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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.
Living Japanese: Diversity in Language and Lifestyles (Ikita
Nihongo: samazama na kotoba, samazama na seikatsu) draws students
into the lives of thirty-three Japanese from ages seven to
seventy-five. As students listen to diverse viewpoints on cultural
and social issues, they will develop an extensive vocabulary and
become accustomed to natural speech and linguistic differences. The
workbook contains a transcription of all interviews, a cultural
introduction to each topic, a complete vocabulary list, and grammar
explanations. Furigana are provided in the transcriptions and notes
to facilitate reading. Discussion questions encourage students to
research the topics further, to think about and discuss recurrent
themes, to speak or write about the topic in terms of their own
culture or experience, and to seek out the views of native
speakers. The online media and workbook will facilitate development
of the five major skill areas delineated in the National Standards
for Japanese Language Learning. Spontaneous interviews exploring
twenty topics are available for online viewing, including: *
Family, living environment, household crafts, architecture *
Farming for health, eating habits in a fast-paced society * Issues
faced by children, working women, and the elderly * Student life;
views of marriage among young people * Anime, manga, revival of
traditional arts * Ways of viewing and valuing nature,
environmental education * Buddhist thought on the interrelatedness
of all things * Japanese songs and their context * Childhood
memories, including school life during World War II * Linguistic
differences, Japanese Sign Language
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