SBP 2020-2021 Catalog

The Minamata Story

An EcoTragedy

A powerful graphic novel /manga that tells the story of "Minamata disease," a debilitating and sometimes fatal condition caused by the Chisso chemical factory's careless release of methylmercury into the waters of the coastal community of Minamata in southern Japan. First identified in 1956, it became a hot topic in Japan in the 1970s and 80s, growing into an iconic struggle between people versus corporations and government agencies. 

The event is also the subject of the 2020 Andrew Levitas directed Johnny Depp film, Minamata. 

This struggle is relevant today, not simply because many people are still living with the disease but also because, in this time of growing concern over the safety of our environment--viz. Flint, Michigan--Minamata gives us as a very moving example of such human-caused environmental disasters and what we can do about them.

2021 NCTAsia Freeman Award Honorable Mention – Young Adult/High School Literature

"The complicated history of environmental injustice depicted makes this worthy reading."

—Publishers Weekly

"An important read that can easily be incorporated in the classroom. Wilson shows the resilience of the human spirit, and through Tomi declaring a call to action while giving his report to prevent this from happening again, I sense the passion of Wilson and Shimojima in this book.”

—Near Mint Condition

“Super educational. A solid start to introduce this incident to those who don’t know about it.”

—Graphic Policy

About the Author(s)