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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

South Korea Stocks Tumble as AI-Fueled Rally Faces Profit-Taking Pressure

South Korean stocks suffered a sharp decline on Tuesday, with the benchmark KOSPI plunging nearly 6% as investors rushed to lock in profits after a historic rally driven by artificial intelligence (AI) optimism,...

Asian Stocks Slide as AI Rally Pauses, South Korean Chipmakers Lead Regional Decline

Asian stock markets mostly moved lower on Tuesday as investors locked in profits following a strong artificial intelligence-driven rally that had pushed several regional indexes to record highs. The pullback was led by...

New Zealand Fast-Tracks Gold Mining as Industry Revival Gains Momentum

New Zealand is accelerating the development of major gold mining projects and attracting new mining investment as record-high gold prices breathe life into a sector that has struggled for years. The governments push to...

Yen Near 40-Year Low as USD/JPY Approaches Key 162 Level, Raising Intervention Concerns

The Japanese yen hovered near its weakest level in almost four decades on Tuesday, fueling speculation that Japanese authorities may once again intervene in the foreign exchange market to support the struggling currency....

Asian Stocks Slip as Oil Rebounds Amid Fed Rate Hike Fears

Asian stock markets mostly declined on Tuesday, while oil prices recovered some losses as investors weighed easing geopolitical tensions alongside growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could adopt a more...

Politics

Russia-Ukraine War: Fresh Strikes Injure Civilians as Fuel Crisis Worsens in Russia

Six people were injured in overnight Russian air strikes across Ukraine, according to local officials, while Kyiv briefly issued an air raid alert early Tuesday, urging residents to seek shelter. The latest attacks...

DOJ Opens Investigation Into NYC Coffee Shop Over Anti-Goldman Social Media Post

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into a New York City coffee shop after the business publicly stated it would have refused service to Representative Dan Goldman if employees had recognized him...

US Delivers $13M Autonomous Maritime Drones to Philippines

The United States has transferred four Ocean Aero Triton autonomous underwater and surface vehicles to the Philippine military in a deal valued at $13 million, according to the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. The move...

Trump Threatens ABC News Lawsuit Over Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday evening that he is preparing legal action against ABC News, accusing the network of publishing false and misleading reports regarding his administrations handling of the Lincoln...

California Court Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Against Los Angeles Sanctuary Policy

A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against the City of Los Angeles over its sanctuary city ordinance, marking another legal setback in the ongoing debate over immigration...

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

WiseTech Global Denies Knowledge of Investigation Into Founder Richard White

Australia-based logistics software company WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC) has stated that it is unaware of any investigation involving its Executive Chair and founder, Richard White, following media reports that triggered a...

Baseten Secures $1.5 Billion Funding at $13 Billion Valuation Amid AI Infrastructure Boom

Baseten, a California-based artificial intelligence startup co-founded by Australian entrepreneurs, has raised $1.5 billion in a new funding round, pushing its valuation to $13 billion. The deal highlights the growing wave...

Meta Pauses Employee Activity Tracking Program Over Data Security Concerns

Meta has temporarily suspended an internal employee monitoring program used to train its artificial intelligence models after concerns emerged about potential data security and privacy risks. The program, known as the...

Oracle Cuts 21,000 Jobs as AI Reshapes Workforce and Cloud Expansion Accelerates

Oracle reduced its global workforce by approximately 21,000 employees, or 13%, during fiscal 2026 as the company continued a major restructuring effort while expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud computing...

Alphabet Stock Slides as AI Talent Exodus and SpaceX Losses Shake Investor Confidence

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares plunged nearly 7% on Monday, marking one of the companys sharpest single-day declines in recent years as investors reacted to a combination of high-profile AI talent departures and weakness...