The sister and brother-in-law of Minamata disease patient Jitsuko Tanaka, 64, take care of her as she lies in bed at their home in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, September 12, 2017. Born in a family of shipbuilders whose home overlooks the Minamata bay, Tanaka used to play on the beach with her older sister, picking and eating shellfish, unaware it was contaminated with mercury. She was almost three, and her sister five, when they lost their ability to move their hands freely and walk properly, becoming the first to be identified as sufferers of Minamata disease. Minamata Bay, which was polluted by wastewater containing methylmercury decades ago, is seen from the window. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon SEARCH "MINAMATA VICTIMS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.