The Minamata story continues to evolve. I’m not sure if there’s a direct connection but recently the nation’s appeals committee overturned a decision not to certify a man in Kumamoto named SHIMODA Yoshio. This is part of a series of developments that have reinforced the claim that the certification criteria are excessively stringent. This positive trend may have helped the victims in Niigata decide to sue.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/131211/uncertified-minamata-disease-sufferers-niigata-file-da