Minamata Disease Municipal Museum
We are conveying the lessons of Minamata disease to the world.
The aim of the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum is collecting and preserving valuable materials about
Minamata disease, which is considered as one of the earliest pollution problems in Japan, and handing down thelessons and experiences of Minamata disease to future generations so they do not fade away. In order to preventthe reoccurrence of disastrous pollution like Minamata disease, through displays and storytellers, we exhibit andtell the history and present situation of Minamata disease and the hard situations that patients experienced, suchas the suffering and discrimination.
Since its opening in January 1993, 700,000people from within Japan and from over 175 foreign countries havevisited us to learn about pollution, the environment and human rights.

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday 9:00am - 5:00pm＊Entrance is closed 30 minutes before closing time.

Closed:Monday (Except Holiday Mondays)
Tuesday, when Holiday Mondays
December 29 - January 3
Admission & parking free
Parking:Space available for 15 buses and 272 cars
＊There is disabled persons' parking space.

Address:53 Myojin-Cho, Minamata City,
Kumamoto Prefecture. #867-0055
TEL: 0966-62-2621 FAX: 0966-62-2271
URL: http://www.minamata195651.jp/

Museum tour: 30 - 60minutes＊Please book for a group visit in advance.
Talks by storytellers: 60min.
Narratives of Minamata disease experiencesby storytellers＊Appointment necessary＊Free for groups of over 10 people

AccessBy car・Minami-Kyushu Expressway : 30minutes from Ashikita-IC
・Kyushu Expressway : 70minutes from Kurino-IC
120minutes from Kumamoto-IC
・Route 3 : 20minutes from Izumi-City, Kagoshima-Prefecture.

By train

・JR Kyushu's bullet express : 65 minutes from Hakata Station:
26minutes from Kumamoto Station
33minutes from Kagoshima-Chuo Station＊From nearest station
・Shin-Minamata Station for JR Kyushu bullet express:
15minutes by car (6.3km)
・Minamata Station for Hisatsu Orange Railway:
7minutes by car (2.5km)

MINAMATA MEMORIAL
It is a place to pray for victims of Minamata
disease, to convey the misery of pollution and thepreciousness of life to future generations, and topledge to prevent tragedy such as Minamata
disease from happening again. It is located on theMuseum's property.

Minamata disease is a disease caused by pollution, which caused methyl mercury poisoning amongpeople who consumed seafood contaminated by methyl mercury in industrial wastewater
discharged to the Shiranui Sea by Chisso Minamata Factory.
In 1956, the occurrence of a disease of unknown cause was reported in Minamata City.
However, even after the factory's industrial wastewater had been suspected as the cause,
wastewater continued to be discharged. As the result, the victims of Minamata disease werediscovered widely in areas along the Shiranui Sea. It was when the Japanese economy wasexpanding rapidly. The sea in Minamata was so abundant in fishery resources that people called it“the sea that fish gush out”. People used to live a peaceful life with such bounties of the sea, butthey were suddenly struck by a disease of unknown cause and died off without receiving
satisfactory treatment. The bereaved families who lost their breadwinners and fishermen became
desperately poor. Further, the tragedy of fetal Minamata disease patients, who were born infectedwith mercury in the womb, were found.
At first, since Minamata disease was mistaken for a strange infectious disease, the patientswere discriminated against in many ways. For example, they were told by people around them,
who feared the disease, "Don't walk in the village, or you will spread the disease." In Minamata,which was called "Chisso's castletown", there were more than a few people who defended Chisso
and shunned the patients. In addition, Minamata City did not fulfill its role even though they knew
the patients' sufferings, despite that the patients were also citizens. The patients and the othercitizens confronted each other, thus, Minamata City plunged into chaos and the ties between
people were broken. Further, since Minamata disease was mistaken as an epidemic or contagious
disease, the patients could not find work and could not marry, and farm products with the name of
Minamata on it could not sell. There was a tendency in many places in Japan to avoid things
related to Minamata.
In 1968, the industrial wastewater from Chisso Minamata Factory finally stopped being
discharged. It had been 12 years since Minamata disease was recognized. In that year, thegovernment recognized at last that Minamata disease was a pollution-caused disease caused by
Chisso Minamata Factory.
The victims whose health were ruined and the victims' families who lost their dearly loved
family members started lawsuits and negotiations against Chisso and the national and prefectural
government in various parts of the country. They fought desperately to demand sincere apologies
and compensations. Besides, compensation to uncertified patients, who have not been certified as
Minamata disease patients, has come up. Since the standard of recognition was considered toostrict, the appropriateness of the recognition system started to be argued.
Although, Chisso's responsibility was clarified by lawsuits, the lawsuits were protracted over
the administrative responsibility and made no progress. The administration was held responsible
for setting a too strict of a recognition standard and not regulating the industrial wastewater toprevent the spread of the damages.
In 1990, the court advised a compromise to compensate quickly, considering the victims'advanced age. In response to this, the government proposed a settlement in 1995.
Most of the patients' group withdrew the cases and accepted the settlement reluctantly toreceive compensation while they are alive. That was a harsh decision. Only the plaintiffs in
Minamata disease Kansai case appealed to the Supreme Court to clarify the administration's
responsibility, and the court made its judgment, recognizing the responsibility of the state and thelocal governments in 2004. A lot of tears have been shed so far, but we cannot recover lost livesand health. An ancient sage once said," He is doubly fond that justifies his fondness." We have toadmit mistakes of Minamata disease and pledge never to repeat them. Because, it concerns humanlife and dignity, especially in Minamata.

