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#3 Turning something negative into positive energy |
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Minamata is a small fishing village in southern Kumamoto Prefecture on the Yatsushiro Sea. The region was the site of a devastating disease that stemmed from methyl mercur* in the industrial waste of a Chisso Corporation (leaders in the Japanese chemicals industry) plant being dumped into the sea. Hundreds died, and thousands were disabled by a disorder of the central nervous system that occurred after they ate polluted fish and shellfish.
Furthermore, because information regarding the illness was not properly disseminated, victims were discriminated against and isolated. Within the town itself, relationships broke down when people loyal to Chisso, a major force in this model company town, took offense to victims attempting to hold the company accountable.
>>>See the following websites for information regarding Minamata disease |
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Effluence from the Chisso plant that flowed into the bays of Minamata and Yatsushiro, which is believed to have contained 70 to 150 tons or more of mercury. |
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--- A incident of ordinary living |
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"The Minamata Disease Experience: A incident of ordinary living" was the theme of a special session of The Coalition of Local Government for Environmental Initiative Japan, which was held in Minamata in May 2000.
Minamata victims suffered not only the effects of the disease: a schism in relationships between citizens arose due to alliances to Chisso, they were pit against the government, and they were ostracized locally due to fear-based prejudices.
Ironically, the incident that suddenly occurred in the lives of Minamatans was the result of living their lives as they always had--catching and eating the bounties of the local waters.
The incident crept up in their ordinary everyday life and turned it upside down, thus getting back to normal (ordinary living, or the fundamentals) was the first step in Minamata's new start.
In preparation for my visit, Minamata city government's Tetsuro Yoshimoto explained in an e-mail: "Minamata's task is to rebuild from the ground up, to meet with Minamata disease victims, and reflect their stories in our work. To listen to the natural world around us, to question what we see, and to put it into our own words, thus turning it into an advantage." |
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# Reestablishing ties and building an ecotown |
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Minamata began its conscious effort to build the future based on its past experiences around 1990. In 1991 it started the Minamata Environment Creation Development Project. Citizens met, talked, and over the course of ten years worked to overcome the problems that Minamata disease brought about and embark on the road to restoration.
In their pursuit to become an environmentally advanced city, they also focused on moyainaoshi, or "reestablishing emotional ties."* Moyainaoshi reunited a community divided as a result of Minamata disease, restored people's fondness for the region, and led to Minamata's reincarnation as an environmentally advanced city. At the outset, Minamata disease victims and their supporters were leery of the opposition and the government, and vice versa. The reestablishment of ties progressed bit by bit--by bridging the gaps, talking things out, and changing friction into constructive energy. |
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* Moyai, or "ties,"
refer to the lines between boats moored at harbor. Likening them to the bonds between people, mayoinaoshi, or "reestablishing ties" was the name given to a consciousness raising movement designed to recreate the ties destroyed by Minamata disease by confronting the issues, talking them through, and working for a common cause.
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The local Minamata newspaper disseminated related information, from separating trash to introducing professionals that were sticklers for respecting the environment, designated "environmental meisters." The city developed a system of standards that involved citizens of all ages: it recognized environmentally friendly stores, or authorized "ecoshops" (presently 12); families promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles (the home version of the ISO system, with 79 homes presently meeting standards); and schools conducting environmental education programs (the school version of the ISO system, with 9 elementary and 7 middle schools presently meeting standards). |
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Authorized ecoshop mark on a local store window |
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Minamata's line of delectable souvenirs include organically grown tea, local pickles and additive-free dried fish. |
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The Susubaru women's group shows its skills making rice with red beans and dumplings for delivery to a local supermarket. |
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A column written by the mayor in the local newspaper contains an ongoing discussion of Minamata disease, and communicates the spirit behind the goal of becoming an environmentally advanced city. His report of his visit to the historical museum of the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall concluded with: "Historical facts about China were written on the walls in large letters (seeming to imply 'do not forget the past, keep it alive to learn from'). Both the Nanjing massacre and the Minamata tragedy should never be repeated." ("Minamata" newspaper, June 1, 2001)
A woman in her twenties working at the local volunteer center told me nonchalantly, "somehow or other the government is doing its utmost, and what we are doing now has gradually become second nature." |
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--- No-nonsense recycling |
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Recycling is conducted differently from country to country and region to region. In citing Minamata's exemplary system, I would like to emphasize their thorough separation of trash and the sense of ease with which it is being conducted.
Minamata began recycling in 1993. They separate trash into 23 categories, including 6 types of bottles, 4 types of paper, steel, aluminum, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, cloth, etc.
