Events category: Webinar

13 March 2025

Media in Japan: The Fuji TV Scandal

Fuji TV, one of Japan’s largest broadcasters, is currently in crisis. High-profile companies have pulled advertising from the network, which has been criticised for trying to cover up sexual misconduct allegations against one of its former star presenters. The Fuji scandal has revived the discussion about whether corporate governance in Japan’s media industry lacks awareness of human rights and gender equality. In this webinar, moderated by Mariko Oi of BBC News, the panellists explored the fundamental issues behind the scandal, including human rights, governance, gender inequality and the working environment in Japan. They also discussed what can be done to address these issues in the media industry.

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27 February 2025

平野丸の悲劇とウェールズの善意の人々

平野丸（日本郵船）は、三菱の長崎造船所で建造され、1908年に日本とロンドンを結ぶ欧州定期航路に就航しました。1914年に第一次大戦が勃発し、日本が連合国陣営で参戦すると、日本の商船もドイツ帝国海軍の潜水艦（Uボート）による攻撃対象となり、1918年、英国リバプールから横浜に向かっていた平野丸は、英国のウェールズ沖で、ドイツの潜水艦（Uボート）に撃沈され沈没しました。乗客と乗組員計240人のうち210人が死亡しました。ウェールズの沿岸に流れ着いた多くの遺体は、地元の住民により引き上げられ、手厚く葬られました。沈没から１００年後、ウェールズの善意の人々は過去を忘れず、遠い日本の犠牲者を弔おうと立ち上がり、新たな慰霊碑を建立しました。本ウェビナーでは、島崎淳氏が平野丸の悲劇と乗客らの群像、第一次世界大戦と日本のかかわり、ウェールズ住民の善意ある行動など、両国での調査や取材を通して見えてきたことについて語ります。

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23 January 2025

Okinawa’s Military Bases and the US–Japan Alliance

Okinawa has one of the heaviest concentrations of US military bases in the world. The relocation of the US Marine base to Henoko in northern Okinawa is framed by Japanese politicians and some analysts as crucial to “deterrence”. Critics, on the other hand, argue that deterrence is merely a pretext used by the central government in Tokyo to perpetuate a political agenda that discriminates against Okinawans. In this webinar moderated by Professor Heigo Sato, Dr Paul O’Shea will analyse the deterrence claims made by relocation proponents from the perspective of various factors including the capabilities of the US marines and their credibility, and the potential impact on the long-term resiliency of the US–Japan alliance.　

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19 November 2024

A New Trump Presidency - The Implications for US-Japan Relations

Following a fiercely contested campaign in which opinions have been sharply polarised, former President Donald Trump has been elected to be the 47th president of the United States. Donald Trump’s election victory will have profound implications for the world order and the future of relations between the US and other countries, including Japan. In this seminar, moderated by Gideon Rachman, the panelists discussed how US domestic and foreign policies are likely to shift after the election, and the implications for the future of the international order and US relations with Japan.

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31 October 2024

The Impact of the US Presidential Election on the International Order

The 2024 US presidential election is expected to have a significant impact on the international order. The outcome of the election may have great implications for the ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, US policy towards China, and the US’s relations with its traditional allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. In this webinar, chaired by Philip Shetler-Jones, the speakers will present their views on the impact of the election on the international order, with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region and the implications for Japan.

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21 May 2024

Taiwan and China: Implications for the World

Recently, Taipei condemned China as “shameless” after Beijing thanked the world for its concern about a powerful earthquake in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government also rebuffed an offer of help extended by Beijing. China continues to claim Taiwan as its territory. To Taipei, Beijing’s communist government has never ruled the island and has no say in how it chooses its leaders. In the medium to long term, the world had better be prepared to respond to attempts to alter the situation by various means, including economic sanctions, political manoeuvres, diplomatic pressure and even military confrontation. How should the alliance between the US and Asian countries, along with European nations, support Taiwan, their fellow democracy?

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4 April 2024

Democracy and Human Rights in Hong Kong

In this webinar, moderated by Bill Emmott, Nathan Law discussed political developments in Hong Kong and the implications for democracy worldwide, with a focus on the 2019 anti-extradition protests, the impact of the 2020 National Security Law, and subsequent political developments. Does the NSL undermine Hong Kong’s judicial system and civil society?  Prof. Eva Pils discussed the struggle for human rights in Hong Kong, focusing on the 2020 National Security Law and impending ‘Article 23’ legislation. Prof. Kamikubo discussed how the Japanese government views the political developments unfolding in Hong Kong, and how the arrest of Chow, who had been appealing to the Japanese public in her fluent Japanese, was received in Japan.

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24 April 2024

[Webinar] Establishing Facts

We are now living in a “Post-Truth Era”. People can no longer trust information on a variety of media, especially social media, which spread a tide of disinformation. With the advent of generative AI, it is becoming even more difficult to tell what is true and what is false. Fact-checking is becoming increasingly important as democracy depends on an informed citizenry, and if we cannot agree on the basic facts, societies face a risk of collapse. In this webinar, moderated by Jack Goodman, Eliot Ward Higgins and Prof. Maiko Ichihara discussed why fact finding is important.

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1 February 2024

BBC が伝えてきたこと

英国最大の公共サービス放送BBCが視聴者にどのような番組を放送・配信し、社会の中でどのような位置づけになっているのかを国外から知るのは容易ではありません。どの国の放送局も制作したコンテンツは、原則国内でのみ視聴できるようになっているからです。BBCは時として「国営」と間違って紹介されることもありますが、視聴世帯から放送受信料を徴収して活動する「公共放送」であり、社会を構成する「みんなのもの」です。 本ウェビナーでは、小林恭子氏をお招きし、開局から約100年、BBCが伝えてきたことを辿りながら、公共放送やメディアの未来を考えました。

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23 November 2023

Global Conflicts and Japan's Energy Security

Recent global conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars have had major consequences for the present international order and the energy security of many countries, including Japan. The Israel-Hamas war and its potential for escalation may impact the Middle East region and its relations with counties like Japan, putting its energy supplies at risk. In this webinar, moderated by Dan Marks, Professor Koichiro Tanaka from Keio University discussed the impact of global conflicts amid possible concerns about Japan’s energy security.

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