Minamata: Pollution and the Struggle for Democracy in Postwar JapanNearly forty years after the outbreak of the "Minamata Disease," it remains one of the most horrific examples of environmental poisoning. Based on primary documents and interviews, this book describes three rounds of responses to this incidence of mercury poisoning, focusing on the efforts of its victims and their supporters, particularly the activities of grassroots movements and popular campaigns, to secure redress. George argues that Japan's postwar democracy is ad hoc, fragile, and dependent on definition through citizen action and that the redress effort is exemplary of the great changes in the second and third postwar decades that redefined democracy in Japan. |
Contents
Introduction I | 1 |
Town Factory and Empire | 13 |
Minamata Before the Disease | 26 |
Copyright | |
10 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Minamata: Pollution and the Struggle for Democracy in Postwar Japan Timothy S. George Limited preview - 2020 |
Minamata: Pollution and the Struggle for Democracy in Postwar Japan Timothy S. George No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
acetaldehyde agreement announced Asahi shinbun Ashikita asked Association to Indict certified patients Chinmoku to bakuhatsu citizens company's compensation Council court December democracy Direct Negotiations Group Environment Agency factory's families fishermen fishers fishing co-op Gotō Governor Teramoto Hamamoto Tsuginori Harada Masazumi Health and Welfare Hosokawa Irokawa Ishimure Michiko issue Japanese July Kagoshima prefecture kanja Kawamoto Kawamoto Teruo Kōgai no seijigaku kokuhatsu Kumamoto nichinichi shinbun Kumamoto prefecture Kumamoto University Kumamoto-ken Kyūshū Mainichi shinbun Maruyama Sadami Mayor MBJSS MBKK mediation committee million Minamata Bay Minamata disease incident Minamata disease patients Minamatabyō Ministry of Health MITI moto Mutual Aid Society Nihon chisso Niigata Niigata Minamata disease Nishi Nihon shinbun official Onitsuka organic mercury payments poisoning political pollution Postwar Japan protest Shimada shimin Shin Minamata-shi shi Shin Nitchitsu Shinagawa Shiranui Sea Shōwa solatium suru tion Tokyo Trial Group Ui Jun union wastewater Watanabe