Minamata Disease Municipal Museum■Opening hours 9:00〜17:00 (Last entry 30 minutes before closing)■Closed Mondays (the following day if it is a national holiday)・New Year s Holiday■Admission fee FreeMUSEUMGUIDE■Parking Free（Space available for 15 buses and 272 passenger vehicles）※Disabled parking available.
■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 to 60minutes）：Groups must make reservations in advance.
●Storytelling Sessions（60minutes）：Audiences have an opportunity hear the ﬁrsthandpersonal experiences of the victims of Minamata Desease.
（Free of charge for groups of 10 or more only. ※Reservations necessary）
Manabino-oka is the name given to the area housing the Kumamoto
Prefecture Environmental Center, Minamata Disease Archives andthe Minamata Disease Municipal Museum

Manabino-oka Area Map
Yatsushiro Sea

Rest Station
Rest RoomTaxi Stand
Environmental
CenterDisabled
ParkingMonumentof Sound

The Minamata Disease Municipal Museum opened in January 1993 with the aim of providing
people with an opportunity to understand correctly how Minamata Disease broke out, developedand has been dealt with. Our sincere wish is that, by generating wider awareness of what
occurred back then, we never let such a tragic incident of pollution happen again. The museum
also plays a vital role as a special archive for housing valuable learning resources to be passed on
to future generations.
While over two decades have passed since the museum opened, the supreme court of Japan
ruled that the central and Kumamoto prefectural governments were responsible for notpreventing the expansion of Minamata Disease. Two remedies for victims were provided before
and after the ruling. In addition, livelihood support programs for fetal and infantile Minamata
Disease patients along with restoration and revitalization initiatives have been launched basedon the Minamata-Ashikita Regional Promotion Plan. However, various disputes regarding
Minamata Disease remain unsolved.
The museum has been through a major renovation for the first time since its establishment.
This is part of our efforts to help children, who bear the future on their shoulders, gain a better
understanding of the issues based on an enhanced set of exhibitions.
We have also reaffirmed our determination to focus on our role as an information center for
Minamata Disease, and to also serve as a support base for Minamata citizens who value theenvironment, lives and human rights. By doing so, we hope to contribute in every way we can toaddressing global environmental challenges.
We would truly appreciate your continued support and encouragement.

Minamata Disease
Municipal Museum●By car
It takes 2 hrs from Kumamoto,Kagoshima and Miyazaki,1 hr and 20 min from Hitoyoshi.

●By Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train

Minamata Disease
ArchivesTo reach Shin-Minamata, it takes about 60 min from Hakata,about 25
min from Kumamoto, and about 30 min from Kagoshima-Chuo.

Parking forBicycles

Rest Room●By Orange Railway

Parking

Parking

Minamata Disease
Archives

AccessMinamata
MemorialGreenGlobe

Dear visitors to the Museum

Environmental Center

To reach Minamata, it takes about 60 min from Yatsushiro and about 100 minfrom Sendai.（※It takes about 5 min from Minamata station by car.）Minamata Disease
Municipal Museum■A public bus is available from the Shin-Minamata Station and Minamata
Station to the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum Stop（1 min walk）.

Wadamisaki CapeYunoko Spa

To Kumamoto

National Institutefor Minamata Disease

Osakigahana
CapeTonton Pass

MinYatsushiro Sea

amataRiv

Culture center
Moyainaoshi CenterMarushima Port

Minamata Disease
Municipal Museum

Municipal Library andCommunity Center
Minamata Post Oﬃce

Umedo
Port

Chisso,Co,Ltd

Hisa

City Hall
Minamata City
Hospitaltsu

Hyakken drainage
outletEco-park Minamata
Koijishima Island
Minamata PortTo Kagoshima

Minamata
StationShin Minamata Station

3nOransege R
ailw

ankinayushyuKhS

2nd Floor
Exhibition
RoomGuideThe Minamata Disease Municipal Museum is aplace where people “ learn about the past and how toturn those lessons into hope for the future”.
We hope everyone will use this as an opportunity tothink and act on what kind of future they desire.

The Fertile Sea andⅠ a Major Chemical Company
1.The Fertile Sea

Damages Caused by

Ⅲ Minamata Disease and Compensation
MINAMATA DISEASE IS NOT CONTAGEOUS.

The residents of Minamata, an area rich in ﬁshresources, lived oﬀ thebounty of the sea.

7.Health Damages
Caused byMinamata Disease
This diagram explains
the spread of Minamata
Disease in terms of itssymptoms and victims.

Exhibition zone

Ⅲ
Damages Caused byMinamata Diseaseand Compensation

2.Major Chemical Company
Chisso Corporation andMinamata City
National Institute for Minamata Disease

Minamata Disease Archives

1階Library and Reading Room
Here you can have accessto books on Minamata
disease, scrapbooks andvideo materials.

PermanentCollection
Exhibition
Room

Administrative Oﬃce

Ⅱ

Visitors can borrow videos on
Minamata Disease for free.

Exhibition zone

Lavatory

Message from
Minamata

Ⅳ

Exhibition zone

ⅠMain
Entrance

Special
Exhibition

Reception
Desk〜 Simulations of Health Damages 〜

People want Minamata
to return to the way it
was through the regeneration of the environment and emotional
reconciliation. Thepeople and the government have joined hands
to work toward this goal.

3.Oﬃcial Recognition of Minamata Disease
This tranquil ﬁshing village ﬁrst witnessed abnormalities incats and birds, after which people started coming downwith severe symptoms of an unknown cause. This was theﬁrst oﬃcially recognized case of Minamata Disease.

4.Uncontrolled Factory EﬄuentMuseumShop
Theater Room

10.Putting Yourself inPatients' Shoes
11.Environmental Restoration andthe "Moyai Naoshi" (Reuniting) Program

ⅡThe Fertile Sea anda Major Chemical Company

The Outbreak andExpansion of
Minamata Disease

Hyakken Drainage Outlet
DioramaExhibition zone

The Outbreak andExpansion of
Minamata Disease

The victims battle for certiﬁcation and compensation for
their suﬀering at thehands of Minamata
Disease continues tothis today.

Veranda※Entrance is only on the 2nd ﬂoor.

To 1st ﬂoor

8.Victim s Struggles for the Compensationand the Certiﬁcation System
9.Social Damages Caused by Minamata Disease

Chisso Corporation was born in
Minamata, and as it grew, thecity prospered and developed
into an industrial city.

Storyteller RoomKumamoto Prefecture
Environmental centerEﬀorts were madeto discover thecause, but in an era
where e c o n o m i c
growth tookprecedence over
all else, appropriate measures
were not taken.

5.Expansion of Damage
6.Distressed Victims
Many victims suﬀered as aresult of delays in addressing the problem.

12.Eternal Memories

Message fromⅣ Minamata

We hope what you have seen and learned here
will help you think about your own future.
13. Minamata as an
Environmental Model City
14. Lessons Learned from
Minamata's Experiences andthe Promotion of Cooperation
15. The Minamata Convention
on Mercury