Minamata
Sign in to savecity 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
Article
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.