Overview
- Minamata marked the 70th anniversary of the mercury poisoning first recognized in 1956 after wastewater from Chisso’s plant tainted local seafood.
- Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara visited the city, met sufferers who urged a review of the recognition system and an end to prejudice, and said the government will work on medical and welfare support.
- Applications for official recognition in Kumamoto and Kagoshima total about 33,000, yet only 2,284 people have been approved, with more than 1,000 still waiting for screening results as of the end of March.
- Full recognition grants a lump-sum payment of 10 million yen or more and coverage of medical costs, yet tighter rules introduced in 1977 have left many applicants denied.
- The government set up limited relief in 1995 and 2009 for people not formally recognized, yet gaps in who qualified still fuel lawsuits by those excluded.