Minamata Chronology
This chronology shows a history of the Minamata area regarding Minamata disease from the Meiji era to the present. Each item/event is given a reference to its source.
Abbreviations of reference sources
- AC: Ayumi Chronology
- The Editorial Committee of the Shin Nippon Chisso Labor Union’s photo collection (Jan. 2006).
The 59-year Footsteps of the Shin Nippon Chisso Labor Union We Created and Battled - KB: Kukaku Binran
- Kumamoto Women’s College Research Institute of Regional Culture (1985). Shirakawa-ken ka Kukaku Binran (Handbook Zoning in Shirakawa-ken). Collection of History of Kumamoto prefecture No. 3
- Kumanichi: Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun (Newspaper)
- Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun Co., Ltd.
- CH: City History
- Minamata city (Oct. 1991). New History of Minamata City
- SH: Short History
- Takamine, Takeshi (March. 2008). Short History of Minamata Disease, Booklet of Minamata Disease No.6, Kumamoto Nichi Nichi Shimbun Newspaper
- GS: General Survey
- General Survey of Shin Nihon Chisso Hiryo Projects (July, 1937). The New Japan Nitrogenous Fertilizer Company (Nippon Chisso Hiryo K.K.)
- CMD: Chronology of Minamata Disease
- Arima, Sumio (Jan. 1979). Minamata Disease The 20-year Study and Assignment Today about Minamata Disease, Seirinsha
| 1977 | Jun.14 | Teruo Kawamoto, who has sought for his negotiation with Chisso, is prosecuted for injury to a Chisso employee. At the appeal court decision, the chief judge Terao rejects the appeal because of the prosecutorial misconduct. SH p. 68 |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Jul.1 | The Environment Agency announces that multiple symptoms are now required as a condition for certification as a Minamata disease patient through Director General of Environmental Health Department. CH vol. 2 p. 869 SH p. 67 |
| 1977 | Sept.-- | The Minamata city council unanimously adopts the opinion brief as the council insists on the enhancement of keeping the Minamata factory in existence. AC |
| 1977 | Oct.11 | Kumamoto prefecture begins working on the reclamation of the 58 hectares of Minamata Bay after collecting the sludge in the bay and putting it into a closed-off section of the bay. The prefecture sets partition nets to contain the contaminated fish. The work is completed in March, 1990. CH vol. p. 833, p. 872. SH p. 82 |
| 1977 | Dec.16 | Twenty seven groups including all groups of the city council, the patients' and workers' groups establish a body called the Association of Minamata Citizens' Movement. On April 12 and 13, 1978, it lobbies the national and the prefectural governments to assist patients, develop the region, and keep the factory in existence. CH vol. 2 p. 837 |
| 1978 | Dec.27 | Kumamoto prefecture loans 3.35 billion yen to Chisso. Since that loan, the prefecture issues bonds 20 times up to June, 2000. The total amount becomes 226 billion yen. CH vol. 2 p. 854 SH p. 71 |
| 1980 | May.21 | Thirteen hundred and sixty two plaintiffs file the third suit for the responsibilities of the government and the prefecture for the outbreak and spread of Minamata Disease. The first group of the class action on March 31, 1987 and the second one on March 25, 1993 both win both cases completely. SH p. 73 |
| 1980 | Dec.16 | The Association for a Better Minamata and the Shin Nihon Chisso Labor Union in joint collaboration, gather and deliver a petition of 19,072 signatures against Chisso's downsizing to the Kumamoto prefectural assembly. AC |
| 1982 | Oct.28 | Thirty four uncertified patients and six family members including two deceased victims bring an action for the government compensation. At the first trial on July 11, 1994, they obtain a judgment: Chisso is responsible but there is no administrative responsibility. SH p. 75 |
| 1986 | Mar.27 | Four people whose applications were rejected by Kumamoto or Kagoshima prefecture file suit to nullify that decision. At the first trial, all of them are recognized as Minamata disease patients by judgment and the authorization standard is criticized as overly strict. SH p. 78 |
