Minamata [Paperback]

W. Eugene (Author), Aileen M. Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Center for Creative Photography (May 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093826205X
• ISBN-13: 978-0938262053
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,093,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the 20th century's most important photographic works, May 22, 2001

By 

m_s_ - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minamata: The Story of the Poisoning of a City, and of the People Who Chose to Carry the Burden of Courage. (Hardcover)

There's only one word to describe this book, and that is incredible. In many ways the culmination of the brilliant career of photojournalist W. Eugene Smith, it's a two-year study of the effects and repercussions from mercury poisoning on a small fishing village in Japan via toxic waste being dumped into the sea. As searing as it is respectful, Smith (with text by his wife Aileen) takes us into their world and follows the story from the victims to the court battles over culpability.

As his last major work, and one that arguably cost him his life (he was severely beaten by corporate goons while working on Minamata, an attack from which he never really recovered), it's astonishing that this book hasn't been reprinted. But even if it is, it will be interesting to see how a new edition is handled - the family of the subjects in Smith's famous "mother bathing girl" image has requested it no longer be published anywhere, and his estate is complying with their wishes.

It's out of print for now, but track a copy down. You won't be sorry.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Man's Inhumanity to Man - and the Presence of Heroes, July 30, 2010

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Minamata (Paperback)

If ever there were a book or documentary that showed both ends of the spectrum of inhuman actions and heroic actions this monograph would certainly be on the top of the list. Not only is it a compelling group of photographs of a small fishing village in Japan besieged by the results of corporate cruelty; it is also a written and photographed testimony of the indomitable work of the authors who struggle against incredible odds to right a wrong.

A little background: Minamata disease (a neurologic crippling and often terminal disease caused by mercury poisoning) was discovered in Minamata, Japan in 1956. 'It was caused by the release of methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which when eaten by the local populace resulted in mercury poisoning. While cat, dog, pig and human deaths continued over more than 30 years, the government and company did little to prevent the pollution. As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially recognized (1,784 of whom had died) and over 10,000 had received financial compensation from Chisso. By 2004, Chisso Corporation had paid $86 million in compensation, and in the same year was ordered to clean up its contamination. On March 29, 2010, a settlement was reached to compensate as-yet uncertified victims'. And much of the reason that this village survived is due to the indefatigable efforts of the Smiths. An astonishing gift to mankind and an homage to human valor.

MINAMATA is a photographic essay of this village and its inhabitants, many crippled beyond ability to function, many carrying the genetic disturbance to their offspring in the future. The images are difficult to see but at the same time these deformed bodies and faces instill a respect for the heroism of the Smiths in following the pollution and its damages to the end and achieving retribution to the victims. It is a monumental work, worthy of everyone's attention. In addition to this superb monograph there is a touring exhibition called 'Engaged Observers' that features the Smith's work. Grady Harp, July 10

5.0 out of 5 stars Lessons for Us All, March 31, 2011

By 

Niki Collins-queen, Author "author" (Forsyth, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Minamata (Paperback)

Long before the March 11, 2011 magnitude-nine quake off Japan's northeast coast and the tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant there was MINAMATA.
W. Eugene Smith and his wife Alleen did a three-year study and photo documentary showing the effects of mercury poisoning on Kyushu a small fishing and farming town in southern Japan in the 1950s. Minamata's disease is methyl mercury poisoning from industrial waste. The people and domestic animals fell ill when they ate contaminated fish from Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea.
One-hundred-and-three people died and 10,000 were seriously damaged. The deaths continued for more than 30 years as the government and Chisso Corporation did little to prevent the pollution. Smith was severely beaten by Chisso union men while following the mercury poisoning damages. Minamata was his last major work as he never fully recovered.
The Japanese are no strangers to hardship. The Minamata pollution happened not long after the U.S. Atomic Bombs killed seventy thousand people in one minute in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and twice that many slowly from the inside) and 100,000 in Tokyo in the 1945 firebombing. The estimates of those killed and wounded are conservative. Regulations forbade note taking, there were few charts and photographs and official records were scanty.
Smith was a war correspondent in island-to-island fighting in the Pacific. He was involved in 26 carrier combat missions and 13 invasion and was in Okinawa on D-Day. He was known as a photographer who would take almost any chance if it meant getting the picture. While on the east coast of Okinawa he was seriously wounded by a Japanese shell fragment.
On March 2001, 2,265 Minamata victims were officially recognized and Chisso awarded financial compensation to over 10,000. By 2004, Chisso Corporation had paid $86 million in compensation and as of March 29, 2010 a settlement was reached to compensate as-yet uncertified victims.
"MINAMATA" is Smith's powerful photographic essay and text about the pollution of a village and its inhabitants. Many of the victims are severely disabled and continue to pass on genetic mutations to their offspring. The book and his work helped end the pollution and achieve retribution for the victims.
Smith would be heartbroken to learn that the salmon, tuna and king mackerel in our oceans today contain high levels of mercury. The higher up the food chain a fish, the higher the mercury contents.
Smith's courage and work is a gift to humankind. When he died in 1978 he left behind a legacy of some of the most powerful photographs in the history of journalism. His personal approach to integrating his life into the lives of his subjects revolutionized photojournalism and is now known as the photo essay. His body of work remains one of the primary bridges between photojournalism and fine art.