May 1st was the 60th anniversary of the official “discovery” of Minamata disease. Each year, there have been two commemorations – official and unofficial – on May 1st. The official ceremony is held for certified victims. The need for another unofficial ceremony stems from the failure of the government to recognize the suffering of large numbers of other victims – people who were poisoned by the disease but are unable to meet the government’s stringent certification standards. Today, the unofficial ceremony was held (see attached photo) but the official ceremony was postponed because the governor and other officials could not take time away from dealing with earthquake-related issues.
Actually, there is a potential connection between what happened in Minamata and earthquakes. Tons of mercury-laden sludge have been buried in reclaimed land that now occupies what was once Minamata Bay. For years, it has been pointed out that an earthquake in Minamata could caused large amounts of mercury to be released into the bay once more.
Regardless of whether a quake hits Minamata or not, the Minamata disease issue remains unsettled. Court cases are still pending and patients are still waiting to have the applications for certification adjudicated – 60 years since the problem was first officially reported.
– Kirk
