Minamata studies focuses on environmental pollution, the Minamata disease case, and the recovery of civil society in the Minamata area, and for multilaterally and comprehensively learning about the Minamata disease case including social-scientific fields as well as natural-scientific fields such as medical science, biology, ecology, and engineering.

Ideal universal environments, public welfare, life, education, learning, government, etc. are sought therein, including a project with the following three points; “full disclosure of damage from Minamata disease”, “suggestion of a model for area rebirth”, and “collection and organization of data, and disclosure projects”, as the pillars. In Kumamoto Gakuen University (Kumamoto-city), a lecture on Minamata studies is held every year.

People deeply related to the 50 year history of the Minamata disease are invited for lectures including patient’s families and teachers who are taking part in research related to the disease.