July 10, 2026

The Japanese Communist Party together with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the “Reiwa Shinsengumi” party, the Social Democratic Party, and the parliamentary group “Okinawa Whirlwind” on July 9 submitted to the House of Councillors a cross-party lawmakers-drafted bill to provide relief to all Minamata-disease victims.

Under the existing law on special measures to relieve Minamata-disease victims, many who should be eligible for relief are left out due to the government-set unreasonable certification criteria for Minamata disease and the arbitrarily-set strict residential boundaries and birth dates.

The cross-party bill, with the aim of realizing state redress for all victims, stipulates that the eligibility criteria will be expanded; no time limit on the application for relief measures will be set; health surveys will be conducted; and a framework for permanent relief will be established.

At a press conference after the bill submission, JCP member of the House of Councillors Nihi Sohei, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, noted that in Niigata Prefecture where Niigata Minamata disease was officially confirmed in 1965, along with the prefectural assembly, all municipal assemblies have adopted a statement calling for the settlement of the issue. He said, “With the introduction of the bill, we were able to raise a banner of achieving relief for all Minamata-disease victims in the Diet.” He expressed his determination to work hard to broaden bipartisan consensus and enact the bill.

In the submission, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira and JCP Upper House members Kira Yoshiko and Shirakawa Yoko also took part.