On August 9, 2024, an article written based on an interview with Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law, titled “Protecting Human Rights Leads to Peace: Reaffirming the Importance of the Labor Union Movement by Linking Peace and Human Rights,” was published in the Federation of Information and Communication Technology Service Workers of Japan (ICTJ) Report for Working People’s special feature ‘Wars/Conflicts in the World and Japan’s Peace Movements: How Learning Changes Our Desire for Peace,’ by ICTJ. In this article, Professor Ichihara discusses the role that labor unions’ peace movements have played in postwar Japan and how these peace movements can be reconstructed to suit modern times, all from the perspective of human rights. First, Professor Ichihara explains the evolution of liberalism in postwar Japan. Professor Ichihara then points out that the Japanese government has been reluctant to take actions against human rights violations occurring in other countries. In contrast, she commends labor unions for having played a crucial role as significant actors in civil society, particularly in the fields of human rights and democracy. From now on, she expresses her hopes for stronger engagement with foreign societies through collaborations with labor unions abroad and initiatives that aim to prevent social fragmentation. Furthermore, Professor Ichihara highlights the importance of linking the concepts of peace and human rights, concluding with a call for labor unions to continue promoting movements that protect both human rights and peace.