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Taku Tamaki

Lecturer in International Relations, Loughborough University

Taku Tamaki is a Lecturer in International Relations, specialising in the international political dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region. After gaining his PhD at Aberystwyth, he was Research Fellow at the Institute of Asian Cultural Studies at International Christian University in Tokyo, and taught International Relations at Plymouth before moving to Loughborough in 2007. He has taught a wide range of courses on international politics and international political economy, including International Relations Theory, the United Nations and International Organisations, The Asia-Pacific in Global Politics, and the International Political Economy of the Asia-Pacific Region.

Having spent four years as a US Treasuries broker at Cantor Fitzgerald (Tokyo office), he brings first-hand experience of political economy to the classroom, having experienced the market turmoil immediately following the announcement of the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995.

Taku is interested in applying the concepts of International Relations and Social Theory to the international political-economic dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region. His main focus is on Japanese foreign policy in East Asia, spanning both Tokyo’s diplomatic- and economic relations with Asia and the US.

His current research investigates the images of Asia in contemporary Japanese foreign- and economic policy pronouncements. Here, he explores how policy elites understand and explain Asia as both a threat and opportunity—an interpretation that transcends both the past and present. He is also looking into Japan’s soft power projection in Western Europe, researching on the way Japanese government perceives its political- and economic activities in the EU and the UK.

He has published in leading journals in international relations and the international politics of the Asia-Pacific, including The Pacific Review, International Relations, and the International Relations of the Asia-Pacific.

Global Geopolitics Series

Caught between Trump and Kim, Japan is nervous and alone

Sep 11, 2017 14:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views

North Koreas nuclear test, by far its largest, came less than a week after it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew over northern Japan, triggering a national text-message system known as the...

Japan has turned its culture into a powerful political tool

Apr 26, 2017 07:49 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Much has been made of Japans recent turn away from pacifism and growing military muscle, but Tokyo is also extending its global reach in more subtle ways. Japan is especially serious about increasing its soft power, the...

An ageing emperor steps down – and leaves Japan at an awkward crossroads

Aug 10, 2016 15:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Emperor Akihitos recent statement to the Japanese nation had been anticipated for some time, but it was nonetheless a startling moment. Akihito refrained from uttering the a-word, but the message was clear: he wants to...

Obama's Hiroshima visit was hugely momentous – and bitterly ironic

May 27, 2016 16:03 pm UTC| Insights & Views

After accepting an invitation from the Japanese government, Barack Obama has become the first sitting president of the US to visit Hiroshima, the site of the first ever atomic bombing. Speaking in front of the Hiroshima...

Economy

German 2-Year Yield Hits 2023 High as Rate Hike Bets Rise

German short-term borrowing costs climbed sharply on Tuesday as investors increased bets that major central banks will keep monetary policy restrictive to combat energy-driven inflation. Germanys policy-sensitive two-year...

US Futures Fall as Fed Meeting, Oil Surge Rattle Markets

U.S. stock futures moved lower Tuesday as investors prepared for the Federal Reserves two-day policy meeting while escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices above $105 a barrel and lifted Treasury yields. Dow...

UK Wage Growth Slows as BoE Rate Decision Looms

Britains labour market remained weak heading into the Bank of Englands latest interest rate decision, with job vacancies falling to a four-year low and wage growth staying subdued. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses...

Japanese Yen Retreats as Dollar Rises Ahead of Fed, BOJ Rate Decisions

The Japanese yen weakened further on Tuesday, retreating from a seven-month high as investors prepared for key interest rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan later this week. USD/JPY climbed 0.24% to...

China Industrial Output Beats Forecasts as Exports Support Growth

Chinas industrial production grew faster than expected in August, supported by resilient overseas demand for Chinese exports even as other indicators pointed to continued weakness across the worlds second-largest economy....

Politics

Ukraine Races to Counter Russia’s Faster Jet-Powered Drones

Ukraine is scrambling to develop new air-defense weapons as Russia dramatically expands its use of fast, jet-powered attack drones that are proving difficult for existing interceptor systems to defeat. A Ukrainian military...

What is Zionism? The different meanings of a contested term

Haverford, a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, has become the latest U.S. school to settle a lawsuit over how it handled allegations of antisemitism. In a statement on Aug. 7, 2026, its president, Wendy Raymond,...

Lula, Flavio Bolsonaro Deadlocked in Brazil Election Polls

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro are locked in a statistical tie in potential runoff matchups ahead of Brazils presidential election next month, according to two polls...

Judge Blocks Trump Rule Limiting Foreign Student Visas

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a new immigration rule that would restrict how long foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists can remain in the United States without seeking...

Trump Rejects Calls for Tougher AI Regulation

President Donald Trump pushed back against growing calls for stricter AI regulation on Monday, arguing that the United States already has sufficient safeguards to police artificial intelligence companies and prevent...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Rosenblatt Starts Nokia at Buy on AI Networking Growth

Rosenblatt initiated coverage of Nokia with a Buy rating and a $15 price target, citing the companys growing exposure to artificial intelligence infrastructure and strong position in optical networking. Analyst Mike...

MediaTek Unveils 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro AI Chip

Taiwans MediaTek has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone processors, including its first chip manufactured with TSMCs advanced 2-nanometre technology, as the company pushes deeper into premium handsets and on-device...

Qualcomm Gains on $60B Amazon AI Chip Deal

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) has emerged as one of the strongest performers in Investing.coms AI-powered Strategies portfolio after securing a major artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership with Amazon Web Services....

Cathie Wood Backs AI Slowdown as Safety Concerns Grow

ARK Investment Management founder Cathie Wood has welcomed calls from leading artificial intelligence executives to slow the rapid advancement of AI technology, arguing that greater scrutiny could help protect the industry...

Big AI wants to slow down AI research. Is it a safety pause or a strategic retreat?

Over the weekend, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei called for artificial intelligence (AI) companies, including his own, to slow down their work. Sam Altman and Elon Musk, heads of rivals OpenAI and xAI respectively,...