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On December 3, 2023, Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law commented on the Tokyo Shimbun article, "Military Regime Begins to Collapse: Dissatisfaction with Japan Expressed by Myanmar's Pro-democracy "Foreign Minister" during her Visit to Japan." The article discusses the visit to Japan in November by Zin Ma Aung, Foreign Minister of the National Unity Government (NUG), which was formed by democratic groups to oppose the military, which staged a coup in February 2021. Professor Ichihara noted that the visit of Myanmar's pro-democracy Foreign Minister to Japan plays a positive role in reporting the current situation of Myanmar and raising awareness about the country in Japan. She then commented that to achieve stability in Myanmar, the Japanese government needs to have a dialogue not only with the military but also with the NUG and ethnic minorities. She hopes that the Japanese government will establish relations with the NUG, even informally, to activate diplomacy to solve the Myanmar issue.

On December 10, 2023, the Asahi Shimbun published an interview with Professor Naoto Ikegai of the Graduate School of Law regarding the article “'Foreign Law, but Not Foreign Law,' The Global Impact of the EU's AI Law." The article discusses how the European Union's agreement on AI legislation, the first in the world to comprehensively regulate artificial intelligence (AI), will affect the world through the implementation of the law. Professor Ikegai explained that the EU's newly agreed AI law is the first law to regulate a wide range of AI applications, including generative AI, and will affect a variety of products and services in the real space using AI, not just in the digital space. He noted that the success of this advanced AI law is largely due to its "risk-based" approach, which allows for flexibility in the form of regulation depending on the magnitude of the risk, and noted that the challenge will be how to address specific issues in the future and make it effective. In conclusion, he said that while each country faces common issues, the United States is also moving forward to address AI risks by applying a certain degree of discipline through laws and regulations, and it is time for Japan to proceed with discussions on a system based on the premise of establishing a certain legal framework.

On November 24, 2023, Keio Center for Strategy presented a video of a dialogue program entitled "Is Democracy in Decline? Implications for the Indo-Pacific Regional Order,” a video of a dialogue program featuring Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law. The dialogue program discusses the present and future of global democracy and its implications for the Indo-Pacific region. Professor Ichihara noted that since 2006 there has been a phenomenon known as "democratic recession" and that the Indo-Pacific region is unique in that it is home to different types of political regimes, ranging from outright dictatorships such as North Korea and China to relatively resilient democracies such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. She also noted that influence operations by authoritarian countries, which seek to distort information to persuade other countries to take action or change policy, are only considered effective when the target country's society is divided. She pointed out that China and Russia are the main actors in influence operations, but that the two countries tend to use very different methods, and that the recent spread of disinformation about the discharge of treated water in Japan suggests that China is increasingly using methods similar to those used by Russia. She further commented that while there are many things Japan can do to defend democracy against influence operations, one of the most important things for Japanese society and the Japanese government to do is to successfully bridge the divide, not only in Japanese society but also in the societies of other countries.

On November 11, 2023, Professor Maiko Ichihara from the Graduate School of Law gave a talk at the "2023 GCTF Media Literacy Forum." The forum aims to explore effective strategies on how democracies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Taiwan, the United States, Australia, and Japan, can work together globally to foster democratic resilience in the face of information threats such as disinformation and misinformation. Professor Ichihara discussed the impact of Chinese and Russian disinformation on recent social issues in Japan, using statistical data on the sources of disinformation, forms, and characteristics of influence, current government countermeasures, and the need for future cross-border cooperation.

On December 4, 2023, Berlingske published comments by Democracy and Human Rights Program Visiting Fellow Chihhao Yu in the article "Outlandish Conspiracy Theories and False Rumors Are China's New Weapon" in the newspaper Berlingske. The article writes about a global network of influencers, media, and young people who hope to make people love Beijing and fear the United States through outlandish conspiracy theories and misinformation, and no one feels this more than the Taiwanese and then discusses four issues in particular that are vulnerable. Based on his research on Chinese misinformation, fake news, and propaganda through extensive data collection, Mr. Yu said that China's attempts to influence Taiwan by manipulating information through digital platforms and social media are massive. He also commented that China is the largest foreign power in information manipulation and that Taiwan's experience is something the world can learn from.

On November 3, 2023, Professor Maiko Ichihara of the Graduate School of Law commented on the Asahi Shimbun article, "Jail Sentence for SNS Posting During Study in Japan: Hong Kong Court Sentences for Inciting National Disunity.” This article is about a university student studying in Japan who was convicted of inciting national division and sentenced to two months in prison by a Hong Kong court for posting support for Hong Kong independence on a social networking site. Professor Ichihara stated that even if the university had judged the student's social networking posts to be radical, it was irresponsible for the university not to issue a statement protesting the fact that the student had been sentenced to prison for posts made based on freedom of thought and speech. She also pointed out that it was a clear violation of sovereignty to apply the National Security Law to words and actions in Japan and that the Japanese government should announce clear measures to protect the dignity and safety of Hong Kong residents working within the Japanese territory.

On November 1, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara at the Graduate School of Law on the article titled, "Myanmar's Ethnic Minority Militants are on the Offensive in North-Eastern Myanmar, with the Occupation of Many Military Bases and Other Locations." This article is about the increased attacks on the army in northeastern Myanmar in October by three ethnic minority armed groups who are trying to end dictatorship. Professor Ichihara stated that the National Unity Government (NUG) has been trying to encourage soldiers leave the Myanmar army and that the number of security forces, soldiers, and police deserting the army is increasing. She points out that this is partly due to the junta's failure to pay insurance benefits to junior officers, and the forced purchase of shares in military companies, which has lowered the morale of the army, and that the recent offensive by ethnic minority armed groups in the northeast of the country will detemrine Myanmar's future.

On October 25, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara at the Graduate School of Law to the article titled, "No Matter Who is the Next President, China is the Top Priority, and the U.S. Cannot Afford a ‘Multi-Pronged Strategy.’" This article is about President Biden, who is running for a second term, and what he said in his address to the nation about competition with China, which will be a major challenge for the United States to lead the next international order in the face of growing authoritarianism and shaken democracy both at home and abroad. Professor Ichihara pointed out that Japan, which has been dependent on the U.S. since the end of World War II, must play a proactive role in stabilizing the international order as the relative power of the U.S. declines. She then commented on the importance of each Japanese person seeing this as his or her personal matter and striving to become an innovator without fear of risk.

On October 25, 2023, Asahi Shimbun introduced a comment by Professor Maiko Ichihara at the Graduate School of Law on the article titled, "‘Foreign Languages are the Gateway’ According to the President of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), the Reason for Accepting the Afghan Teacher." This article is about TUFS' acceptance of Hasibullah Mowahed, who studied at TUFS, as a temporary faculty member. Professor Ichihara pointed out that TUFS's willingness to help others, even at the cost of time and money, is essential for developing true diversity and social problem-solving skills. On the other hand, she commented that such activities require a great deal of effort and that government support is needed to prevent university professors from becoming worn out.

Hitotsubashi University's Integrated Report was published on 24 October 2023. It included a discussion between Vice President Atsushi Yamada and Professor Maiko Ichihara (Assistant Vice President) on "Hitotsubashi Should Become a Supporting Force of the World." In this discussion, they discuss Hitotsubashi University's international strategy, its achievements, and the direction it should take in the future. The two professors emphasizes that Hitotsubashi University's international strategy and international exchange should focus on producing human resources who will be responsible for world peace and order in the long term, the university itself contributing to the sustainability of world order, and playing a role as a hub for social sciences in Asia, while maintaining and developing the three pillars of diversification, networking, and online access.