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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

Asian Stocks Slide as Semiconductor Selloff Weighs on South Korea and Japan

Asian stock markets retreated on Thursday, led by sharp declines in South Korea and Japan as renewed selling in semiconductor stocks erased part of the previous sessions AI-driven gains. Investors turned cautious after...

Asian Currencies Hold Steady as US Dollar Nears Seven-Week Low Ahead of Key Jobs Data

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a seven-week low, with investors closely watching Middle East diplomatic developments and upcoming U.S. labor market data for clues on...

Gold Price Hits Seven-Week High as Fed Rate Hike Bets Fade and Hormuz Deal Hopes Grow

Gold prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday, reaching their highest level in seven weeks as easing concerns over global energy supplies weakened the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields. The rally was...

Australia Trade Surplus Returns in June as Iron Ore, Coal and LNG Exports Surge

Australias trade balance returned to a larger-than-expected surplus in June, driven by strong exports of iron ore, coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and non-monetary gold, according to data released Thursday by the...

Singapore Says One-Third of U.S. Exports Hit by New 12.5% Tariff

Singapore said around one-third of its exports to the United States will be affected by a new 12.5% U.S. tariff introduced on July 24, with Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong estimating the impacted shipments at S$9.5 billion...

Politics

Russia Intensifies Drone and Bomb Attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Deepening Civilian Fear

Russia has intensified its aerial assault on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, leaving residents facing growing danger as drone and glide bomb attacks become more frequent. The escalating strikes have...

Russian Strikes Kill Six in Eastern and Northern Ukraine, Dozens Injured

Russian attacks across several regions of Ukraine killed at least six people and injured dozens overnight, as rescue teams continued emergency operations on Thursday, according to Ukrainian authorities. In the eastern city...

Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary, Sets Up Key Midterm Showdown

Abdul El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination for Michigans U.S. Senate race, positioning himself for a closely watched general election against Republican Mike Rogers in November. The victory marks a significant moment...

U.S. Unseals Charges Against Five Alleged CJNG Leaders, Raises Reward for New Cartel Chief

The U.S. Justice Department has unsealed criminal charges against five alleged senior members of Mexicos Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), intensifying Washingtons crackdown on one of the worlds most powerful drug...

Mark Carney Jokes About Teleprompter, Takes Swipe at Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made light of a teleprompter malfunction during a housing policy news conference on Wednesday, using the unexpected interruption to take a subtle jab at U.S. President Donald Trump....

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

SoftBank Q1 Profit Beats Forecast as Intel Rally and OpenAI Investments Boost Returns

SoftBank Group (TYO: 9984) reported a stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter profit despite higher operating and financing costs, supported by massive investment gains from Intel and its Vision Fund portfolio. For the...

DeepSeek to Raise AI API Prices as Demand for New Models Surges

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has announced plans to significantly increase the pricing of its API services as demand for its latest AI models continues to grow. The company revealed the upcoming change...

SK Hynix, Samsung Lead Asian Chip Stock Selloff After Sandisk, Western Digital Outlook

Shares of SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics tumbled on Thursday, leading a broad decline in Asian memory chip stocks after earnings guidance from Sandisk and Western Digital failed to meet investors high expectations. SK...

Alphabet Stock Slides as Google AI Pioneer Jeff Dean Exits to Launch Discovery Loop

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares dropped as much as 5.4% during Thursdays session after news emerged that longtime Google AI leader Jeff Dean is leaving the company to launch a new artificial intelligence startup, adding to...

Western Digital Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as FY2027 Outlook Tops Expectations

Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, surpassing Wall Street estimates for both earnings and revenue while issuing an optimistic outlook for the first...