Photo/Illutration Plaintiffs head toward the Osaka District Court on Sept. 27 holding up a sign that says, “No more Minamata.” (Kenta Sujino)

The history of those with Minamata disease is that of simultaneously fighting two battles.

While battling their ailment, they also have to fight for official recognition as victims of a disease caused by methylmercury being dumped into the sea by Chisso Corp.

In 1968, Teruo Kawamoto, who would later sue the central and Kumamoto prefectural governments, as well as Chisso, went to a doctor to be screened for certification as a Minamata disease patient.

In “Ten no Sakana” (Heavenly fish), author and activist Michiko Ishimure (1927-2018) mentions Kawamoto’s case.

According to the book, the doctor was openly hostile to him.

“I don't understand why you didn’t come in sooner for an exam,” he said. And he went on to tell Kawamoto accusingly, “Your muscles aren't twitching at all.”

The doctor effectively treated Kawamoto as a fraud, which was common back then. A joke among Minamata disease patients at the time went, “It’s not easy to get the disease. You have to face a long line of distinguished doctors and pass their tests.”

The rigidly biased certification procedure was perceived as proof of the authorities’ intent to reject as many applicants as possible.

Since Minamata disease was officially confirmed 67 years ago, patients have steadily gained ground by resisting the government’s tendency to close the curtain on providing relief for the disease by limiting those eligible.

In the so-called “No More Minamata” secondary lawsuit, the Osaka District Court on Sept. 27 ruled in favor of all 128 plaintiffs at long last, recognizing them as legitimate Minamata disease patients and ordering the central and Kumamoto prefectural governments, as well as Chisso, to pay damages.

The ruling also questioned the nature of a 2009 special measures law that determined patients’ eligibility for certification by the areas where they lived and when.

In recent years, court verdicts on lawsuits against the government have been bitterly disappointing. But the latest Osaka court ruling was a most welcome exception.

Plaintiffs and their supporters held a news conference and their eyes glistened. I believe they were tears of joy mixed with memories of years of torment.

Clutching a microphone, a disease-ravaged hand shook. I could not take my eyes off the scene.

Depending on what the defendants decide to do, the patients’ hardships may continue.

But for this evening, I want everyone to raise a glass and toast this victory. The moon will be full tonight.

The Sea of Shiranui, where Minamata disease began, will probably be basking in a golden glow.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 29

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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