Minamata Bay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map of Minamata Bay and the Chisso factory
Map of Minamata Bay and the Chisso factory

Minamata Bay is bay on the west coast of Kyūshū island, located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Google Map The bay is part of the larger Shiranui Sea which is sandwiched between the coast of the Kyūshū mainland and the offlying islands of Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures.

The coastline is rugged, with many inlets and coves which act as the spawning grounds of fish and shellfish. A great variety of creatures live in this area.

Minamata Bay was heavily polluted in the 1950's and 1960's by wastewater, mixed with mercury dumped into Hyakken Harbour from the Chisso Corporation's factory in Minamata, particularly by methyl mercury. The highly toxic compound bioaccumulated in fish and shellfish in the bay which, when eaten by the people living around the bay, gave rise to Minamata disease. More than 10,000 people were affected.

there is now a memorial garden for them

Kumamoto prefecture  This Kumamoto location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.