Kanemi Yusho Incident in Fukuoka and Nagasaki - 1968

Kanemi Yusho Incident in Fukuoka and Nagasaki - 1968

The Kanemi Yusho Incident, which occurred in 1968, was a serious food contamination case that spread primarily in Fukuoka and Nagasaki prefectures. The incident started when PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyl) and dioxins were mixed into the rice bran oil produced by Kanemi Warehouse (Nagasaki City), causing widespread health damage. The cause was the heating medium (Unipar 100H) used in the manufacturing process, which contained PCB, and this chemical leaked into the oil.

The victims, concentrated in Fukuoka and Nagasaki prefectures, numbered around 14,000 and suffered from skin pigmentation, chloracne, poor health, and internal organ diseases. Furthermore, the effects were not limited to one generation, as the children of the victims also showed symptoms. In particular, patients who developed severe symptoms saw little improvement over time, significantly affecting their daily lives.

After the incident, the Japanese government and Kanemi Warehouse began providing compensation and medical support to the victims, but the issue remains unresolved, with problems related to the compensation amounts and ongoing treatment. Additionally, many victims struggled for years without being officially recognized, continuing to suffer. This incident exposed the inadequacies in Japan's chemical management and highlighted the need for strict regulations on food safety and environmental issues.