Blossoms On A Poisoned Sea: A Novel of Love & Betrayal in Minamata, Japan

by Mariko Tatsumoto

Genres: Japan

409 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2024

About the author

Mariko Tatsumoto emigrated from Japan at the age of eight and became the first Asian woman attorney in Colorado before pursuing writing. Her historical fiction BLOSSOMS ON A POISONED SEA is based on the same true events that inspired Johnny Depp’s film Minamata.
AYUMI’S VIOLIN, her Middle Grade novel won the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Gold Award and three other awards. Her Young Adult book, SWEPT AWAY, won the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, and two other awards. Having learned to write for young people through the school of hard knocks, she published HOW TO WRITE A MIDDLE GRADE BOOK KIDS WILL LOVE.
When not penning in her Rocky Mountain home, she skis, hikes and kayaks.

Reviews

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW REPOSTED FROM DA


Dear Mariko Tatsumoto,

You contacted DA with an inquiry about reviewing your book and I asked about the young couple getting their happy ending and, after receiving the positive answer, agreed to take the ARC.

Unfortunately, it did not enter my mind to ask another question. Something like did the main character gets raped on page?

So, readers TRIGGER WARNING FOR DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSAULT AND RAPE ON PAGE. It is described as the violent and ugly scene it was, not a scene to make the reader sexually aroused, but still I want a warning if such event would take place in the book so I can decide whether I want to read it or skip it.

There is another possible trigger warning I want to give even though I am a little more conflicted on whether I should give such a warning, because the blurb does talk about pain, paralysis and death for many victims of the disease, but just beware there is a lot of suffering in this book which perfectly fits the story and is not gratuitous at all, does not go on and on, but these moments are shown often and are painful to read about. Moreover, not only people, but also cats catch this disease and there is a description of cat dying in agony because of nerve damage, not able to move his muscles, etc. Just beware.

And now we can get to the story. It really is beautifully written – I could easily see the pictures the author was portraying with her words and I am not the most visual reader. This is when Kiyo meets Yuki’s family for the first time.


I was debating with myself whether it is correctly labeled as YA romance, because to me it is first and foremost an exceptionally well researched historical novel about the industrial disaster, corporate greed which made this horror go on much longer than it could have been, with the romantic storyline being less important. I mean, our young couple are at the front and center of the story. They are portrayed as young heroes who together basically stand up against the world, even if in the beginning they are helpless to do much on a large scale.

However, Yuki sacrifices everything to take care of her family where everyone but her got the disease, quits school to do hard work to earn little money and still manages to devote some time to her art. She is a gifted painter. And Kiyo, when he is fourteen, starts to help the researchers who try to find the reasons why people have gotten sick with this disease and also help Yuki’s family as much as he can.

What I am trying to say that the young couple are one of the main characters of the story if not the main ones. I just cannot decide whether their building romance is just as important in the story as their fight for a better future for the other fishermen and their families. I guess every reader can decide it for themselves.

At the end there is an author’s note which just confirmed to me how exceptional her research was. B

[Rob Seideman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating on so many levels! The story line, the history, the emotions! There was always so much happening, yet Blossoms wasn’t a complicated read. It was effortless and instantly engaging, with details that made the scenes jump off the pages into my lap. I loved it!

I really appreciated the historical accuracy. It was great to learn that the author’s depiction of the Minamata atrocity was so well researched, because the suffering it caused might otherwise have seemed too horrible to believe!

The atrocity serves as a backdrop of gripping good vs evil, and against that backdrop, the characters struggle with choice-making in the face of evils like greed, injustice and cruelty, and it’s all so eloquently captured. In Blossoms, loyalty to family conflicts with loyalty to country. Justice butts up against revenge. Sacrifice seeks out new thresholds. And the difference between empathy and callousness is sometimes cloudy.

Two aspects of humanity, though - love and hope - stand steadfast and absolute. Blossoms tackles bold territory, but at its core, it’s a beautiful and beautifully told story. Mariko’s storytelling is imaginative and masterful, and I can’t wait for her next book, so I can experience it all over again!

[Ajsalida · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most horrific instances of industrial pollution and corporate malfeasance in modern history provides the backdrop for a genuinely engaging novel of romance, murder, perseverance and redemption. Set in immediate post-WWII Japan the author provides an abundance of detail about daily life and the hardships people faced struggling to survive in the ruins, as well as the terrible choices one corporation made in trying to return Japan to industrial prominence. It is on the one hand a romantic-mystery thriller but also an historically accurate and sobering tale about the massive human cost of unmitigated greed. Highly recommended.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the historical novel, Blossoms on a Poisoned Sea, Mariko Tatsumoto tells the story of two young people navigating a horrifying human-caused event that occurred in Minamata, Japan during the 1950’s. The writing is engaging, descriptive, and provides insights into the actions and responses of those involved and affected. I did not know of this event, even though it occurred when I was a child. I appreciate the telling of the story and the breadth and depth of research that the author applied in the writing of the book.

[Pamela Okano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel centers around Minamata Disease, an incurable condition caused by methylmercury contamination. It was discovered in 1956 in Minamata, Japan, caused by the dumping of industrial wastewater into the bay by the Chisso Corporation. Chisso, aided and abetted by the city and prefectural governments, tried to cover it up, even though Chisso knew that its wastewater was the cause. This is a tale of heartbreak and corporate greed.

[M.J. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It had me hooked from the very first page. The story is compelling and the characters are beautifully portrayed. Two very unlikely teens find love even as they face the challenge of exposing a large corporation that is causing a fatal illness throughout a little fishing village. Great for young adults and up. Fun book for book clubs. This story is based upon true events.

[Peter Kageyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book humanizes a very dark period in Japan's history. The author's insight into Japan's culture and history makes for an exceptionally accurate portrayal of characters and of the intricacies of Japanese class, hierarchy and corporate culture. Those looking to better understand Japanese history and culture will find a treasure trove of knowledge in this excellent book.