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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

BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Grow as Board Member Signals Hawkish Stance

Bank of Japan (BOJ) board member Kazuyuki Masu signaled growing support for an interest rate hike, stating that the central bank should act quickly if Japans economy shows no clear signs of slowing down. His comments have...

Dollar Gains as Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

The U.S. dollar strengthened on Thursday as rising Treasury yields fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates later this year. Investors also closely monitored the high-profile summit between...

Havana Protests Erupt as Cuba Faces Severe Blackouts and Fuel Crisis

Protests spread across Havana on Wednesday night as Cuba struggled through its worst electricity crisis in decades, with residents enduring rolling blackouts linked to an ongoing fuel shortage and tightened U.S. sanctions....

Asian Currencies Steady as Trump-Xi Summit, Inflation Concerns Boost Dollar

Asian currencies traded cautiously on Thursday as global investors closely monitored the high-profile meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the same time, persistent inflation...

Trump, Xi Begin High-Stakes China Summit Focused on Trade, Taiwan and Global Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a great leader and close friend as the two leaders opened a major summit in Beijing aimed at stabilizing U.S.-China relations amid rising geopolitical and...

Politics

Macron Faces Political Test Over Bank of France Nomination Ahead of 2027 Election

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing mounting political pressure as lawmakers prepare to vote next week on the appointment of his former chief of staff, Emmanuel Moulin, as the next governor of the Bank of France....

Nvidia’s China AI Chip Sales Remain Frozen Despite U.S. Approval

Nvidias efforts to expand AI chip sales in China remain stalled even after the U.S. approved several Chinese technology giants to purchase the companys H200 processors. Although around 10 Chinese firms, including Alibaba,...

Elon Musk’s China Influence Faces New Challenges Amid Rising EV Competition

Elon Musk continues to hold a powerful yet increasingly complicated position in China as Tesla faces growing pressure from local electric vehicle manufacturers and tighter scrutiny from Chinese regulators. Despite...

Taiwan Independence Debate: China, U.S., and Taipei Tensions Explained

Chinas President Xi Jinping recently warned that disagreements over Taiwan could seriously damage U.S.-China relations, once again placing the Taiwan independence issue at the center of global politics. Taiwan, officially...

Japan Considers Extra Budget Aid Amid Rising Fuel and Utility Costs

Japans government is considering compiling a supplementary budget to help households struggling with rising gasoline and utility prices as the ongoing Middle East crisis continues to fuel uncertainty in global energy...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Alibaba Stock Surges After Strong Q4 Earnings Boosted by AI and Cloud Growth

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (HK:9988) saw its Hong Kong-listed shares jump sharply on Thursday after the Chinese e-commerce and technology giant reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings driven by strong momentum in...

SoftBank Shares Slide Despite Record Q4 Profit Fueled by OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares dropped sharply on Thursday despite the company reporting blockbuster fourth-quarter earnings, as investors grew increasingly concerned about the Japanese tech giants expanding...

OpenAI Finds No Evidence of User Data Breach in TanStack npm Supply-Chain Attack

OpenAI confirmed on Wednesday that it found no evidence suggesting user data was compromised following a security incident linked to the TanStack npm package, a widely used open-source JavaScript library. The issue stemmed...

SK Hynix Nears $1 Trillion Market Value Amid South Korea’s AI-Driven Stock Market Surge

SK Hynix is rapidly approaching a historic $1 trillion market capitalization, only weeks after Samsung Electronics achieved the same milestone. The remarkable rise highlights South Koreas growing dominance in the global...

Cisco Restructures for AI Growth After Record Q3 Revenue

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced a major business restructuring focused on artificial intelligence and high-growth technology sectors after reporting record third-quarter revenue that exceeded Wall Street...