---
title: "Minamata Disease: Mercury Poisoning | Model Diplomat"
description: "Minamata disease is methylmercury poisoning first found in Japan in 1956 from Chisso factory effluent. It anchors the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/minamata-disease"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe methylmercury poisoning, first identified in Minamata, Japan, in 1956 from industrial effluent.
- What causes Minamata disease and how does it reach humans?
- How does Minamata disease differ from itai-itai disease?
- What is the connection between Minamata disease and the Minamata Convention on Mercury?
- Why is congenital Minamata disease significant for environmental policy?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In October 2013, delegates from over 90 states met in Kumamoto, Japan, to adopt the Minamata Convention on Mercury, named for the disease that struck the city's fishing community in 1956.

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