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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

OPEC+ Expected to Hold November Oil Output Quotas Steady

OPEC+ is expected to keep oil production quotas unchanged for November as the ongoing Middle East conflict continues to disrupt crude supplies from several major producers, according to Bloomberg. Seven key members of the...

High Rates Weigh on U.S. Home Improvement Demand

Uncertainty over interest rates, energy prices, housing affordability and geopolitical risks is pressuring the U.S. home improvement industry in 2026, with Citi analysts warning that sluggish conditions could extend into...

Scope Warns US Debt Could Hit 160% of GDP

Scope Ratings warned that the United States is becoming increasingly vulnerable to shifts in investor sentiment as persistent budget deficits drive government debt and interest costs higher. The European credit ratings...

Bank of America Sees EUR/USD at 1.15 by Year-End

Bank of America expects the euro to strengthen against the U.S. dollar over the coming year, forecasting EUR/USD will reach 1.15 by the end of this year before climbing to 1.20 by the end of 2027, according to a research...

G20 Divided Over US Push to Curb Industrial Overcapacity

A U.S.-led effort to tackle excess industrial capacity and non-market economic policies failed to secure unanimous support from Group of 20 trade ministers, highlighting persistent divisions among the worlds major...

Politics

Bosnia Election Puts EU Bid and Foreign Influence in Focus

Bosnians voted Sunday in national and regional elections that could shape the countrys European Union membership ambitions and the influence of the United States and Russia in the Balkan nation. Voters are choosing members...

Iran Keeps Strait of Hormuz Closed as War Talks Stall

Iran said Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington accepts seven conditions tied to the Islamabad Memorandum, as negotiations to end the seven-month U.S.-Israeli war with Iran remain deadlocked....

Russia Strikes Kyiv Bridge as Ukraine Infrastructure Attacks Escalate

Russian forces targeted Kyivs Pivnichnyi Bridge with a drone for a second straight day on Sunday, intensifying attacks on critical infrastructure across Ukraine as fighting continued in several regions. Ukrainian President...

Merz Pledges €1 Billion in Ukraine Aid During Kyiv Visit

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged fresh military and energy support for Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on Sunday, as Russian strikes triggered air raid sirens and explosions across the Ukrainian capital. Merz met...

Japan Protests to US After Marine Arrested in Okinawa Murder Case

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lodged a formal protest with the United States on Sunday after a U.S. Marine was arrested in Okinawa on suspicion of robbing and murdering a Japanese woman. Japanese police said Devin...

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

UK Warned Over Growing Reliance on US Cloud Providers

Britains increasing dependence on U.S. cloud computing companies for critical government services could create a major strategic and economic vulnerability, lawmakers have warned, raising concerns about data sovereignty...

AI Agents Could Disrupt Financial Services, Bernstein Says

Consumer AI agents could reshape financial services by reducing customer inertia and making it easier to switch between financial products, although trust, data access and regulatory hurdles may slow adoption, according to...

SoftBank Shares Fall After $10 Billion OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group shares dropped sharply on Friday after the Japanese technology conglomerate completed the final portion of its latest OpenAI investment, lifting its total investment in the artificial intelligence company to...

Amazon Eyes $8 Billion Nvidia Chip Spinoff to Fund AI Expansion

Amazon is exploring a plan to transfer roughly $8 billion worth of advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to outside investors as the technology giant looks for new ways to finance its rapidly expanding AI...

California AG Subpoenas OpenAI Over AI Cybersecurity Incidents

California Attorney General Rob Bonta served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena Wednesday, escalating a state investigation into cybersecurity incidents involving the artificial intelligence company and its models. The...