Ministry of the Environment to Conduct Opinion Gathering for Children and Youth on the Theme "What Can We Do? ~Welcome to the Mysterious World of Mercury!"

Overview of Implementation

In 2017, the "Minamata Convention on Mercury," an international agreement, was established, and Japan, along with the rest of the world, committed to handling mercury appropriately. On the other hand, many people may feel they "haven't seen mercury recently." As this agreement approaches its 10th anniversary next year, it is important for everyone to widely understand mercury and consider what they can do to further promote these efforts throughout society. Therefore, Japan has created the "Children and Youth Participation Action Plan (hereinafter referred to as the Action Plan)" to consolidate the initiatives of the younger generation.

To ensure that the voices of children and youth are fully reflected in this Action Plan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, prior to its creation, is conducting a survey from Monday, June 15, 2026, to Wednesday, July 15, 2026, on the theme of "What Can We Do? ~Welcome to the Mysterious World of Mercury!" in preparation for the creation of an action plan under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which the Ministry of the Environment is scheduled to finalize at the end of fiscal year 2026.

The survey will ask questions such as, "What do you know about mercury, how do you feel about it, and what experiences have you had so far?" The opinions received will be reflected in the Action Plan. Anyone can participate in the survey without specialized knowledge. We ask many children and young people to participate in the survey.

The survey responses are utilizing the mechanism of the Cabinet Office's "Children and Youth ★ Opinion Plus※1."

Furthermore, individuals in high school age and older can participate in online opinion gathering after completing the survey. Additionally, in December, in-person opinion gathering sessions are planned to be held in Niigata and Kumamoto prefectures, which were the main locations of Minamata disease.

(※1) About "Children and Youth ★ Opinion Plus"

This is an initiative to promote the reflection of children and youth opinions in policy, conducted by each ministry and agency based on the Basic Act for Children, to listen to the opinions of children and youth and reflect them in policy. Aiming to realize a "child-centered society," it is an effort to listen to the opinions of children and youth and improve systems and policies related to children and youth.

Homepage: https://www.cfa.go.jp/policies/iken-plus

Overview of Opinion Plaza※2

Event Period

Survey: Monday, June 15, 2026, 0:00 - Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 23:59

Online: Monday, August 17, 2026 *Online recruitment is during the same period as the survey.

Theme

What Can We Do? ~Welcome to the Mysterious World of Mercury

Responsible Ministry

Ministry of the Environment

Target Audience

1st year elementary school students to 20s

(Born between April 2, 1996, and April 1, 2020)

*Individuals in high school age and older can participate in the online plaza after responding to the survey.

What We Want to Ask in the Survey

- Are the materials such as pamphlets and videos about mercury produced by the Ministry of the Environment easy to understand?

- Mercury has both useful and dangerous aspects. Which aspect do you think is stronger?

- Have you ever visited a facility to learn about mercury?

How Opinions Will Be Used

They will be used in the creation of an "Action Plan" to promote the "Minamata Convention on Mercury."

Where to Find the Survey

*The response form differs depending on the age group.

(For elementary and junior high school students)

https://ikenplus.cfa.go.jp/square/7048D9QNZ

(For high school age and older)

https://ikenplus.cfa.go.jp/square/70445KWTP

(※2) About "Opinion Plaza"

This is an opportunity for children and youth who have registered to participate in "Children and Youth ★ Opinion Plus" (hereinafter referred to as "Plus Members") to express their opinions.

Contact Information

Children and Youth ★ Opinion Plus Operations Office (Accenture Inc.): [email protected]

(Reference)

Registration as a Plus Member (free) is required to respond to the survey. The survey response form will be displayed on your My Page after logging in.

Register as a Plus Member here: https://www.cfa.go.jp/policies/iken-plus/details

"Children and Youth ★ Opinion Plus" Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ikenplus_kodomo.katei/

"Children and Youth ★ Opinion Plus" Official LINE: https://page.line.me/796vress