Itai-itai disease: Lessons for the way to environmental regeneration

Abstract

Itai-itai disease was first noticed in the Junzu River basin region in Toyama Prefecture in central Japan around the 1930s. However, it was not identified as a cadmium poisoning disease until the 1960s. A local physician, with cooperation from outside experts, confirmed that the disease was caused by pollution from the Kamioka mine of the Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd., located in the upstream region of the river. In the mid-1960s, the victims of Itai-itai disease filed a suit against the company and won their case in 1972. The victims received compensation and signed a pollution control agreement with the company. The case of Itai-itai disease is a rare example of successful pollution control in Japan, because the ensuing 40-year annual inspections, based on the pollution control agreement, show that cadmium concentrations in the river have been reduced to natural levels. By analyzing the roles of various experts involved, this case study has contributed substantially to the understanding of the nature of expertise and the significance of public participation in the resolution of environmental problems. The author suggests some lessons learned from the Itai-itai case are applicable to the environmental regeneration of areas degraded by the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster.