery of the disease (and four months after Chisso had stopped production of acetaldehyde using its mercury catalyst) – the Japanese government issued an official conclusion as to the cause of Minamata disease: Minamata disease is a disease of the central nervous system, a poisoning caused by long-term consumption, in large amounts, of fish and shellfish from Minamata Bay. The causative agent

4092-511: The disease and expressed thanks that their plight had been recognised by their social superiors. The struggle now focused on to what extent the victims should be compensated. In light of the government announcement, the patients of the Mutual Aid Society decided to ask for a new compensation agreement with Chisso and submitted the demand on 6 October. Chisso replied that it was unable to judge what would be fair compensation and asked

4185-484: The disease to be contagious, and many local people were fiercely loyal to Chisso, depending on the company for their livelihoods. In this atmosphere, those affected were reluctant to come forward and seek certification. Despite these factors, over 17,000 people have applied to the council for certification. Also, in recognising an applicant as having Minamata disease, the certification council qualified that patient to receive financial compensation from Chisso. For that reason,

4278-480: The disease, other than its own waste. Polluting wastewater had damaged the fisheries around Minamata ever since the opening of the Chisso factory in 1908. The Minamata Fishing Cooperative had managed to win small payments of "sympathy money" from the company in 1926 and again in 1943, but after the outbreak of Minamata disease, the fishing situation was becoming critical. Fishing catches had declined by 91% between 1953 and 1957. The Kumamoto prefectural government issued

4371-494: The factory was producing and by what methods. The Chisso factory's hospital director, Hajime Hosokawa , established a laboratory in the research division of the facility to carry out his own experiments into Minamata disease in July 1959. Food to which factory wastewater had been added was fed to healthy cats. Seventy-eight days into the experiment, cat 400 exhibited symptoms of Minamata disease and pathological examinations confirmed

4464-479: The focus of the investigation centered on mercury. In February 1959, the mercury distribution in Minamata Bay was investigated. The results shocked the researchers involved. Large quantities of mercury were detected in fish, shellfish, and sludge from the bay. The highest concentrations centred around the Chisso factory wastewater canal in Hyakken Harbour and decreased going out to sea, clearly identifying

4557-564: The group, Eizō Watanabe (a former leader of the Mutual Aid Society), declared, "Today, and from this day forth, we are fighting against the power of the state." Those who decided to sue the company came under fierce pressure to drop their lawsuits. One woman was visited personally by a Chisso executive and harassed by her neighbours. She was blackballed by the community, her family's fishing boat used without permission, their fishing nets were cut, and human faeces were thrown at her in

4650-413: The hands and feet, general muscle weakness , loss of peripheral vision , and damage to hearing and speech . In extreme cases, insanity , paralysis , coma , and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms. A congenital form of the disease affects fetuses in the womb, causing microcephaly, extensive cerebral damage, and symptoms similar to those seen in cerebral palsy . Minamata disease

4743-399: The impact of Minamata disease is complicated, as a full epidemiological study has never been conducted and patients were recognised only if they voluntarily applied to a certification council to seek financial compensation. Many individuals with Minamata disease faced discrimination and ostracism from the local community if they came out into the open about their symptoms. Some people feared

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4836-467: The incidence of these kinds of diseases declined after the 1970s. These cases also set precedents for private tort law and civil law in issues of compensation for technology-related mass damage which continue to have repercussions in legal cases in Japan today. Itai-itai disease first occurred in 1912 within Toyama Prefecture . This disease was given the name "itai-itai" because this was

4929-520: The ingestion of contaminated fish from Minamata Bay . The methylmercury inside the contaminated fish attacked the affected patient's central nervous system , which caused a variety of symptoms. Most patients exhibited combinations of symptoms and did not show all symptoms. The cause of this contamination in Minamata bay was then traced back to Chisso Corporation 's dumping of methylmercury into Minamata Bay. Chisso Corporation produced acetaldehyde using water , acetylene , mercury(II) sulfate as

5022-407: The initial outbreak and had never been fed contaminated fish also led their mothers to believe they were not victims. At the time the medical establishment believed the placenta would protect the foetus from toxins in the bloodstream, which is indeed the case with most chemicals. What was not known at the time was that exactly the opposite is the case with methylmercury: the placenta removes it from

5115-412: The lack of other industry, meant that Chisso had great influence in the city. At one point, over half of the tax revenue of Minamata City authority came from Chisso and its employees, and the company and its subsidiaries were responsible for creating a quarter of all jobs in Minamata. The city was even dubbed Chisso's "castle town," in reference to the capital cities of feudal lords who ruled Japan during

