HAKUSAN, Japan/HAIMEN, China, June 12 (Reuters) - Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 was a regular work day at Kameda, a family-owned apparel factory housed in rusting corrugated metal buildings in the western Japanese city of Hakusan. For three Chinese women, it was a day of escape.
At about 6:30 that morning, Ichiro Takahara, a Japanese union organizer, rolled up outside the dormitory where the women lived. Lu Xindi, Qian Juan and Jiang Cheng were waiting - they had been secretly plotting this move for months. Takahara drove them to a convenience store and then to the local labour standards office.