CURRENT DAY MINAMATA

Current day Minamata

What kind of place do you imagine when you hear the word “Minamata”? When I visited Minamata for the first time in 2004, I was surprised by its natural beauty. I later learned that this beauty was also the result of the local people’s efforts to create a town that made use of their experience of pollution. Kenichi Tanigawa, a folklorist from Minamata, said, “Minamata is bigger than Minamata disease.” Indeed, Minamata disease is only one of the aspects of Minamata. At the beginning of this exhibition, we would like you to know what Minamata is today.

Kunio ENDO

Born in Okayama, Japan. He moved to Minamata when his wife asked him to leave their home when he was 38. Since then, he has been conveying the realities of Minamata disease at Soshisha for 37 years. He has good knowledge of the nature and life in Minamata. He taught me many details about Minamata, saying, “You don’t know anything about it, do you?” He is kind despite his appearance. However, be careful when the conversation turns into something related to social movements. Suddenly, he got defensive and went into battle mode. He also taught me what it means to be an activist.

Jimotogaku (Local Learning/Neighborhood Studies)

Tetsuro Yoshimoto, a Minamata City official, devised a method for community development in the 1990s. The idea is for residents to research the local environment, culture, and lifestyle with people from outside the community, discover the unique characteristics of the community, and create a lifestyle and culture that makes the most of these characteristics. The core idea is to stop “asking for what is not there” and to “look at what is already there.” Yoshimoto developed Jimotogaku while Minamata City was promoting community development based on its experience of Minamata disease.