On June 26, 2025, “Democracy shouldn’t be used as an ideological weapon,” authored by Professor Maiko Ichihara（Graduate School of Law）was published in The Japan Times. This article explains how, against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rhetoric emphasizing democracy has been used to mobilize support for Ukraine. According to Professor Ichihara, such rhetoric tends to focus not on the institutions and values that constitute the essence of democracy—such as free and fair elections or transparency—but rather on defending the sovereignty of democratic states. She further points out that Israel’s invasion of Gaza, despite Israel being regarded as a democratic state, has created contradictions that authoritarian countries, notably China, exploit to undermine the credibility of democracy. To safeguard democracy, Professor Ichihara urges that international conflicts be discussed from the perspective of sovereignty rather than democracy itself, and that concrete actions—such as election monitoring—accompany words.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/26/world/democracy-not-an-ideological-weapon/