Kumamoto marks 61st anniv. since Minamata disease confirmation

May 2, 2017

MINAMATA, KUMAMOTO PREF.- A ceremony was held on Monday in the southwestern Japan city of Minamata to mark the 61st anniversary of the official recognition of Minamata disease, or mercury poisoning caused by polluted wastewater.

Some 700 people, including those who still suffer symptoms, bereaved families of Minamata disease victims, and officials from the central government and Chisso Corp., which released the wastewater, attended the ceremony in the Kumamoto Prefecture city.

"We cannot change the past," Masafumi Takishita, 60, a sufferer of fetal Minamata disease, said in a speech. "But we hope that the way we live full lives will provide emotional support for others."

Takishita, born with dysfunctional limbs, has sought to lead an independent life.

In September 1978 and February this year, he and fellow sufferers of fetal Minamata disease invited famous singer Sayuri Ishikawa, a Kumamoto native, to Minamata to perform.

The concerts "gave me confidence to live," Takishita said. "I feel extremely grateful for all the support."

Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto, who attended the ceremony as a central government representative, said the government will strive more to ensure that aged sufferers can live with a sense of security.

A total of 2,282 people in Kumamoto and the neighboring prefecture of Kagoshima have been officially recognized as sufferers of the disease. Jiji Press