Minamata Disease Municipal Museum

The Minamata Disease Municipal Museum (水俣市立水俣病資料館), offers a powerful and moving exploration of one of Japan’s most tragic environmental disasters. Through compelling exhibits, photographs, personal artifacts, and firsthand testimonies, the museum tells the story of Minamata disease—a neurological illness caused by industrial mercury pollution in the mid-20th century. Visitors gain a deep understanding of how the disaster unfolded, the lives it devastated, and the long struggle for justice and recognition endured by the victims and their families.

Beyond documenting the past, the museum also serves as a call to action. It highlights the importance of environmental stewardship, corporate accountability, and the protection of human rights. Visitors learn how the local community, once shattered by pollution, became a global symbol of resilience and environmental reform. The experience is both sobering and inspiring, leaving a lasting impression and encouraging greater awareness of today’s environmental and social challenges.