On 1 June 2026, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MOE) announced the decisions issued by the Pollution Health Damage Compensation Appeal Review Board concerning appeals filed under the Act on Compensation for Pollution-Related Health Damage and the Act on Relief for Health Damage Caused by Asbestos. The Board rendered a total of six rulings on 25 May 2026, addressing requests for administrative review related to compensation and recognition of health damage claims. Four of the rulings were made under the Act on Compensation for Pollution-Related Health Damage. These cases included an appeal against a prefectural government decision refusing certification of Minamata disease, an appeal concerning a revision of disability compensation for a certified victim of air pollution-related disease, and two appeals filed by family members challenging decisions denying survivor compensation and funeral expense benefits. After examination, all four appeals were dismissed. The remaining two rulings were issued under the Act on Relief for Health Damage Caused by Asbestos. One case involved a challenge to a decision denying certification of a designated asbestos-related disease, while the other concerned the denial of eligibility for special condolence payments and funeral expense benefits. Following review, both appeals were also dismissed.
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