Shigeru Nakajima is helping Myanmar's burgeoning democracy by encouraging laborers in the country to unionize and helping the groups take root there.

Upon taking up his post as head of the newly opened Myanmar office of the International Trade Union Confederation in December last year, the 68-year-old Kanagawa Prefecture native kicked off his three-year tenure without pay.

"The advantage of not getting paid is being able to say whatever you want without hesitation," Nakajima said.