Kobunsha trade union - Koubunsha Struggle - 1970

Koubunsha Struggle

Kobunsha trade union
Kobunsha trade union/1970/Japanese/183*258*5


The Kobunsha Struggle was a strike and demonstration by workers (union members) of the publishing house Kobunsha in 1970. This book is a collection of photographs that also serves as an interim report of that struggle. The struggle started when the luxurious holiday home of the management of Kobunsha was paid for at company expense, and was intended to break down the ‘privatisation of the company (property) and of the people who work there’. The company responded with the police (and gangsters). The union's archivist filmed and compiled such scenes. At the same time, university struggles were also active, and photographers such as Kazuo Kitai and Hiko Watanabe left behind many scenes of violent struggles, but this book is more of a record of activities than of clashes, which gives the impression that it is unique among these types of photo books. It is stated at the beginning of the book that ‘this small collection of photographs is merely a prologue to the history of the Kobunsha struggle’, but in fact the struggle continued until 1977. The book is valuable as a document of the struggles that took place at the same time as the Sanrizuka and university struggles.