Minimata- What a tragic story

 

Sad topic.
Wonderful graphic novel.

Minamata Story:An Eco Tragedy - Amazing Stone Bridge Press release from june of this year. Author Sean Michael Wilson and artist Akiko Shimojima put together an insightful and informative graphic novel telling the story of Minamata Japan. Minamata unfortunately is known for the ecological disaster caused by the Chisso Corporation dumping methylmercury into river and bay water, giving the entire coastal community(s) mercury poisoning and creating multi generational congenital illness. It’s fucking horrible.

The comic takes a unique approach of having college student Tomi researching the region for a school project. Tomi learns that his grandmother lived in Minamata, mother was born there, and they abandoned it when social stigma for the region started creating complications. Tomi visits, learns about the neurological disease, and learns about himself in the process.

The story focuses directly on the coastal town of Minamata and its people, but doesn’t talk much about the surrounding prefectures which were equally destroyed.

Good timing for a graphic novel release considering the 2020 movie release on the topic, told through the lens of W. Eugene Smith who was a longtime advocate for bringing info to light.