Michiko Ishimure

1973 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts from Japan. Michiko Ishimure is generally credited with pressuring both the industry and the Japanese government by publishing books and articles about a “disease” that most Japanese did not want to hear about. Ishimure was a modest housewife from Minamata, Japan who was concerned about the plight of the villagers, who became ill after ingesting high levels of mercury. The strange disease was caused by waste from Chisso Corporation's factory, a chemical plant in Minamata City, which had polluted not only the coastal waters but also the fish and the shellfish. In profound sympathy, Ishimure wrote Cruel Tales of Japan: Modern Period, her first exposé of the toxic effect of mercury poisoning in 1960. This was followed by another publication, Paradise in the Sea of Sorrow, which was published in 1969. The book won several awards which she declined as long as the plight of the victims was not recognized. She organized a photo exhibit to show the horrors of the disease to the world, but the Japanese government continued to ignore her.

Her book, Kugai Jodo (Pure Land Poisoned Sea), received nationwide attention and aroused concern and support for victims of Minamata Disease. She organized a civic group to assist victims of Minamata Disease and launched a movement to secure adequate compensation for them from Chisso Corporation. She is no longer a leader in the movement for the rights of Minamata disease victims, but her books had gone through numerous printings, and she still writes articles and gives lectures on the topic.