A memorial service for the victims of Minamata Disease was held in the city of Minamata on Saturday to mark the 60th year since the sickness was officially recognized.

Minamata Disease was caused by mercury poisoning. The chemical came from wastewater dumped by the Chisso Corporation in Minamata Bay, in Kumamoto Prefecture. Its symptoms included numbness in the limbs and other neurological effects. It is considered the first sickness caused by environmental pollution in Japan.

About 750 people attended the ceremony. They included victims, bereaved families and people from Chisso Corporation as well as Environment Minister Kouichi Yamamoto.

The participants observed a moment of silence.
Mitsuko Oya is a 90-year-old victim. She lost her husband and parents-in-law to the disease.

She said she doesn't want anybody else to experience such grief. She called on Chisso to properly convey what happened to future generations so that she can feel her husband's and other sufferers' lives were not wasted.

The Environment Minister promised to offer proper aid for aging patients and relatives to help them lead fulfilling lives.

A total of 2,282 people in Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefectures were officially recognized as victims. Of those, 1,890 eventually died.

The government paid out lump sums to unrecognized sufferers twice in the past as a relief measure. But a number of lawsuits are still pending against the government and other parties.
The number of people from Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures who are still waiting for recognition totals 2,137.

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