| 1991 | Nov.26 | The Central Council for Environment Pollution Control submits a report to the chief of the Environment Agency asking for providing the medical expenses and giving the medical treatment allowance for the patients who are not certified as Minamata disease patients but have some sensory dysfunction. SH p. 87 |
| 1994 | May.1 | At the memorial ceremony for all the victims of Minamata disease, the mayor of Minamata, Masazumi Yoshii, apologizes that the city hasn't taken enough measure for Minamata disease and announces that "May 1st" will be the day of Moyainaoshi (forming a new bond with each other), the day of reaffirming sympathy each other. SH p. 88 |
| 1995 | Dec.15 | Prime Minister Murayama announces a settlement proposal to solve the problems of Minamata disease politically. The main features are the following: providing a lump-sum benefit and the medical expenses for uncertified patients, and additional payment for the groups of victims including issuance of a Medical Treatment Notebook and Health Notebook. SH p. 90 |
| 1998 | Sept.19 | The subcommittee of the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology on Minamata disease says that the national standard for certification of Minamata disease, whose condition needs the combination of more than one symptoms, is incorrect scientifically and a single symptom is acceptable for certification. SH p. 96 |
| 2002 | Sept.20 | The lectures of Minamata Studies are started by Professor Masazumi Harada and others, considering Minamata disease as not only from the standpoint of medical science but also as an academic learning for the researchers, patients and all those involved. |
| 2004 | Mar.26 | Shin Nihon Chisso Labor Union holds a grand meeting for its dissolution at Minamata City Gymnasium. Approximately 600 people attend. AC |
| 2004 | Oct.15 | At the Kansai lawsuit, Supreme Court issues a landmark ruling. Those who have sensory dysfunctions are recognized as Minamata disease patients. The state and the prefectural responsibilities are also recognized. SH p. 104 |
| 2005 | Apr.7 | According to the judicial decision of the Kansai lawsuit, the Environment Agency announces a new measure for Minamata disease. The upper limit of the medical expenses is abolished and the Medical Treatment and the Health Notebook in 1995 are improved, but the Agency seemed to induce a decrease of applications for the certification of Minamata disease and tries to manipulate the issuance of the revised health notebook. SH p. 112 |
| 2010 | May.-- | According to the Law Concerning Special Measures for the Relief of the victims of Minamata Disease and the Solution to the Minamata Disease Issue (Law Concerning Special Measures for Minamata Disease), the special measures start for the uncertified patients. A new type of notebook called the Victims' Notebook is issued. Such measures end on July 31, 2011. SH p. 129 |
| 2010 | Dec.-- | The Environment Agency approves a reorganization project for Chisso conducting the company split-up. SH p. 133 |
| 2011 | Jan.12 | Based on Law Concerning Special Measures for Minamata Disease, Chisso establishes operating a company called JNC with no relation to the debts of Chisso. Chisso is regarded as a company which is responsible for the compensation for the certified patients and the public debts. SH p. 146 |
| 2013 | Apr.16 | Supreme Court makes a new initial ruling in the case of Mizoguchi and Ms. F: each decision should be made for each person by examining comprehensively his/her situation and the related evidence of each case. Kumanichi Apr. 17, 2013 |
| 2013 | Oct.11 | The Government of Japan hosts the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Kumamoto and Minamata city. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is adopted aiming at reducing the risk of mercury to people and the environment through the entire process from mining to disposal. SH p.106 |
| 2014 | Mar.31 | At the first trial of the second generation of Minamata disease sufferers, the Kumamoto District Court issues a judgment that a person is to be recognized as having Minamata disease if that person has a high level of mercury exposure and sensory dysfunction of the distal portion of the extremities predominantly and if it is impossible to attribute these symptoms to any other disease. Kumanichi Apr. 1, 2014 |
