｜Length : 24 ｜Year : 2017 ｜

Shisei Kuwabara, a photographer in Tokyo, organized a group photoshoot in the city of Minamata in 2016. The subjects of this shoot are Minamata disease patients and their families, around 40 in all. Mr. Kuwabara has photographed them continuously for the past fifty years and beyond.
Minamata disease is a central nervous system disorder caused by methylmercury poisoning via seafood contaminated by factory wastewater. Its victims were families of fishermen: the adults, their children, even their unborn children. In 2016, some of these fetal Minamata disease patients turned 60 alongside the 60th anniversary of the official recognition of Minamata disease. Some of the patients and families Mr. Kuwabara knew had passed away, or were bedridden.
Mr. Kuwabara wished to express 60 years of the Minamata incident in a photograph. To this end, he prepared past photographs of the patients and their families. Held by the group photo participants, each image harkens back to the effects of the incident and the emotions of its victims.
For the 80-year-old Mr. Kuwabara, this may be his final “shutter chance” in Minamata. How will he frame his subjects with their complex, often bitter circumstances? The present reality of Minamata comes to light through Mr. Kuwabara’s interactions with surviving victims and in his photograph.

｜Length : 44min ｜Year : 2022 ｜

The Shiranui Sea, which stretches out from the coast of Minamata City in Kumamoto Prefecture, was once plagued by pollution that decimated its ecosystem. But now, divers from all over the country are rushing to explore its waters. The reason is Makoto Morishita, a diver living in Minamata City. In order to dispel the negative perception of Minamata’s sea, he highlights its charms through the ecology of one rare creature: the Korean seahorse. This seahorse was recognized as a new species in 2017, the first in Japan in 116 years. During their mating season, their unique way of bringing new life into the world captivates all who see it. The miracle of life unfolds in the sea of Minamata, ironically once called a sea of death.