I visited one of their recycling lots: a long row of containers each labeled with its respective material, with a recycling proponent and a person on duty available to assist. Recyclers were not all adults. A nursery school-age child helping his mother asked, "Does this go in here?" He found a canteen with a hairline crack exclaiming, "this is still good," and took it home. Perhaps it no longer held drinking water, but it was for child's play. A junior high school aged boy arrived with a bag full of aluminum cans and magazines. People brought recyclables in large garbage bags, in cloth bags, in a wheelbarrow, in their bicycle baskets.
Single people working full time coordinate with their neighbors' trips to recycling lots, or slip out from work during the day to recycle. Conversations sparked while recycling bind personal and regional relationships. Referring to the atmosphere at this well-organized lot, Mr. Yoshimoto commented, "Nothing complicated, right?"
Why? Because before initiating the program, city workers spent a year giving over 300 orientations and instruction in separating trash to different organizations in different areas. They disseminated precise information through convincing presentations before they opened the doors. |
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Children expressing their playful spirits
"Does this go in here?"
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"Clinkity clink"
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Orderly stacks of recycling boxes |
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A clean center, where separated materials are collected. In reality a trash collection center, yet it is orderly and with nothing distasteful about it. |
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# Green tourism
-- Making the positive and the negative part of one's self worth |
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Upon visiting Minamata I was struck by the range of natural features: mountains, rivers, the sea. The fact that Minamata was blessed with the riches of the sea, of course meant that there were rivers feeding that sea, and mountains feeding those rivers.On my second night in Minamata, we climbed a mountain road by car to reach a settlement called Ishitobi. There the Amano family, who grows pesticide-free tea, built a cabin that they make available to people for gatherings. It was mid-July yet the nights were cool enough to huddle around the open hearth. Nighttime strolls under a star-filled sky. It had been ages since I'd seen swarms of bugs--I was just thrilled! |
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Huddled around the open hearth, and feeling somehow relieved just staring into the fire. |
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Tea-grower and "environmental meister" Shigeru Amano on a floor covered with tea leaves. |
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I also visited the village of Fukuro, once home to a number of Minamata disease victims. Children tanned almost black by the sun were diving from the wharf into the harbor. The guardian spirit of safety at sea is enshrined nearby, as there was once a small shrine on the top of the triangular mountain top quietly peering down from above built and revered by those whose live off the sea. Here too I sensed the link between the mountains and the sea. |
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The spirit of the mountain seen on the other side of the harbor was worshiped by local fishermen. |
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The spirit of sea moved from Koijishima, an island in Minamata Bay, to the side the harbor. |
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The city recognizes the importance of and supports sharing Minamata's legacy of mountains, rivers, and the sea with all; fostering people that can carry on that tradition; and those in agriculture, forestry and fishing that reap their harvests by voluntarily keeping the riches of nature alive. In an effort to communicate this and the lessons learned from Minamata disease they initiated green tourism. |
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A terraced rice paddy landscape in the Kugino area |
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Instead of using herbicides, ducks eat weeds in the rice fields |
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It is because of Minamata disease that Minamata is what it is today. People feel that it is their responsibility to pass on the story of the rare experience of their city. The 6th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant was held on October 20 and 21, 2001. Minamata participants should be a convincing example of a city that has actually experienced the effects of mercury pollution. In conjunction with the conference, "Minamata Forum," organized to communicate the Minamata disease experience, is holding the Minamata Disease Exhibition.
According to the mayor, Minamata's dissemination of information regarding the Minamata disease experience is part of an effort "to become a city that makes a contribution to the world by communicating Minamata's experience and dealing with environmental problems to prevent this kind of tragedy and stupidity from reoccurring."
Toshiro Kojima, who was formerly in charge of Minamata disease control at the Ministry of Environment, confirmed: "Some people say 'let bygones be bygones,' but Minamata disease must not be a bygone, it must not be forgotten. Minamata's negative legacy (Minamata disease) and positive legacy (the sea, mountains, rivers, people) are both part of Minamata's self worth." |
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Minamatan's hand planted a grove of trees (a symbol of fostering life) on the landfill portion of Minamata Harbor where high concentrations of mercury once accumulated.
Statues of Jizo, the guardian deity of children, lament those who died of Minamata disease. |
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After hearing their story... |
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what I sense Minamatan's are saying is: "if we rake up the past with a 'if we had only done this, if we had only done that' attitude, we will never move forward. We must continue to discuss the reality what happened, and make sure that this kind of tragedy never happens again." Hearing this reminded me of the answer to a question--"Will Europe really be united?"--I asked when I visited the EU in 1997: "We have to do it, and I believe we can, because of the heavy price we have paid in hundreds of years of fighting." In both cases those statements were right on--the declarations by these people based on their personal or historical experiences never wavered, I sensed their resolve. The people of Minamata taught me about the effectiveness of initiating thinking and activities from where one standsﾑsomething that is more difficult than it seems. |
Report/Photographs: Mariko Harada, Think the Earth Project
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