5208-488: The liability and financial burden on the company, these committees were sticking to a rigid interpretation of Minamata disease. They required that patients must exhibit all symptoms of Hunter-Russell syndrome – the standard diagnosis of organic mercury poisoning at the time, which originated from an industrial accident in the United Kingdom in 1940. The committee certified only patients exhibiting explicit symptoms of

5301-461: The manufacture of these chemicals were released into Minamata Bay through the factory wastewater . These pollutants had an environmental impact. Fisheries were damaged in terms of reduced catches, and in response Chisso reached two separate compensation agreements with the fishery cooperative in 1926 and 1943. The rapid expansion of the Chisso factory spurred on the local economy, and as the company prospered so did Minamata. This fact, combined with

5394-481: The mother's bloodstream and concentrates the chemical in the foetus. After several years of study and the autopsies of two children, the doctors announced that these children had an as-yet unrecognised congenital form of Minamata disease. The certification committee convened on 29 November 1962 and agreed that the two dead children and the sixteen children still alive should be certified as patients, and therefore liable for "sympathy" payments from Chisso, in line with

5487-409: The outbreak began. Another mediation committee was set up, and an agreement was hammered out and signed on 17 December. Some ¥25 million of "sympathy money" was paid to the alliance and a ¥65 million fishing recovery fund was established. In 1959, the people with Minamata disease were in a much weaker position than the fishermen. The recently formed Minamata Disease Patients Families Mutual Aid Society

5580-521: The patients asked Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Hirosaku Teramoto to include the patients' request for compensation with the mediation that was ongoing with the prefectural fishing alliance. Chisso agreed and after a few weeks' further negotiation, another "sympathy money" agreement was signed. Patients who were certified by a Ministry of Health and Welfare committee would be compensated: adult patients received ¥100,000 ($ 917) per year; children ¥30,000 ($ 275) per year, and families of dead patients would receive

5673-513: The phrase affected people would frequently cry out; it translates into "it-hurts it-hurts disease". The cause of itai-itai disease was determined to be cadmium poisoning in the drinking water from the Jinzū River basin. The source of cadmium was discovered to be from Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company . Mitsui Mining began to discharge cadmium into the Jinzū River in 1910. The cadmium poisoned

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5766-403: The plant as the source of contamination. Pollution was so heavy at the mouth of the wastewater canal, a figure of 2 kg of mercury per ton of sediment was measured: a level that would be economically viable to mine. Indeed, Chisso did later set up a subsidiary to reclaim and sell the mercury recovered from the sludge. Hair samples were taken from the individuals with the disease and also from

5859-513: The poisoned land was returned to a safe and cultivable state. The first report of Minamata disease originated in Minamata in Kumamoto Prefecture in the year 1956. Many of the earliest patients became insane from the symptoms and in some cases died within a month of being affected. After an extensive investigation, the Minamata disease was identified as a heavy metal poisoning, specifically methylmercury poisoning , transmitted by

5952-467: The polluting companies in September 1967 and March 1968, respectively. As a group, these diseases came to be known as the four big pollution diseases of Japan . Slowly but surely, the mood in Minamata and Japan as a whole was shifting. Minamata patients found the public gradually becoming more receptive and sympathetic as the decade wore on. This culminated in 1968 with the establishment in Minamata of

6045-402: The pollution continued. In most people's minds, the issue of Minamata disease had been resolved. The years between the first set of "sympathy money" agreements in 1959 and the start of the first legal action to be taken against Chisso in 1969 are often called the "ten years of silence". In fact, much activity on the part of the patients and fishermen took place during this period, but nothing had

6138-410: The researchers to believe that the outbreak was caused by some kind of food poisoning , with contaminated fish and shellfish being the prime suspects. On 4 November, the research group announced its initial findings: "Minamata disease is rather considered to be poisoning by a heavy metal , presumably it enters the human body mainly through fish and shellfish." As soon as the investigation identified

6231-410: The river, thus poisoning locals' source of water. Any person who drank that water or ate food that was grown with the contaminated water, such as rice, would be likely to show signs of itai-itai disease. The first symptoms were spine and leg pain. However, as the disease progresses symptoms include: Most people with itai-itai disease were confined to bed because walking caused severe pain. Residents of

6324-550: The same year was ordered to clean up its contamination. On March 29, 2010, a settlement was reached to compensate as-yet uncertified victims. A second outbreak of Minamata disease occurred in Niigata Prefecture in 1965. The original Minamata disease and Niigata Minamata disease are considered two of the Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan . In 1908, the Chisso Corporation first opened

