The spread of SNS and changes in democracy in the politics of Southeast Asian countries and Japan

Fumio Nagai got a bachelor’s degree from Kyoto University in 1990. He pursued Thai political history at Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University. After working at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University as research associate, currently he is a Professor at Graduate School of Law, Osaka Metropolitan University. His research interest covers Thai politics, local governance in Southeast Asia, international relations in Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia. His major publication includes Changing Local Government and Governance in Southeast Asia (co-editor), JETRO-IDE, 2012 [in Japanese], Local Government in Thailand (co-editor), IDE-JETRO, 2008, Quantitative Analysis of Local Governance in Southeast Asia: Local Elite Surveys in Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia (co-editor), Koyo Shobo, Kyoto, 2019 [in Japanese], etc.

Masaaki Okamoto is mainly working on local and urban politics in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia. Another focus is the rise of digital politics in Southeast Asia. Recent publications include the books: Local Governance of Peatland Restoration in Riau, Indonesia: A Transdisciplinary Analysis. (Springer: New York). 335p (edited with Takamasa Osawa, Wahyu Prasetyawan and Akhwan Binawan)(2023), Indonesia at the Crossroads: Transformation and Challenges. (Yogyakarta and Kyoto: UGM Press, Kyoto University Press and Pacific Press), 420p (edited with Jafar Suryomenggolo) (2023) and articles: Politics of New Tools in Post-truth Indonesia: Big Data, AI and Micro Targeting, Made Supriatma and Hui Yew-Foong eds., The Jokowi-Prabowo Elections 2.0 (Singapore: ISEAS Publishing)(2022), pp. 67-89, Non-state Violence and Political Order in Democratized Indonesia IN Atsushi Yasutomi, Rosalie Arcala Hall, and Saya Kiba eds. Pathways for Irregular Forces in Southeast Asia: Mitigating Violence with the Nonstate Armed Groups (New York: Routledge)(2022), pp.50-72.

Tsukasa Iga is specializing in political science and area studies. He holds a PhD in political science from Kobe University. His publications include “Marēshia ni okeru media tōsei to yotō UMNO no kigen: Datsushokuminchiki no Marēgo jānarizumu to seiji kenryoku (The Origins of Media Control and the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in Malaysia: Malay Journalism and Political Power in the Decolonization Era),” published in Tonan Asia Kenkyu, Vol. 55, No. 1, 2017, and “Rôle des médias et montée de l’Internet dans la démocratisation de la Malaisie de l’après-Mahathir 2003–2013 (Media and politics in post-Mahathir Malaysia: The political roles of media in a transitional society 2003–2013),” in Malaisie contemporaine, edited by David Delfolie, Nathalie Fau, and Elsa Lafaye de Micheaux (Paris: Irasec et Les Indes Savantes, 2021).

Wataru Kusaka specialises in political science and Philippine area studies. Completed the doctoral programme at the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, with a dissertation on the politics of anti-citizenship. Author of ‘Anti-Citizenship Politics: Democracy and Morality in the Philippines’ (Hosei University Press, 2013), ‘Authoritarian Politics in Southeast Asia in the 21st Century: The Arrival of the “Strongman” Era’ (Akashi Shoten, 2021), ‘The Philippine Crust (Kadensha, 2023), and The Philippines: Hope and Agony of ‘Reincarnation’ (tentative title) (Iwanami Shoten, scheduled for publication in September 2025).

Kazunori Kawakami became a full-time lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Keio University in 1998, and an associate professor at the Faculty of Law, Kanazawa University in 1999 before joining the GSIS at Tohoku University. He earned a Ph.D. in Information Sciences from Tohoku University.

His research interests in political science and Japanese politics. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, he has been researching the political process in disaster areas and electoral governance in crisis.

He received the 37th Telecommunications Advancement Foundation Award for “Denshi Tohyo to Nihon no Senkyo Governance (Electronic Voting and Electoral Governance in Japan, Keio University Press).”

After graduating from the Faculty of Letters at Sophia University, Itsu Adachi spent 35 years working on international cooperation projects in developing countries at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He was particularly involved in post-war reconstruction and development support in Southeast Asia, especially in Cambodia. He also led cross-sector initiatives such as the use of science and technology innovation and DX in development projects. Since June 2020, he has been in charge of projects at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, including support for peace-building in the Asian region, labour migration issues, the realisation of multi-ethnic societies, Japan-China exchange, the promotion of understanding of the Middle East and Islam, gender equality, and the economic empowerment of women through the creation of an ecosystem for impact investment and support for entrepreneurs.

After graduating from the Department of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tokyo in March 1990, Nobuyuki Konishi joined NEC Corporation. He worked for 5 years in the Personnel Department of NEC.

Then he joined the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where he worked for 27 years on international cooperation projects in developing countries over the world. He was involved in formulation and implementation of development cooperation projects in Southeast Asia in the fields of higher education and vocational training.

He has also been involved in private sector finance and investment projects for social business in developing countries.

Since April 2022, he has been working for the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), where heis engaged in management of international cooperation and exchange projects with the Asian region, particularly South and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Graduated from the Department of Persian (Turkish) at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and completed a postgraduate course at Ochanomizu University. After working at the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDEAS), Sachiyo Ito studied at the University of Wales, UK. After working for the Engineering Consulting Firms Association (ECFA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), she has been working at The Sasakawa Peace Foundation since August 2022, engaging in international exchange and dialogue projects with Southeast Asian and South Asian countries.

Completed master’s program at the Faculty of International Culture, Graduate School of Intercultural Studies (Latin America), Kobe University in September 2020. Kaoru Kajigayama worked as a cultural officer at the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica. After working in NGO, engaging in international exchange and dialogue projects with Southeast Asian and South Asian countries since July 2023.

Graduated from the Department of Social Policy & Development in the Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University, Thailand (2021). Maho Okumura joined The Sasakawa Peace Foundation in September of the same year and worked in the Human Resources Section of the General Affairs Department. In 2024, transferred to the Strategic Dialogue and Exchange Program, where she is in charge of Thailand and engaging in political dialogue projects between Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as assisting with expert and youth exchange projects with the Middle East.