Minamata Bay

[1] The bay is part of the larger Shiranui Sea which is sandwiched between the coast of the Kyūshū mainland and the off-lying 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.

Despite bad weather the service was attended by over 600 people, including Chisso chairman Shunkichi Goto and Environment Minister Yuriko Koike.

Hayao Miyazaki used this event as inspiration to create his epic manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and its anime adaptation.

Toshiko Akiyoshi composed the jazz suite Minamata for big band, performed on her album Insights divided into three parts, reflecting the transition of the village from innocence to prosperity and consequence.