Research Project for Risks in the Information Sphere
Purpose
The objectives of the project are to enhance understanding of the situation surrounding information warfare and to develop effective countermeasures, strategies, and ways of international cooperation. The research project started in FY2023 and is scheduled to run for three years. "Hybrid warfare," which represents modern methods of warfare, involves information warfare conducted during peacetime with the aim of disturbing and weakening society through the manipulation of information. In this project, we will (1) monitor the information space and create infographics to inform and warn about the situation of information warfare, and (2) conduct comparative research on the measures taken by each country against information warfare. Subsequent to employing pilot tests during the process of developing tools for countermeasures, we will make policy recommendations on effective measures and ways to facilitate international cooperation to address information warfare. As part of "information space monitoring," we will conduct "crawling," or collect and analyze social media content, and monitor information spaces such as news databases, Twitter (X), and Yahoo comment sections to visualize where disinformation is being disseminated in the world. For development of "information warfare response tools," we will collect information on countermeasures against information warfare, particularly focusing on Taiwan, as well as the United States, United Kingdom, and others in order to contribute to the development of effective tools in Japan. Further, the research group will study and make recommendations on strategies for international cooperation. In addition to conducting research sessions among the members, the group will conduct awareness-raising activities including publishing articles in online-media and newspapers and magazines, holding public and closed seminars, disseminating information in Japanese and English on the Nakasone Peace Institute website, and organizing opportunities to brief members of the media.
Members (honorifics omitted)
- Chairman：Osawa Jun, Senior Fellow, Nakasone Peace Institute
- Kawaguchi Takahisa, Principal Researcher, Tokio Marine dR Co., Ltd.
- Miyazaki Yoko, Director, Kreab K.K. / Ex-Senior Research Fellow, SmartNews Media Research Institute
- Fuse Satoru, Executive Chief Fellow, Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies
- Tsuchiya Takahiro, Associate Professor, Kyoto University of Advanced Science
- Mochinaga Dai, Associate Professor, Shibaura Institute of Technology
- Nagasako Tomoko, Research Fellow, Information-technology Promotion Agency
- Suzuki Ryohei, Doctoral Course Student, Hitotsubashi University
- Kawanishi Yohei, Research Fellow, Nakasone Peace Institute
- Yasue Mariko, Senior Research Fellow, Nakasone Peace Institute
Study Group Activities
1st meeting June 25, 2025
Theme： China's Narratives Toward Japan, and Malign Influence and Disinformation on Okinawa/Ryukyu
Reporter: Yasue Mariko, Senior Research Fellow, Nakasone Peace Institute
July 18, 2025
Theme： Japan's Resilience in Hybrid Warfare - Exchange of Views with Center for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS),
Joint Research Meeting with Maritime Security Study Group
2nd meeting July 23, 2025
Theme： Foreign Malign Influence on SNS space in Japan's House of Councilor's Elections
*This study is funded by a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for research and study on diplomacy and security projects adopted in FY2023.