Minamata Access

In 1956, a mysterious neurological disease was officially "discovered" in the city. Known as , it was caused by the Chisso Corporation dumping an estimated 27 tons of methylmercury compounds into Minamata Bay between 1932 and 1968. The mercury bioaccumulated in fish and shellfish, which were a primary food source for local residents. Minamata Disease The History and Measures - Chapter 3

Minamata is a coastal city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, that has become a global symbol for industrial pollution and environmental recovery . While once a quiet fishing and farming village, it gained international notoriety in the 1950s as the site of one of the world's most devastating cases of mercury poisoning. The Minamata Tragedy Minamata