Exhibit 2 Permanent Exhibitions
Panels, videos, photographs■They had lived a peaceful life.
Minamata disease occurred in Shiranui Sea. The storytellers recount life near thesea in Minamata before Minamata disease happened.
■Japan aimed to be an industrially advanced nation.
A small village, Minamata, has grown to be an industrial city with Chisso Factory'sgrowth.
■There was a sign of Minamata disease.
Eerie happenings happened one after another since 1950, such as floating fish, andcat's death from madness.
■Finally, it affected humans.
On May 1st, 1956, the existence of a disease with unknown cause was officiallyrecognized.
The victims were discovered one after another. The victims and fishermen became
desperately poor. Although suspicions about Chisso Factory's industrial wastewater
became stronger, Chisso did not admit it. Besides, the national and prefectural
government did not regulate the industrial wastewater. The industrial wastewatercontinued to be discharged to contaminate the sea.
■The government admitted it as a pollution-caused disease.
In 1968, 12 years after Minamata disease had been discovered, the nationalgovernment finally announced that Minamata disease was a pollution-caused
disease which had been caused by Chisso Minamata Factory's industrial wastewater.
The victims started lawsuits and negotiations against Chisso and the national andprefectural government, asking for an apology and compensation.
■Solving Minamata disease issue
The patients' fights were protracted, because the national and prefecturalgovernment would not admit their responsibilities. For that reason, most of thepatients' group agreed to the government's settlement proposal setting a conditionthat the patients should never start any disputes after this.
■Methyl mercury was discharged into the sea.
The methyl mercury entered into human body by eating seafood.
After methyl mercury was discharged into the sea with industrial wastewater, it
accumulated in seafood in high concentrations through the food chain.
No one could ever imagine that the sea was contaminated, and people in a fishingvillage consumed a lot of fish from the sea every day. Consequently, tragedies
occurred one after another.
■The symptoms of Minamata disease -"Cats" were used to investigate the cause.
Chisso ascertained that the cats had Minamata disease by experimenting cats byfeeding Chisso's industrial wastewater. They kept on discharging the industrial
wastewater to hide the truth, and it caused the spread of damage.
Other information about the relation between the mercury accumulation
quantities in human body and the symptoms■Both children and adults could get the disease.
Unborn children were also affected.
Information about children and adult Minamata disease and congenital Minamata disease
Minamata disease is a disease of methyl mercury poisoning. Methyl mercury accumulated
in the body attacks the central nervous system. The symptoms include numbness,
unsteadiness and trembling in the legs and hands, narrowing of the field of vision,
loss of hearing, etc. In addition, another tragedy had occurred. Congenital
Minamata disease patients were discovered, who were born with Minamata disease
after being attacked by methyl mercury through the placenta of their mothers who
consumed polluted fish.

Exhibit 3 Special Exhibitions

Storyteller RoomPanels showing Minamata
citizen's efforts aiming at anenvironmentally friendly city;
photographs of patients and thescenes of fishing at that time ofMinamata disease; patients' meaningful words written
on cloths, etc.

Minamata disease survivors have volunteered their time at our museum to speak
about their painful experiences. The storytellers share their experiences, such as
their life at that time, symptoms of Minamata disease,discrimination and prejudice from people around them.
*Appointment necessary.
*Free for groups of over 10 people.

Reading Room
(1 F)
Books, newspaper
clippings, and DVDs arefree to use.

Museum shopBooks, postcards, T-shirts,
accessories, teas, etc.

■The lesson was not learnt. -Methyl mercury poisoning in the world
Information about Niigata Minamata disease and other organic mercury
poisoning in the world■The sea was cleaned by treating sludge.
The relief system for the victims
Information about the Minamata disease recognition system and Comprehensive
Measures of Minamata Disease Medical Care Project
Information about medical care and research on Minamata disease andMinamata Bay Pollution Prevention Project

Exhibit 1 Video Theater Room
The video of "Outline of Minamata
Disease" is shown on a large screen.
(Running time: 16 minutes)*Please sign your name at the information desk
when you arrive.