Michiko Ishimure, author of Minamata disease books, dies at 90

Michiko Ishimure, a Japanese author known for her books on Minamata mercury poisoning disease, died early Saturday due to symptoms related to Parkinson's disease, her family said. She was 90.A native of Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, Ishimure contributed to public awareness of the Minamata issue, caused by mercury-tainted water dumped into the sea by chemical maker Chisso Corp. at a plant in the prefecture's Minamata.Her literary works included "Kugai Jodo" (Paradise in the Sea of Sorrow), among a series of essays on Minamata disease. She won the 1973 the Ramon Magsaysay Award, …READ FULL ARTICLE