Minamata disease photo collection strikes chords of tragedy

TOKYO (Kyodo) — A close-up of a Japanese fisherman’s contorted hand grimly reminds us of Minamata disease’s human toll, officially recognized in 1956, though it took over a decade for the government to link it to industrial pollution.

Many photographers have chronicled the Minamata tragedy caused by severe mercury poisoning over the years to ensure it is remembered by the world and future generations. Nine photographers are now showcasing vivid black-and-white images of its victims, aiming to raise awareness, support research, and highlight the tragic lessons of the past.

Minamata disease was first reported in the city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, in southwestern Japan. The neurological illness, which caused thousands of deaths and affected many others, resulted from consuming seafood contaminated with methylmercury, a toxin released in industrial wastewater by chemical company Chisso Corp.

The project, known as “Minamata: The Eyes of Photographers,” features over 200,000 photos, including original prints, which have been collected for digitization, storage and archival purposes, along with other materials such as the photographers’ interview notes.

The group that organized the project hopes to preserve the “memories” of the photographers who documented Minamata cases from their unique perspectives.

On Sept. 3, members of the organization visited the environment ministry to submit a request to create a government framework for the preservation and utilization of the photos.

The group, which aims for the photo collection to be used primarily as educational material, was established in May 2022 at the urging of Toshio Yoshinaga, 73, who has been involved in efforts to preserve Minamata disease-related data.

As the photographers age, managing the valuable collection has become increasingly difficult. One of the project members is Shisei Kuwabara, 88, a photographer from Shimane Prefecture, who was a pioneer in reporting on Minamata disease in 1960.

Kuwabara’s striking photo of the severely twisted hand of fisherman Iwazo Funaba, whom he met in 1960 in a hospital ward for Minamata disease patients, became one of the iconic images highlighting the devastating impact of the illness.

Funaba shared a hospital room with his son Tokichi, who also suffered from Minamata disease before passing away. The hospital walls bore the “nail marks” left by his son, who had writhed in agony before his death.

During the 10 years Kuwabara interviewed Funaba, the fisherman’s symptoms became increasingly worse, his fingers becoming contorted to the point that they curled toward his wrist.

Funaba came to see himself as a symbol of the harsh reality of Minamata disease and, in 1970, asked Kuwabara to photograph his disfigured hand. Due to the severe pain, he was unable to lift his hand for the photo and needed his wife’s support from behind.

As he grunted what Kuwabara interpreted as “hurry up and take it,” the photographer quickly pressed the camera’s shutter. Although Funaba could not communicate clearly due to a speech impediment caused by the illness, Kuwabara recalled that they were still able to “connect through smiles and short conversations.”

It has been 68 years since the first case of Minamata disease was reported on May 1, 1956, by local health authorities as a “strange disease with unknown cause.” On Sept. 26, 1968, the central government announced it had reached a consensus on the origin of the Minamata disease and recognized it as a pollution-caused illness.

But the illness is still not fully understood.

Kuwabara attended this year’s annual memorial service for the victims. He has lent his work to the media for articles and has been interviewed numerous times about his experiences photographing patients with the disease over the years.

“I only present what happened. I don’t force people to interpret what happened,” Kuwabara said.

Yoshinaga, who also serves as the project’s executive director, emphasized the importance of preserving the photos along with the photographers’ memories, saying, “It helps to highlight that each pollution victim had a life, and it makes it personal.”