In the early 1950s fisherfolk and other villagers around Minamata Bay on the western coast of Kyushu, Japan, began to suffer from mysterious and often fatal symptoms of what came to be known as Minamata disease. It was not until 1968 that the government acknowledged its cause―organic mercury poisoning from effluent released by Chisso Corporation, a chemical manufacturer and the largest employer in the Japanese city for which the disease was named. For decades the company denied responsibility and was joined by the Japanese government in its attempt to cover up the problem despite lawsuits and political protests. In this compelling oral history, Ogata Masato, fisherman and Minamata disease sufferer, tells of the devastation of methyl mercury poisoning. Spanning fifty years, his story describes the impact of industrial pollution on his own life, on his extended family, and on the fishing culture of the Shiranui Sea. A one-time leader of Minamata disease patients seeking certification and compensation, Masato breaks away to follow his personal path to redemption. Masato's story begins with the vibrant village of his childhood and culminates with the possibility of return, if not to one's birthplace, then to a spiritual community, to a consciousness that we owe our existence to the web of interrelationships that constitute life. When we turn full circle, explains Masato, we find ourselves again at the water's edge, a place where all life gathers. This is the launching point for 'Tokoyo,' boat of the Eternal World-a world defined at once by the past, present and future; a state of mind in which we are responsible not only for our own actions but for those of our society and our species. Masato's story, larger than any one man or one incident, raises questions we must all consider as beneficiaries of modern industry and technology.

Rowing the Eternal Sea: The Story of a Minamata Fisherman (Asian Voices)

Biographies & Memoirs

Oiwa, Keibo

Community & Culture

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

In this compelling oral history, Ogata Masato, fisherman and Minamata disease sufferer, tells of the devastation of methyl mercury poisoning. Spanning fifty years, his story describes the impact of industrial pollution on his own life, on his extended family, and on the fishing culture of the Shiranui Sea. A one-time leader of Minamata disease patients seeking certification and compensation, Masato breaks away to follow his personal path to redemption. Masato's story, larger than any one man or one incident, raises questions we must all consider as beneficiaries of modern industry and technology.

Book by Suzuki, David, Oiwa, Keibo

The Japan We Never Knew: A Journey of Discovery

History

SUZUKI, David

Asia

Stoddart Pub.

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, all persons of Japanese descent were declared enemy aliens. Their assets were seized and most of the Japanese Canadian population was relocated. This work is a selection of memoirs, diaries, and letters written by four Issei, the first generation of Japanese to settle in Canada.

Stone Voices: Wartime Writings of Japanese Canadian Issei

Americas

Véhicule Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Oiwa, Keibo. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Oiwa, Keibo

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Oiwa, Keibo. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Rowing the Eternal Sea: The Story of a Minamata Fisherman (Asian Voices)

Rowing the Eternal Sea: The Story of a Minamata Fisherman (Asian Voices)

The Japan We Never Knew: A Journey of Discovery

Stone Voices: Wartime Writings of Japanese Canadian Issei