Events/News

On December 15, 2024, a press conference was held to announce the launch of the Democracy Advocates at Risk (DAR) program, and the initiative was featured in several newspaper articles, including those in Nikkei, Sankei, and Tokyo Shimbun. Having the secretariat at the Institute for Global Governance Research (GGR) at Hitotsubashi University, the DAR program provides support for pro-democracy activists facing repression in various countries and regions in Asia. Professor Maiko Ichihara of GGR stated, "It is ideal for activists to remain in Asia, as it allows them to continue disseminating information to their home countries more effectively." She further expressed her aspirations for the program, stating, "We aim to secure cooperation from governments and related organizations, and ultimately develop this initiative into a broader regional framework within Asia."

On October 17, 2024, NHK's Mimiyori! Kaisetsu published an article titled "U.S. Presidential Election: Manipulating Public Opinion with Disinformation," featuring comments from Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law. The article explains how, before the presidential election, disinformation aimed at manipulating public opinion was spreading in the United States, with increasingly sophisticated tactics. Professor Ichihara noted that, although public opinion in Japan is not as polarized as in the United States, information laundering is occurring in Japan too. She cautioned that disinformation is becoming easier to spread, as some social media companies are scaling back their monitoring systems.

On October 2, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Prime Minister Ishiba Holds Phone Talks with President Biden, No Mention of Revising the Status of Forces Agreement” was published. This article covers Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's phone talks with U.S. President Biden on the morning of the 2nd, the day after his new cabinet was formed. Professor Ichihara pointed out that Prime Minister Ishiba’s emphasis on revising the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement is similar to the stance of the Hatoyama administration during the Democratic Party's rule. She also commented that setting this agenda as too high a priority could pose potential problems for both the stability of the international order and Japan’s security.

On September 23, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Why is Former Prime Minister Noda the New Leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party? Public Support and the Shift to 'Centrist Conservatism.'” was published. The article covers the election of former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as the new leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, with an eye toward a potential change in government in the 2024 House of Representatives election. Professor Maiko Ichihara commented that, while centrism is not an easy path in the age of social media, where populism is gaining ground. In this context, Noda's election as the new leader, a centrist, reflects not only an appreciation for his rhetoric concerning political finance issues but also indicates that social divisions in Japan remain relatively restrained.

On September 20, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Edano's Statement on ‘Interpreting Within the Scope of Individual Self-Defense’ Deemed ‘Groundless’” was published. This article discusses a statement made by former Constitutional Democratic Party leader Yukio Edano, in which he claimed that "an armed attack against a foreign country resulting in threatening Japan’s survival," as permitted under the security laws passed in 2015, could be interpreted as falling within the scope of individual self-defense. Professor Ichihara commented that publishing such an article as a fact-check piece could affect its credibility, and if it is to be published, it should be done so as a regular article.

On August 9, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Nagasaki Caught Up in Global Affairs: Six Ambassadors Absent, Prompting Questions About the Ceremony’s Meaning” was published. This article discusses the unusual situation in which Nagasaki’s Peace Memorial Ceremony was held, following the decision not to invite Israel, resulting in the absence of ambassadors from six major countries, including nuclear-armed nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Professor Ichihara commented that this was an independent and political decision made by the city of Nagasaki, and stressed that both politicians and the media should avoid using language that abdicates the sense of ownership.

On March 6, 2024, NHK published an article about the February 25 broadcast of the Sunday Debate titled "Two Years Since the Invasion of Ukraine: A World in Turmoil, and the Prospect of Ending the War," which featured Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law. The article summarizes an in-depth discussion of the path to ending the war, now two years after Russia's military invasion, as Ukraine's counteroffensive struggles to achieve expected results and some defensive setbacks emerge. Professor Ichihara noted the need to consider the positive and negative effects of the invasion on the international community. She highlighted the difficulty of focusing public and diplomatic attention on a single crisis in today's information-saturated society, which is also grappling with issues in places like Israel, Gaza, Myanmar, and Sudan. In the latter half of the discussion, when asked about Japan's future role, Professor Ichihara emphasized that Japan's diplomatic stance tends to be influenced by Western agenda-setting. However, as a leading Asian nation, Japan must pay attention to Asian issues, such as the situation in Myanmar, and actively take the lead.

Comment on "Chain Izakaya Personnel Making Places for Foreign Part-Timers: It is My Place" [in Japanese]

On July 7, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “'Laugh Once a Day' Ordinance Passed by Yamagata Prefectural Assembly, Opponents Cite 'Disregard for Human Rights'” was published. This article covers the opposition raised against the "Ordinance to Promote Health through Laughter," submitted by the Liberal Democratic Party in the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly, with criticism focusing on concerns over the disregard for human rights. Professor Ichihara commented that while she does not oppose the emphasis on laughter as a measure of happiness, the objective should not be to make laughter itself the goal. Instead, she emphasized that the Assembly should focus on discussing how to create a society where people naturally find themselves smiling and enjoying life.