Science View S2022E18 - Science View Special: Breaking the Silence on Minamata Disease

The film, "MINAMATA," starring Johnny Depp has once again brought attention to the issue of Minamata disease. It is known worldwide that a factory operated by Chisso Corporation dumped wastewater containing organic mercury into Minamata Bay from the 1950s to the 1960s, causing Minamata disease. In this special episode of Science View, we will reexamine valuable testimonies given by former Chisso engineers and former government officials to uncover what was happening inside Chisso Minamata Factory. Find out exactly why the people working at the factory were unable to stop further spread of the damage. Professor Yuki Morinaga of Meiji University, an expert in environmental studies, joins the program to identify the issue from a scientific approach and help us understand the lessons we should be applying to today's society.