Now in English--- video by an award-winning cameraman
Minamata Disease 45 Years Later----
The Lives of Mercury Pollution Victims Now Living in Kansai, Central Japan

	■VIDEO (VHS) / 41 minutes / color ■English version produced eptember 2001 ■Director / Videography: Satoshi Hagiwara* ■Production: Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Support Group ■Narration: Lee Thompson ■Recording: Daiki Studio ■Editing: Video Unite ■Equipment: Izumi Doi ■Supervision, English Language Version: Aileen Mioko Smith
■ Cooperation: Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Plaintiffs' Group Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Legal Counsel Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Medical Team Members of Hannan Central Hospital staff ■Copyright: Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Support Group

This is a story of courage and perseverance. A 20th century "Exodus". A quiet, powerful resistance by mercury pollution victims fighting for human rights and against environmental destruction.

Minamata Disease, considered the worst industrial pollution tragedy in Japan, is still a story in the making. Hundreds of thousands of people exposed to the mercury contamination from the Chisso Corporation still remain unrecognized by the callous policies of the Japanese government.

One small group of victims now living in the central Japan area of Kansai is fighting a David and Goliath battle against the Japanese government and its Minamata policies. This video is their story.

"The beguiling power of the quiet interviews, the artful blend of humanity, nature and struggle add up to sustaining impact. You will not forget this video." (Aileen Mioko Smith, national book award nominee, co-author MINAMATA with W. Eugene Smith)

"It felt as though I was able to actually meet the Minamata Disease victims. Maybe it was only a vignette of their life but I could see what it was like and I was moved. "(Educator / male / 49 yrs.)

Price: 3000 yen plus shipping cost.
How to order by fax or email: Send name, address, facsimile number, email address to:
Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Support Group.
Facsimile: +81-6-6328-0937 Email: aah07310@pop02.odn.ne.jp

We will inform you of the total cost including the shipping cost. Please pay by postal money order.
Payment to: Chisso Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Support Group.
Address: Suite 206, c/o Deigo, Daiichi Wada Mansion, 5-12-40 Hoshin, Higashi- Yodogawa-ku, Osaka 533-0014 Japan

URL http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~aah07310/


The Minamata Disease Kansai Lawsuit Today---

The High Court Judgement and After

On April 27, 2001 the Osaka Court of Appeals delivered the verdict that acknowledged the compensatory responsibility of the national and Kumamoto Prefectural governments for allowing and neglecting the spread of Minamata Disease during the 1950's and 1960's. This was the first Court of Appeals-level verdict that decided on the issue of administrative responsibility regarding the Minamata Disease incidence. The court examined facts that indicate that the deliberate neglect by the national and local administrations allowed Minamata Disease to spread so widely that the total number of patients affected by methyl mercury remains innumerable to date.

The national and Kumamoto prefectural governments appealed the case to the Supreme Court on May 11th 2001.

On July 7th 2001 , plaintiffs and suporters formed the "National Network Seeking Withdrawal of Governmental Appeal of Minamata Disease Lawsuit" and started a nationwide movement seeking withdrawal of the appeal to the Supreme Court by the national and Kumamoto prefectural governments.