An exhibition of documents compiled by a Chisso Corp. labor union opened Friday at Hosei University in Tokyo, showing how its members dealt with Minamata disease caused by the chemical company.
Launched in 1946, the union strove to secure stable working conditions for its members, but became aware in 1968 that it was "shameful" as humans and as employees not to help the victims or address the contamination of Kumamoto Prefecture's Minamata Bay.
The mercury poisoning disease broke out in the 1950s and continued into the 1960s, affecting about 2,300 people, including 1,700 who died. Since then, the union has been helping those with Minamata disease by testifying in lawsuits on their behalf and promoting activities to assist them.