No and what is the cost for today if these things had

world? No. And what is the cost for today if these things had not been stopped in the
past, can Japanese people overcome pollution, or will it be the continue of such
disease like below?
VII.
CASE STUDY: MINAMATA DISEASE IN JAPAN
Minatama disease in Japan in
1956
In the time of its economic
development, Japanese had to pay a
high price for its modernity. Stronger
than the most severe earthquake, it
covered Japan’s sun, pushed the whole
country into darkness and despair, make people suffer physically and mentally, like a
nightmare that even though we have woken up, cannot forget. It is well known that
Minamata, a beautiful city bordering between Kumamoto and Kagoshima Provinces,
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is also the name of the terrible disease in the late 69s, early 70s, the time for a miracle
economy in Japan. Nowadays, Japanese people always keep in mind and educate their
future generation that it would be inexcusable if Minamata-like disease was recurred
in the future.
What is Minamata?
Minamata disease is a poisoning disease that affects mainly the central nervous
system and is caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish
living in Minamata Bay and its surroundings. This is not a contagious or genetic
disease. This was the first time this disease had appeared in Kumamoto and in 1956
and 1968 Japanese government official declared this disease is caused by Chisso
Corporation for polluting the environment. (Wikipedia)
When mythyl mercury enters a body, it will attack the central nervous organs.
The symptoms of this disease are legs and arms paralyzed or shivering, fatigue,
tinnitus, blurred vision, hearing loss, the action of the body becomes weak. The first
patients in Minamata went crazy and passes away a month after being infected.
There are patients with chronic Minamata disease such as headache, fatigue,
frequent, loss of taste and smell, or forgotten ... These expressions are not clear, but
they make their life more challenging. A large number of people also have congenital
Minamata disease because their mothers ate fish contaminated with methyl mercury
when they were pregnant. They were disabled from birth. There are no cure for this
disease but doctors have tried to alleviate these symptoms by training measures,
treatment. In addition to the damage to the human body, there are other social affects,
especially discrimination and isolation.
Dangerous consequences and remedial measures of Japanese government
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Minamata environment
The pollution made mercury concentrations in seawater of Minamata Bay
exceed 25 ppm. The Minamata Baybed was dredged for 14 years and spent 48.5
billion yen, the costs assumed by the Kumamoto Prefecture. After renovation, the
water quality in Minamata Bay became one of the top places in Kumamoto Prefecture
on the level of purity, so people today can swim or play water sports there safely. In
order to prevent the fish poisoned, and to protect the people in the province,
Kumamoto Prefecture let down the nets in Minamata bay doors in 1974 and
encouraged fisherman to catch fish in the Bay. Then, Chisso Company bought all