What is believed to be the biggest asbestos-related litigation in Japan opened Wednesday at the Tokyo District Court with construction workers and relatives of deceased workers taking the stand to describe years of health problems that could have been prevented.
The 178 plaintiffs are demanding a combined ¥6.6 billion in compensation from 46 construction-materials manufacturers and the government for failing to take appropriate measures despite being aware of asbestos-related health hazards, including lung cancer.
"Many of my colleagues are suffering from asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma," Kazuo Miyajima, a former construction worker who was diagnosed in 2003 with lung cancer, told the court as the lawsuit got under way.