6417-835: The sediment. This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated and biomagnified in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea , which, when eaten by the local population, resulted in mercury poisoning. The poisoning and resulting deaths of both humans and animals continued for 36 years, while Chisso and the Kumamoto prefectural government did little to prevent the epidemic. The animal effects were severe enough in cats that they came to be named as having "dancing cat fever". As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially recognized as having Minamata disease and over 10,000 had received financial compensation from Chisso. By 2004, Chisso had paid $ 86 million in compensation, and in

6510-413: The street. The litigation group and their lawyers were helped substantially by an informal national network of citizens' groups that had sprung up around the country in 1969. The Associations to Indict those Responsible for Minamata Disease were instrumental in raising awareness and funds for the lawsuit. The Kumamoto branch, in particular, was especially helpful to the case. In September 1969, they set up

6603-476: The sums on offer. They petitioned the committee, together with patients and supporters of the litigation group, for a fairer deal. The arbitration committee announced their compensation plan on 25 May in a disorderly session at the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Tokyo. Thirteen protesters were arrested. Instead of accepting the agreement as they had promised, the arbitration group asked for increases. The committee

6696-477: The surface of the sea. As the extent of the outbreak was understood, the committee invited researchers from Kumamoto University (or Kumadai) to help in the research effort. The Kumamoto University Research Group was formed on 24 August 1956. Researchers from the School of Medicine began visiting Minamata regularly and admitted patients to the university hospital for detailed examinations. A more complete picture of

6789-405: The surrounding area that were harmed by this disease filed a lawsuit against Mitsui Mining & Smelting Company in 1968. Residents won this lawsuit and began to conduct negotiations. Mitsui Mining formally admitted that itai-itai disease was caused by their discharge of cadmium into the Jinzū River. Mitsui Mining was also obliged to pay recovery costs for the land. This meant that they had to ensure

6882-690: The symptoms exhibited by patients was gradually uncovered. The disease developed without any prior warning, with patients complaining of a loss of sensation and numbness in their hands and feet. They became unable to grasp small objects or fasten buttons. They could not run or walk without stumbling, their voices changed in pitch, and many patients complained of difficulties seeing, hearing, and swallowing. In general, these symptoms worsened and were followed by severe convulsions, coma , and eventually death. By October 1956, forty patients had been discovered, fourteen of whom had died: an alarming case fatality rate of 35%. Researchers from Kumadai also began to focus on

6975-443: The victims of Showa Denko's pollution lived a considerable distance from the factory and had no particular link to the company. As a result, the local community was much more supportive of patients' groups and a lawsuit was filed against Showa Denko in March 1968, only three years after discovery. The events in Niigata catalysed a change in response to the original Minamata incident. The scientific research carried out in Niigata forced

7068-516: The year that Niigata Minamata was discovered, 26 people were designated disease patients, and five died as a result of the methylmercury poisoning. Yokkaichi is a city in the center of Japan in Mie Prefecture ; known as the "town of petroleum" as it produces almost a quarter of the total petroleum in Japan. Construction of the first oil refinery in this area first began in 1955 and after construction many respiratory diseases emerged within

7161-440: Was also experiencing similar problems. After a house-to-house investigation, eight further patients were discovered and hospitalised. On 1 May, the hospital director reported to the local public health office the discovery of an "epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system ", marking the official discovery of Minamata disease. To investigate the epidemic, the city government and various medical practitioners formed

7254-581: Was discovered early on. The degree of this outbreak was minimal compared to that of the first Minamata disease that took place in Kumamoto prefecture . Investigation of the cause of the disease was given to the Niigata University medical department. There were a number of factors that could be the cause of this outbreak. Along the Agano River basin there were several plants that used mercury in production, agricultural chemicals were widely used in

7347-403: Was dying of cancer . Hosokawa explained his experiments with cats, including the infamous "cat 400", which developed Minamata disease after being fed factory wastewater. He also spoke of his opposition to the 1958 change in wastewater output route to Minamata River. Hosokawa's testimony was backed up by a colleague who also told how Chisso officials had ordered them to halt their cat experiments in

7440-399: Was finally discontinued. On 21 April 1956, a five-year-old girl was examined at Chisso's factory hospital in Minamata. The physicians were puzzled by her symptoms: difficulty walking, difficulty speaking, and convulsions . Two days later, her younger sister also began to exhibit the same symptoms and she, too, was hospitalised. The girls' mother informed doctors that her neighbour's daughter

