Masazumi Harada was not only a doctor but also a humble individual, who offered sacrificial support to sufferers of Minamata mercury-poisoning disease and learned from them.
An exhibition at Kumamoto Gakuen University's Open Research Center for Minamata Studies in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, shows his half-century struggle with the disease, caused by mercury-laced water dumped by a plant operated by chemical maker Chisso Corp. into the ocean.
Harada promoted the intensive study of Minamata disease and was involved in the victims' legal struggles against Chisso as well as the central and local governments, and was an expert witness on their behalf. He also contributed to finding potential patients through his fieldwork.