Minamata Disease Municipal Museum

photo by 先従隗始 · CC0

photo by STA3816 · Public domain

It stands on the 58 hectares where the bay's mercury sludge was sealed in; entry is free.

On the second floor a cinema and the rooms show panels, photographs and films about the mercury poisoning that from 1956 affected those who lived around the bay. On some days witnesses, patients or their families, speak in person, but only to groups of at least ten people who book in good time. For an overview about 30 minutes is enough.

Minamata disease is a methylmercury poisoning discovered in the city of the same name: the city dates its official recognition to 1 May 1956, and from November of that year the prefecture advised against eating or catching fish from the bay. Between October 1977 and March 1990 the prefecture dredged the sludge with the most mercury and sealed it in an area reclaimed from the sea, in 14 years of work and 48.5 billion yen. Today Minamata Eco Park stands on those 58 hectares of land, with a park, a garden and a seafront promenade. The museum opened in January 1993 and is run by the city, with about 40,000 visitors a year. Since 1992 the city has held a ceremony for the victims every 1 May; since 2006 it has taken place in front of the memorial to the dead on the shore of the park.

ℹ️ Open 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30. Closed on Mondays (if a public holiday, the day after) and from 29/12 to 03/01; it can also close suddenly when the city opens it as a shelter in case of typhoon or heavy rain. Entry and car park are free (about 270 cars, 15 coaches). The 1st floor has the library, the 2nd has the cinema, the permanent exhibition and the temporary one; the overview alone takes about 30 minutes. The witness talks (語り部, ‘kataribe’, storytellers) are free but only for groups of 10 or more, booked by the end of the second month before, and you cannot attend them without visiting the museum; videos and recordings are forbidden. Since 30/10/2025 the ramp up to the 水俣メモリアル monument has been closed because of the danger of the wall collapsing, and the stairs to the north are used. Getting there: train to Minamata on the Hisatsu Orange Railway, which has served the whole line again since 13/10/2026 (some services are still cancelled for lack of drivers), then about 10 minutes by taxi or by Sankō bus to the stop 水俣病資料館下; from Shin-Minamata Station (shinkansen) about 20 minutes. By car, 20 minutes from the Minamata exit. ⚠️ After the earthquake of 28/07/2026 no official page says that the museum is open: the site was updated on 25/09/2026 and carries no closure notices, but the park around it has had ground liquefaction and was reported out of use (press and a prefecture document); phone 0966-62-2621.

🚉 Minamata · 33 min walk

Sources: city.minamata.lg.jp · city.minamata.lg.jp · city.minamata.lg.jp · city.minamata.lg.jp · city.minamata.lg.jp · city.minamata.lg.jp · pref.kumamoto.jp · pref.kumamoto.jp · hs-orange.com

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