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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

European Stocks Edge Higher as Bond Yields Ease

European stocks moved modestly higher on Thursday, attempting to recover from a sharp weekly sell-off as easing global bond yields and cautious Federal Reserve commentary provided some relief to risk assets. The...

India Services PMI Rises to 54.1 as Hiring Accelerates

Indias services sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in August, although weak growth in new business kept activity close to its lowest levels in more than four years, according to a private-sector survey. The HSBC...

China Services PMI Beats Forecasts as Domestic Demand Improves

Chinas services sector expanded at a faster pace in August, as stronger business activity, rising new orders and continued employment growth pointed to a modest improvement in domestic demand. The RatingDog Services PMI...

Australia Trade Surplus Beats Forecasts in July as Exports Fall

Australias trade surplus exceeded market expectations in July, although it narrowed from the previous month as exports declined faster than imports, according to data released Thursday by the Australian Bureau of...

Asian Currencies Rise as Yen Surges on BOJ Rate Hike Bets

Asian currencies strengthened against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, led by a sharp rally in the Japanese yen as traders increased bets on a Bank of Japan rate hike and remained alert to possible currency intervention....

Politics

Lula Runs Cautious Brazil Election Campaign as Bolsonaro Narrows Poll Gap

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is taking an unusually cautious approach to his re-election campaign ahead of Brazils October election, as right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro closes the gap in opinion polls....

Texas Republicans Turn Against AI Data Centers as Election Backlash Grows

Texas Republicans are increasingly pushing for tougher AI data center regulations, highlighting a growing divide within the party as local opposition becomes a major issue ahead of the November elections. Texas Governor...

Pacific Islands Forum Seeks Unified Condemnation of China Missile Test

Pacific Islands Forum chair Surangel Whipps Jr. said Thursday he hopes the 18-member regional bloc can reach consensus on condemning Chinas recent ballistic missile test in the Pacific, as tensions between Beijing and...

Iran War Civilian Toll Rises After U.S. Strikes Hit Wedding

The renewed escalation of the Iran war has intensified concerns over civilian casualties after Iranian officials said 18 people were killed in the latest U.S. strikes, including four at a wedding near the Strait of Hormuz....

Maduro Seeks Dismissal of US Drug Trafficking Charges

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked a U.S. federal judge to dismiss drug trafficking charges against him, arguing that he is protected from prosecution by head-of-state immunity. Maduros lawyer, Barry...

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

Deutsche Telekom Shares Rise as Elliott Pushes Against T-Mobile Merger

Deutsche Telekom shares climbed on Thursday after reports that activist investor Elliott Investment Management had accumulated a significant stake in the German telecom giant and was pushing the company to reconsider a...

Thomson Reuters C-Track Cyberattack Hits Courts Across U.S. and Canada

A Thomson Reuters unit has disclosed a cybersecurity incident involving its C-Track court case management platform, affecting court systems across 11 U.S. states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. The company detected...

ByteDance Secures $29.6 Billion Loan to Boost AI Investment

ByteDance, the Chinese technology giant behind TikTok, has secured a $29.6 billion loan as it ramps up spending on artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing people familiar...

Microsoft to Reveal Azure Revenue in Major Reporting Shake-Up

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) plans to begin reporting standalone quarterly revenue for its Azure cloud business, giving investors greater visibility into one of the technology giants fastest-growing operations. The...

MongoDB Stock Sinks 14% as Atlas Growth Misses Expectations

MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB) shares plunged more than 14% in premarket trading Wednesday despite stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter 2027 results, as investors focused on the lack of growth acceleration in the companys...