7533-408: Was first discovered in the city of Minamata , Kumamoto Prefecture , Japan, in 1956, hence its name. It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from a chemical factory owned by the Chisso Corporation , which continued from 1932 to 1968. It has also been suggested that some of the mercury sulfate in the wastewater was also metabolized to methylmercury by bacteria in

7626-400: Was forced to revise its plan and the patients waited inside the ministry building for two days while they did so. The final agreement was signed on 27 May. Payments for deaths ranged from ¥1.7 million to ¥4 million ($ 4,700 to $ 11,100), one-time payments from ¥1 million to ¥4.2 million ($ 2,760 to $ 11,660) and annual payments between ¥170,000 and ¥380,000 ($ 470 to $ 1,100) for surviving patients. On

7719-410: Was installed as a social solution and did nothing to remove organic mercury." The deception was successful and almost all parties involved in Minamata disease were duped into believing that the factory's wastewater had been made safe from December 1959 onward. This widespread assumption meant that doctors were not expecting new patients to appear, resulting in numerous problems in the years to follow as

7812-572: Was located upstream on the Agano River and, just like the Chisso corporation, produced methylmercury as a by-product and then dumped it into the Agano river. Much like Chisso corporation, Showa Denko declined all charges that they were at fault for the Niigata Minamata outbreak. After much controversy, Showa Denko was found guilty of negligence and was then forced to pay compensation payments to all those affected by Niigata Minamata disease. In

7905-481: Was much more divided than the fishing cooperatives. Patients' families were the victims of discrimination and ostracism from the local community. Local people felt that the company (and their city that depended upon it) was facing economic ruin. To some patients, this ostracism by the community represented a greater fear than the disease itself. After beginning a sit-in at the Chisso factory gates in November 1959,

7998-537: Was responsible for the disease proved to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. During 1957 and 1958, many different theories were proposed by different researchers. At first, manganese was thought to be the causal substance due to the high concentrations found in fish and the organs of the deceased. Thallium, selenium, and a multiple contaminant theory were also proposed, but in March 1958, visiting British neurologist Douglas McAlpine suggested that Minamata symptoms resembled those of organic mercury poisoning , so

8091-423: Was stacked heavily in the company's favour. On 29 August, the fishing cooperative agreed to the mediation committee's proposal, stating: "In order to end the anxiety of the citizens, we swallow our tears and accept". Chisso paid the cooperative ¥ 20 million (US$ 183,477 — about US$ 1.7 million in 2021 value) and set up a ¥15 million ($ 137,608 — about 1.25 million today) fund to promote the recovery of fishing. Since

8184-429: Was that of a woman from Goshonoura island who had 920 ppm in her sample. The prefectural governments did not publish the results and did nothing in response to these surveys. The participants who had donated hair samples were not informed of their result, even when they requested it. A follow-up study ten years later discovered that many had died from "unknown causes". Local doctors and medical officials had noticed for

8277-451: Was the company negligent in its duty of care ). Third, it had to disprove that the "sympathy money" agreement of 1959, which forbade the patients from claiming any further compensation, was a legally binding contract. The trial heard from patients and their families, but the most important testimony came from Chisso executives and employees. The most dramatic testimony came from Hosokawa, who spoke on 4 July 1970 from his hospital bed where he

8370-402: Was the death of fish at the mouth of the river, and from that point on, new Minamata disease victims began to appear in other fishing villages up and down the coast of the Shiranui Sea , as the pollution spread over an even greater area. Chisso failed to co-operate with the Kumadai research team. It withheld information on its industrial processes, leaving researchers to speculate what products

8463-409: Was the largest sum ever awarded by a Japanese court. While the struggles of the arbitration and litigation groups against Chisso were continuing, a new group of individuals with Minamata disease emerged. To qualify for compensation under the 1959 agreement, patients had to be officially recognised by various ad hoc certification committees according to their symptoms. However, in an effort to limit

8556-528: Was the source of the contamination. Chisso was coming under closer scrutiny and to deflect criticism, the wastewater output route was changed. Chisso knew of the environmental damage caused by its wastewater and was well aware that it was the prime suspect in the Minamata disease investigation. Despite this, from September 1958, instead of discharging its waste into Hyakken Harbour (the focus of investigation and source of original contamination), it discharged wastewater directly into Minamata River. The immediate effect

8649-464: Was then specified as Yokkaichi asthma . This form of asthma was prevalent within Yokkaichi—5–10% of inhabitants aged 40 in Yokkaichi were reported to have chronic bronchitis, whereas less than 3% had the same disease in non-polluted areas. To offer support for many of the people affected by disease, a public release system for air pollution was established in 1965. This set forth that all people in

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