Skip to content
Minamata

File:Minamata_City_Hall_20110514.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ386110· pop 47· linked from 145 articles

city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

Key facts

Country
Japan
Region
Kyūshū
Prefecture
Kumamoto
Mayor
Toshiharu Takaoka
Total
162.88 km (62.89 sq mi)
Density
144.4/km (374/sq mi)
Time zone
UTC+09:00 ( JST )
Postal code
867-8555
Phone number
0966-63-1111
Address
1-1-1 Jinnai, Minamata-shi, Kumamoto-ken
Climate
Cfa
Website
Official website
Flower
Rhododendron
Tree
Sakura

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
city of Japan
Official name
水俣市
Country
Japan
Population
26978
Area
163.29
Time zone
UTC+09:00
Shares border with
Kuma
Official website
www.city.minamata.lg.jp
Image
Minamata Bay 1974.jpg
Significant event
Minamata disease
Show 6 more facts
inception
1949-04-01
Commons category
Minamata, Kumamoto
topic's main category
Category:Minamata, Kumamoto
name in kana
みなまたし
native label
水俣市
associated electoral district
Kumamoto 4th district
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~25 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Minamata (水俣市, Minamata-shi) is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is on the west coast of Kyūshū and faces Amakusa islands. Minamata was established as a village in 1889, re-designated as a town in 1912 and grew into a city in 1949. As of March 2017, the city has an estimated population of 25,310 and a population density of 160 persons per km. The total area is 162.88 km.

Minamata is known due to Minamata disease, a neurological disorder caused by mercury poisoning. The disease was discovered in 1956. A local chemical plant was blamed for causing the disease by emitting untreated wastewater into Minamata Bay.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Minamata” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (7)

On the map