Health & Chemicals
Minamata Disease The History and Measures - Reference
Reference: Chronology Related to Minamata Disease
| Year | Events |
|---|---|
| 1956 | First report unknown disease to Minamata Public Health Center(the offical discovery of Minamata Disease). Restraint measures initiated to restrict intake of fish and marine creatures from Minamata Bay, etc. |
| 1965 | Showa Denko., Ltd. Stopped manufacturing of acetaldehyde. Discovery of Niigata Minamata Disease. Restraint measures initiated to restrict intake of fish and shellfish from the Agano River. |
| 1968 | Chisso Co., Ltd., stopped manufacturing of acetaldehyde. The collective view of the government on the cause of Minamata Disease announced. |
| 1969 | Law Concerning Special Measures for the Relief of the Pollution-related Disease enacted. |
| 1970 | Water Pollution Control Law established. |
| 1971 | Conrt decision on the first suit concerning Niigata Minamata Disease issued. (The responsibility of Showa Denko Co., Ltd. to pay compensation for damage recognized. This decision was finalized.) |
| 1973 | Court decision on the first suit on Kumamoto Minamata Disease issued. (The responsibility of Chisso Co., Ltd. to pay compensation for damage recognized. This decision was finalized.) The agreement on compensation between the patients and Showa Denko Co., Ltd., reached. The agreement on compensation between patients and Chisso Co., Ltd. reached. |
| 1974 | The Pollution-related Health Damage Compensation Law enacted. Dredging of the polluted bottom sediment of the Minamata Bay began. |
| 1976 | Dredging of the polluted bottom sediment of the Agano River began. |
| 1978 | National insitute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) founded. Financial assistance to Chisso Co., Ltd. by the government started. |
| 1979 | Interim Law Concerning Special Measures for the Promotion of Minamata Disease Certification enacted. |
| 1986 | NIMD accepted WHO Collaborating Center. |
| 1987 | Court decision issued on the first group of the third suit on Kumamoto Minamata Disease (the first suit demanding compensation by the national government.) (The responsibillty of the national government to pay compensation for damage recognized.) |
| 1990 | Dredging the bottom sediment of Minamata Bay finished. Reconcilliation recommended (Tokyo District Court, Kumamoto District Court, Fukuoka High Court, Fukuoka District Court, Kyoto District Court.) |
| 1992 | Court decision on Tokyo suit Minamata Disease. (The responsibillty of the national government to pay for the damage denied.) Court decision on second suit on Niigata Minamata Disease issued. (The responsibillty of the national government to pay for the damage denied.) Comprehensive Measures of Minamata Disease started. International Symposium on Epidemiological Studies on Environmenal Pollution and Health Effects of Methylmercury held. (Kumamoto City, Japan) Reconclliation recommended (Osaka District Court) |
| 1993 | Court decision on second group of the third suit on Kumamoto Minamata Disease. (The responsibillty of the national government to pay compensation for damage recognized.) International Symposium on Assessment of Environmental Pollution and Health Effects from Methylmercury held [WHO and NIMD cosponcered] (Kumamoto City, Japan) Court decision on Kyoto suit on Minamata Disease. (The responsibillty of the national government to pay for damage recognized.) |
| 1994 | Court decision on Kansai suit on Minamata Disease. (The responsibillty of the national government to pay compensation for damage denied.) International Workshop on Environmental Mercury Pollution and its Health Effects in the Amazon River Basin held. (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) |
| 1995 | The solution for problem of Minamata Disease was decided by three ruling coalition parties. "On the Countermeasures for the Minamata Disease" was agreed at the Cabinet meeting. "Prime Minister's Announcement for the settlement of the problem of Minamata Disease" was authorized at the Cabinet meeting. |
| 1996 | The second suit of Niigata Minamata Disease ended. The third suit of Kumamoto Minamata Disease, Tokyo suit Minamata Disease Kyoto suit on Minamata Disease and Fukuoka suit on Minamata Disease ended. NIMD was reorganized. International Workshop on "The Fate of Mercury in Gold Mining and Measures to Control The Environmental Pollution Various countries" held. (Tangerang City, Indonesia) "The Indonesia-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of Health, Social and Economic impacts by Environmental Pollution : A Japanese experience in Minamata" held. (Jakarta City, Indonesia) |
| 1997 | International Workshop on "Health and Environmental Effects of Mercury Due to Mining Operations" held. (Manila, Philippines) |
| 1998 | "The Phllippine-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Manila, Philippines) |
| 1999 | "The Thailand-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Bangkok, Thailand) |
| 2000 | "On the measures to support Chisso Co., Ltd. on and after 2000" was Agreed at the cabinet meeting."The China-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Beijing, China) |
| 2001 | "The Phllippine-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Manila, Philippines) "The Thailand-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Bangkok, Thailand) "On the measures to support Chisso Co., Ltd. on and after 2000" was Agreed at the cabinet meeting. "The China-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Beijing, China) "The Vietnam-Japan Seminar on Dissemination of the Experience of Minamata Disease" held. (Hanoi, Vietnam) Court decision on Kansai suit on Minamata Disease. (The responsibility of the national government to pay compensation for damage recognized, Osaka High Court) Minamata Disease Archives was established. "6th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant" held. (Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture) Seminar on "Mercury Pollution Control Manual" held. |