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. 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.