Anna Mironova developed a desire to learn about Japan when she was a young girl, but there were no Japanese language teachers in the western Russian town where she was born and raised.
So, she turned to self-study, using “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” “Fullmetal Alchemist” and other anime titles that had drawn her attention in elementary school.
Anime became both her “classroom” and her textbook, while a dictionary was her constant companion.
This study was the start of what developed into Mironova’s fluency in Japanese and her legal profession on the main island of Shikoku.
Her curiosity also expanded beyond language to Japan’s rich history, fueled by the action-adventure series “Rurouni Kenshin–Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story),” set in the early Meiji Era (1868-1912).
As a high school student, she visited Kyoto and was captivated by the city’s traditional streets. The trip solidified her decision to pursue her studies at Kyoto University.
Driven by a passion for law, Mironova enrolled in Osaka University’s Law School, where her strong language skills and multicultural perspective led her to consider a future in international stages.
However, as she progressed, she began to question what type of lawyer she truly aspired to become.
The turning point came during an internship at a legal office on the remote island of Ishigakijima in Okinawa Prefecture. The office was operated by an organization tackling Japan’s “judicial deserts,” or regions with minimal or no access to legal professionals.
It was there that Mironova learned the stark reality that basic rights in such areas are often left unprotected due to the scarcity of legal support.
After registering as a lawyer in 2023, Mironova joined the Sakuragaoka Law Office in Tokyo, a firm with over two decades of experience dispatching legal professionals to underserved regions.
Over the past year, she has undergone what she humbly refers to as her legal “apprenticeship.”
In May, she started a new chapter in her career, practicing law at a firm in the city of Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture.
“As a woman and a foreigner, I’m a minority,” she says. “But it’s precisely because of that that I believe there are people who will feel they can rely on me.”
Mironova has another passion: running.
She completed a 100-kilometer ultramarathon last autumn. And she is now eager to jog along the banks of the Shimantogawa, the longest river on Shikoku, renowned for its crystal-clear waters.
AloJapan.com