The term "Minamata Disease" equates "Minamata" (the name of the geographical region) with methylmercury CH3-Hg+, the cause of methylmercury poisoning. Such a term carries the implication that methylmercury poisoning is specific to Minamata. Moreover, the term "Minamata Disease" strongly associates "Minamata" with "disease."
       Methylmercury poisoning was first discovered at Saint Bartholomew's Hospital in London in 1865. Since then, it has been called "poisoning by mercuric methide" or "methylmercury poisoning" in Western Europe. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) also uses the term "methylmercury poisoning."
       Expressing methylmercury poisoning as "Minamata Disease" can be considered a commitment of discrimination that infringes on the human rights of people born in Minamata. This can have devastating consequences to the people of the region. As mandated by the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all people have the right to be protected against discrimination. This right must be protected under all circumstances.
       In Minamata, high rates of methylmercury poisoning were traced to exposure to contaminated fish and shellfish. Since the origins of exposure were merely pathways to the disease, the geographical region of origin should not be included in its name. Environmental concerns must be respected, yet they cannot be used to justify infringement on the human rights of people born in Minamata. Even if the term "Minamata Disease" is used in scientific or medical papers, it may still be considered discriminatory language.
       In 2015, W.H.O. issued a guideline against using the name of a geographical place as the name of a disease, as doing so could have a profoundly negative effect on the people living there. For example, when children of Minamata go to sporting events outside the city, children on the opposing teams sometimes say "Minamata Disease is here." These occurrences remain likely to this day. Instances of discrimination reported in newspapers offer only a glimpse into a more widespread issue. Many public institutions and adults teach their children to use the term "Minamata Disease" correctly. This suggests that the term "Minamata Disease" is a highly perfected discriminatory term that is reinforced through generations.
       Though unthinkable in the present day, prior to the 1970s, discriminatory terms were used in legal documents to refer to people who had difficulties in seeing and hearing. Though usage of the term has diminished in the present day, one should still avoid its usage unless directly commissioned by law.
       There is an opinion that whether "Minamata Disease" is discriminatory or not depends on multiple factors, including the relationship between the user and the other party, the situation, and the context. However, if we examine the term "Minamata Disease" objectively, no matter how well-intended its usage, it is still a discriminatory term in the purest sense of the word.
       In the past, there were campaigns in Minamata to change the name of the disease. On the other hand, the Japanese government and Kumamoto Prefectural Office are the parties who caused the spread of methylmercury poisoning by their commitments of omission, and officials want to dwarf the methylmercury poisoning as "Minamata's Minamata Disease" in order to make their responsibilities appear small.
       As W.H.O. points out, in a sense, the name of the disease has already been changed. It is simply "not common" to use the correct terminology "methylmercury poisoning."
       Neither government agencies nor local offices such as the Kumamoto Prefecture should use "Minamata Disease" unless directly commissioned by law. Mass media (newspapers, T.V., radio, etc.), research institutes, private organizations, researchers, physicians, critics, literary writers, and other individuals should also recognize the discriminatory and harmful implications of the term "Minamata Disease" and refrain from its use. In general, it is recommended to use the term "methylmercury poisoning.”