June 18, 2025

A group of Minamata lawsuit plaintiffs and their lawyers on June 17 held talks with Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers in the Diet building as part of their lobbying activities for achieving the submission of a supra-partisan lawmakers’ group-drafted bill to provide full relief to all Minamata disease victims to the Diet.

The JCP lawmakers who attended the talks were members of a JCP project team working toward an early settlement of the Minamata disease issue.

The plaintiffs criticized the government for turning its back on their demand for an early relief for all Minamata disease victims. They said that the cross-party lawmakers’ group should propose its bill so that all the victims will receive relief from the government without delay.

JCP Vice Chair Yamashita Yoshiki (House of Councilors) who heads the JCP project team said that the cross-party bill aims to push the government to implement relief measures that cover all Minamata disease victims. He added that the submission of the bill to the Diet will have a powerful influence on the government and strengthen public opinion.

JCP PT secretary general and JCP Upper House member Nihi Sohei said that encouraged by the Minamata disease victims’ legal fight, more and more Dietmembers have participated in the cross-party group and drafted a bill providing relief for all the victims. He expressed his determination to work hard in the upcoming House of Councilors election to change the government to one fulfilling its responsibility to protect citizens’ health and well being.