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On April 28, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher and professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “UN Special Rapporteur Appeals for Sanctions on Myanmar, Urges Japan to ’Play a Vital Role.’” This article discusses the UN Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews' recommendation to the Japanese government that ‘its role is important’ in light of the repression and airstrikes against civilians by the national military in Myanmar. Professor Ichihara suggested that the pattern of Japanese corporations making payments through ODA to parties who have been severely committed human rights violations needs to be revised, given the demand for respect for human rights from not only corporations but also the government as outlined in the "Action Plan on Business and Human Rights" formulated in 2020. Furthermore, the professor argued that since the resolution of the Myanmar problem, which is currently left to ASEAN, has not yielded significant progress, and it is assumed that Laos, the next chair country, will find it difficult to take a leadership role in this matter, more proactive Japanese government initiatives are urgently required.

On April 27, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher a­nd professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “Myanmar to Use Japanese ODA-Provided Passenger Ship for Military Use, Transporting Soldiers.” This article addresses the fact that a passenger ship provided by the Japanese government to Myanmar under its Official Development Assistance (ODA), which is limited to non-military fields, was used to transport soldiers a­nd weapons. Professor Ichihara commented that it was hypocritical for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to only issue an offer to Myanmar to prevent the recurrence of the use of passenger vessels for other purposes, as this does not completely break the link between ODA a­nd military involvement. The Professor further commented that the Japanese government, which has shown initiative in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but has shown reluctance in the mass murder of civilians by Myanmar's military, should respond proactively to the situation in Myanmar to demonstrate normative leadership in Asia as a major Asian power a­nd democracy.

On April 27, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher a­nd professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “Xi's "Peace a­nd Dialogue" with Zelensky, Foreshadowed Summit Meeting.” This article outlines the first audio conference after the Russian invasion between Chinese President Xi Jinping a­nd President Zelensky a­nd the significance of Xi's statement. Professor Ichihara pointed out that President Xi Jinping's consistent emphasis that China stands on the side of peace a­nd plays a role in promoting peace is only an ostensible position. As a reason, the professor cited China's continued support for Russia by sending out anti-US a­nd anti-NATO messages a­nd spreading disinformation a­nd propaganda. Therefore, Professor Ichihara said, it is an illusion a­nd cannot be expected that China will be a truly neutral mediator.

On April 26, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher and professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “The Russian People, Abandoning Their Authoritarian Homeland, and Their Feelings Toward Ukraine.” This article tells the story of a Russian who made an illustration critical of President Putin after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequently defected to Serbia for safety reasons. Professor Ichihara commented that those who, as Russians, opposed Putin's war were taken into custody, forced to flee abroad under suspicion or abandon their nationality, and that their suffering is unimaginable. The professor also assessed that the outflow of Russian intellectuals abroad due to the war and the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO are indicative of the negative effects of dictatorships.

On April 26, 2023, Professor Maiko Ichihara, Professor at the Graduate School of Law and School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University, and GGR Researcher, took part in “Nordic Talks Japan: How to Advocate for Peace and Democracy in the Digital World,” organized by Nordic Innovation House Tokyo. At the event, leading experts from Nordic countries and Japan discussed how digital technology can be used to promote peace and democracy. Professor Ichihara explained that the diffusion of digital technology has given citizens influence over international relations. While appreciating the value of social media as a forum for citizens to voice their opinions, the professor cautioned against the tendency for communication to be limited to those who hold homogeneous views. Finally, the professor pointed to the current use of AI technology for surveillance in authoritarian states and suggested that we should devise ways to use technology to protect citizens from state surveillance.

On April 4-5, 2023, GGR Researcher and the Dean of the School of International and Public Policy, Professor Nobumasa Akiyama, participated in the Second Meeting of the International Group of Eminent Persons for a World without Nuclear Weapons in Tokyo. Three Japanese and six foreign commissioners attended the session in person, and five foreign delegates joined the meeting online. At the conference, committee members from both nuclear weapons states and non-nuclear weapons states discussed the current security environment, the maintenance and strengthening of the NPT regime, and the situation surrounding the New START. The significance of summarizing the contents of the meeting as a concrete message was confirmed, focusing on maintaining and strengthening the norms, concrete nuclear disarmament, arms control, confidence-building measures, and measures to strengthen the NPT operational review process. The committee members who participated face-to-face also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and exchanged views with the union of diet members on disarmament-related issues.

On April 24, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher a­nd professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “Taiwanese Editor Lost Contact After Visit to China, Possibly Detained, Publishing Books Criticizing the Communist Party.” This article outlines the case of a Taiwan resident who was arrested in China. He was the editor-in-chief of Eight Banners Culture, a publisher of a book on the history of the Uyghur Autonomous Region in China a­nd overseas propaganda efforts exerted by the Chinese Government. Professor Ichihara commented that this incident indicates the Chinese Communist Party's intensified control over the media beyond mainland China. Citing instances of Hong Kong residents critical of the Chinese government fleeing to Taiwan, the professor stated that the CCP may be cautious about the connections between Hong Kong a­nd Taiwanese media personnel a­nd their influence on mainland China.

On April 20, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher and professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “Hong Kong Students Studying in Japan Arrested by the Hong Kong Police for Posting on the Internet.” This article reported a Hong Kong student studying in Japan who was arrested on suspicion of violation of Hong Kong National Security Law during a temporary return to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong police explained that she was arrested because of her online postings about Hong Kong independence violating the law. Professor Ichihara explained that with the Chinese government's increasing suppression, there are numerous cases of danger to the safety of those who are engaging in activities in other countries. The professor noted that Japan needs to take flexible approaches, including reviewing measures to support people's freedom in Japanese society. In addition, the professor stressed the necessity to raise issues with the Japanese government about the problem regarding arrests for speech activities in Japan and violations of sovereignty.

On April 18, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Dr. Maiko Ichihara, GGR researcher and professor of the Graduate School of Law at Hitotsubashi University. The professor commented on the article “Chinese police base operating in NY, two arrested, and "also in Europe and Japan", says NGO.” This article concerns the arrest of Chinese Americans at an alleged "overseas police stations " established in the U.S. by the Chinese government to monitor Chinese human rights activists. Professor Ichihara commented that criticism of CCP’s political repressive actions within China by democratic states is "naming and shaming," which does not constitute a violation of sovereignty, while surveillance by the Chinese government outside of China is a use of force that exceeds the scope of sovereignty and is a serious problem that starkly differs from "naming and shaming."

On March 15, 2023, Sascha Hannig Nuñez, GGR assistant and Chilean international analyst, gave a lecture at the University Finis Terrae on the recent re-election of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the its effects on the East Asian region as well as the democratic world. Over 260 students and affiliates of the University Finis Terrae attended the lecture and actively engaged with Ms. Hannig Nuñez’s regarding her explanation about China’s recent state affairs.