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On January 14, 2025, the video of the webinar "Disinformation: A Common Threat to Democracies and the Liberal World Order," in which Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law participated, was released by the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS). This webinar discusses the impact of disinformation on democracy and the liberal international order, as well as the strategic challenges it poses. Professor Ichihara first addressed the difficulties in countering disinformation, highlighting how the politicization of fact-checking undermines the effectiveness of disinformation countermeasures. She then used the 2024 U.S. presidential election as a case study to explain how authoritarian regimes strategically employ disinformation to interfere with election outcomes and deepen societal divisions. Finally, Professor Ichihara emphasized that while countering disinformation is crucial, it is also essential to consider the broader impact of malinformation.

On October 30, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Democratic Party For the People to Enter Policy Talks with Ruling Coalition: Consideration of 'Increased Take-Home Pay' in Economic Measures” was published. This article reports on the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) decision to initiate policy discussions with the Democratic Party For the People (DPFP) following the ruling coalition’s failure to secure a majority in the House of Representatives election. As part of its comprehensive economic measures, the LDP intends to incorporate certain policy proposals from the DPFP, the third-largest opposition party. Professor Ichihara commented on the potential implications of DPFP lawmakers writing “Yuichiro Tamaki” in the runoff vote for prime minister. She pointed out that politicians who call on the public to vote must maintain consistency in their actions and that engaging in behavior that contradicts their political stance is problematic. Furthermore, she noted that such actions could erode public trust in politics and set an undesirable preceden

On January 9, 2025, Professor Nobumasa Akiyama of the Graduate School of Law appeared on Deep News, a program titled “80 Years After the War: Don't Let Today Become Prewar.” The program discussed strategies to prevent the recurrence of nuclear devastation considering rising global nuclear threats, including Russia's nuclear intimidation and China's nuclear force buildup. Professor Akiyama highlighted that the risk of nuclear threats from Russia remains high. While maintaining ambiguity around "red lines" is an effective means of preserving deterrence, he noted that the U.S.'s incremental deployment of forces complicates the interpretation of Russian intentions. This, in turn, has led Russia to continuously issue new signals, further destabilizing the situation. Furthermore, in the era of military arms races between the U.S., China, and Russia, traditional arms control treaties face challenges. Professor Akiyama emphasized the need to discuss crisis management from the perspective of how to avoid the worst-case scenarios. Lastly, he outlined specific measures to prevent nuclear war, including the importance of avoiding the sending of misleading signals, establishing effective deterrence systems, and understanding each country's perception of threats.

On October 29, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “UN CEDAW Recommends Japan to Introduce Separate Surnames for Married Couples and Amend the Imperial Household Law” was published. The article discusses the "concluding observations" issued by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which include recommendations to the Japanese government. Professor Ichihara commented that while Japanese citizens who marry foreign nationals are not required to change their surname in the family registry, those who marry Japanese citizens are forced to adopt the same surname. She pointed out that this system discriminates against Japanese citizens who marry other Japanese citizens compared to those who marry foreign nationals.

On October 18, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Penalty for 'Nose-Exposed Mask' During Shogi Match Ruled Lawful: Player's Lawsuit Dismissed by Tokyo District Court” was published. The article discusses a lawsuit filed by Hachidan player Ichiro Hiura against the Japan Shogi Association, claiming that it was unjust for him to be penalized with a forfeit loss and a three-month suspension from matches for not wearing his mask properly during a shogi match. The Tokyo District Court ruled against his claim and dismissed the lawsuit. Professor Ichihara pointed out that although the Japan Shogi Association mandated mask-wearing at the time, the government's policy, which served as the basis for this rule, was merely a recommendation rather than a legal obligation. She further commented that treating a non-mandatory action as if it were a legal requirement and imposing sanctions accordingly risks excessively restricting individual freedoms.

On October 10, 2024, a comment of Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law on the Asahi Shimbun article, “Chinese Nationals in Japan Face Harassment from Chinese Authorities for Criticizing Their Homeland, Human Rights Organization Reports,” was published. This article discusses a report released by the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch, which documents cases of Chinese nationals in Japan who have faced threats and harassment from Chinese authorities after participating in protests and other activities critical of China. Professor Ichihara highlighted the significance of this investigation, emphasizing that it provides crucial evidence that surveillance and repression by the Chinese government extend beyond its borders and are occurring even in Japan. She further noted that these actions seriously violate academic freedom and freedom of expression and urged Japanese educational institutions to take the necessary measures in response.

On December 27, 2024, an article featuring Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law, who appeared on NHK’s World News 2024 program titled “Where Is Democracy Headed?”, was published. The program reflected on the global elections held in 2024 and discussed the future of democracy. In the first half of the program, the discussion focused on reviewing election trends across various regions and examining the impact of social media on elections. The second half shifted to exploring the fairness of elections. Professor Ichihara emphasized that ensuring free and fair elections requires the safeguarding of “civil liberties.” However, the program highlighted the ongoing suppression of media and civil society in many countries since the mid-2000s. Professor Ichihara further pointed out that while customs and norms have historically supported democratic institutions, the erosion of these “soft guardrails” poses a significant risk to the rapid weakening of democracy.  Professor Ichihara underscored the need to strengthen both “horizontal accountability” and “vertical accountability” across nations as key issues for the future of democracy. Finally, Professor Ichihara mentioned that it is necessary to avoid having democracy become entangled in the discourse of war, rather than discussing democracy in terms of the structure of conflict.

On January 8, 2025, an article titled "Protecting Pro-Democracy Activists from Persecution Based in Japan – A Network of Asian Researchers" appeared in the Chunichi Shimbun, introducing the press conference held in December of the previous year to announce the launch of the Democracy Advocates at Risk (DAR) program. The article highlights that DAR is a program designed to assist pro-democracy activists facing oppression in various Asian countries and regions by facilitating their relocation abroad and providing opportunities to continue their work as researchers or students. It emphasizes that this initiative is the first institutionalized effort of its kind in Asia. Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Institute for Global Governance Research, which serves as the secretariat for DAR, expressed her hopes for the program, stating, "I hope that as a society, we can accumulate shared experiences and develop networks that extend beyond individual connections to become collaborations between organizations."

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.