Democracy and Human Rights Program
How to Tackle Disinformation in Japan: Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War
Summary
In December 2022, the "Impact of Disinformation on Democracy in Asia" report was published on Brookings, featuring an article by Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law. First, the professor indicates how extensive Russian disinformation and propaganda about the Russia-Ukraine war have been disrupting the discourse space in Japan. She states that the impact of this disinformation is unprecedented in Japan, making this a useful case study for analyzing the challenges of disinformation and possible appropriate countermeasures. In this context, the paper discusses Japan’s disinformation situation in relation to the Russia-Ukraine war, current countermeasures against disinformation, and recommended policies to overcome the challenges.