Minamata disease was caused by eating fish and shellfish contaminated by
chemicals in the industrial waste discharged by Chisso, and it also caused people to
be divided against each other.
From this experience, the people of Minamata have learned the value of water
and food, which are essential to life. They also learned that household and industrial
waste must not be allowed to destroy the environment.
Mass production, mass consumption, and mass waste have made our lives more
convenient and prosperous, yet we are surrounded by toxic substances such as exhaust
gases, pesticides, and food preservatives that endanger our environment and
our health. We cannot think about the material prosperity of our lives without considering
our relationships with the other countries of the world. Minamata disease
tells us that we are perpetrators as well as victims.
Minamata disease teaches us the importance of not destroying nature; of living
with the awareness that nature gives us life; of considering food safety and the
interconnectedness of people, rivers, and the sea; of reducing and recycling home and
industrial waste; and of never turning our eyes away from local problems