Chairman Yuji Yukawa, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, was found not guilty by the Kyoto District Court shortly after 10:00 a.m. on February 26, 2025. The good news spread among union members of Kan-nama, their families, and supporters.

At the time, Anna Kawanishi was at the office of Kan-nama in Osaka City. The other union members were out, so she was there alone.

As Kawanishi waited at the office, her colleagues contacted her one after another, exclaiming, “He’s not guilty!” She was moved to tears. A lot had happened. She had attended court while pregnant, recorded the proceedings, and was betrayed by her colleagues…

She remained flawless in her work at Kan-nama despite being singled out by the police and prosecutors. She has watched her father participate actively in union activities. She confidently demonstrates her actions to her own children.

“Faithful Elephants”

I read the picture book “Faithful Elephants” at the school library when I was in the first grade of elementary school. It tells the story of how, during the war, elephants at Ueno Zoo escaped when their cages were destroyed in an air raid. Because they were deemed dangerous, the elephants were killed. I broke down in tears when I read it. Shortly after I read the picture book, the Gulf War broke out, and I thought, “I absolutely never want war again.”

My father was a union member of Kan-nama. I learned that labor unions work on anti-war movement in addition to improving working conditions and wages. As an adult, I joined Kan-nama because I wanted to participate in that kind of movement.

I have three children: a third-grader, a four-year-old daughter, and a three-year-old son. I read “Faithful Elephants” to them.

My eldest daughter is in the third grade of elementary school and understands the material well, so she constantly says, “I don’t want war.” Demonstrators of Kan-nama occasionally walk by our house waving union flags and chanting, “Stop the war.” My eldest daughter dashes out onto the balcony. When we walk down streets we’ve marched on during protests, she walks along saying things like “Stop the war!”

Chairman Yukawa’s “Come to Kan-nama”

When I was pregnant with my second child, I discovered that my employer expected me to quit if I continued to participate in Kan-nama. This was amid the crackdown of Kan-nama, and they were concerned that having union members present might make the company a target for scrutiny. There were other union members present, but they all left the union to protect themselves.

I had no intention of leaving the union, but with my second child in the womb, I was concerned about what to do next and how I would be unable to find work if I left the company.

After a while, Chairman Yukawa was released from detention. “Come to Kan-nama,” he said, and I began working full-time at Kan-nama doing administrative work.

During the crackdown, many of the leaders were arrested and some betrayed the union. It was a situation where there was no way to transfer the responsibility, and I believe it was very difficult for the remaining executives. I sensed tension within Kan-nama. There were disputes at meetings and other occasions.

The sorrow of being refused to meet my gaze

I was assigned to take notes during the Kan-nama members’ trials so that I could report back to those who were unable to attend. In order to maintain my focus, I kept taking notes in my notebook. I did this for every trial until I went on maternity leave.

There were a lot of things that made me upset in court.

For example, the prosecutors claimed that the Kan-nama was “picking a quarrel over minor deficiencies” in its compliance activities. Even minor offenses were unlawful, yet prosecutors said it’s all right to break the law.

Audio recordings of union members issuing warnings during compliance activities were sometimes used as evidence by prosecutors. However, they were very polite and said things like, “This is dangerous.” I was amazed at how they could present something like this as evidence of obstruction of business by force.

When a former Kan-nama union member appeared as a witness for the prosecution, I attempted to make eye contact with him and look him in the eye, but he refused to meet my gaze. Although he was a very enthusiastic activist, he betrayed Kan-nama. I wondered, “Why did this happen?” I was very sad.

When the Kyoto District Court declared Chairman Yukawa not guilty, I was staying at Kan-nama’s office. My colleagues reached me at the office and on my cellphone. Chairman Yukawa’s wife was the first to inform me, as we were good friends.

I would like to ask the police and prosecutors if they are not ashamed of turning legitimate labor union activity into a crime.

I would like judges to have a better understanding of labor law and make right decisions.

[Reporter’s Postscript] Adults Under Observation / Editor-in-Chief Makoto Watanabe

How can we ensure that labor and social movements take root in the next generation? Anna Kawanishi is passing on this mindset to her children. She herself was influenced by her father, who was a union member of Kan-nama.

Kawanishi’s answer is clear.

“Be confident in what you’re doing and talk to your children about it.”

When her employer told her to resign if she wanted to continue being part of Kan-nama, Kawanishi grew anxious since she was pregnant with her second child and would not be able to find a new job.

What if Kawanishi had remained with the company instead of leaving Kan-nama? She required a stable life for the sake of her children’s future. No one could blame Kawanishi for her choice.

But consider yourself in a child’s shoes. How would you feel if your mother told you, “Mom put up with things and compromised my beliefs for your sake”?

Wouldn’t it be better for children if their parents discussed their decisions confidently? Perhaps this would help kids build a sense of challenge, making them think, “Okay, I’ll do my best, just like my mom.”

Children are always watching adults.  If we wish to leave a legacy for future generations, adults must first work hard. If we work hard enough, friends who will support us will appear. This is what Kawanishi’s life has taught us.

(Originally published in Japanese on May 21, 2025. Translation by Mana Shibata.)

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