In Minamata, on the west coast of Kyushu in Japan, local fishermen began to be affected by a crippling disease in which lips and limbs would tingle and then become numb. Women gave birth to deformed fetuses and blind children. It was named Minamata disease, a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning which was a direct cause of the methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation’s chemical factory from 1932 to 1968. The horrible disease claimed thousands of lives throughout the years while the government and company did little to prevent the pollution.
In 1972, Eugene Smith photographed and published a dramatic photographic essay in LIFE magazine that brought world attention to the disease. Smith and his interpreter were touring Japan for an exhibition of his works. They planned to stay in Minamata for three weeks but ended up staying for three years to photograph for his essay. The most striking photo of the essay shows Ryoko Uemura, holding her severely deformed daughter, Tomoko, in a Japanese bath chamber. If it weren’t for Smith and his photographs bringing attention to Minamata disease it is very possible that nothing would’ve been done to stop the pollution. The photos led the government to take more direct actions and the company to pay compensation.