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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

Wall Street Slides as Treasury Yields Surge to 19-Year High

Wall Street stocks closed lower Tuesday as a sharp U.S. Treasury bond sell-off pushed long-term yields to their highest level in nearly two decades, weighing heavily on technology shares. Rising oil prices and renewed...

Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Renew Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears

Oil prices climbed on Tuesday, extending their weekly gains as renewed US-Iran tensions heightened concerns about crude supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most important energy shipping...

Gold Prices Slide as Treasury Yields Surge, Fed Minutes in Focus

Gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday as surging U.S. Treasury yields and higher oil prices pressured the precious metal, while investors awaited the Federal Reserves July meeting minutes for fresh clues on the U.S. interest...

US Dollar Holds Steady as Fed Rate Bets and Iran Tensions Drive Markets

The U.S. dollar traded largely flat on Tuesday as expectations for a dovish Federal Reserve offset concerns over rising oil prices, elevated Treasury yields and continued tensions between the United States and Iran. The...

UK Wage Growth Holds at 3.5% as Unemployment Rises

UK wage growth excluding bonuses remained at 3.5% in the second quarter of 2026, while unemployment increased, pointing to further signs of weakness in the countrys labor market, according to the latest data covering June...

Politics

Israel Strikes Syrian Airbase Near Aleppo, Raising Tensions With Turkey

Israel launched eight airstrikes on Syrias Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo on Tuesday, prompting condemnation from Turkey and concern from the United States over escalating regional tensions. Syrian state-run Ekhbariya...

Trump Says Iran Talks Halted as Hormuz Dispute Pushes Oil Higher

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no negotiations with Iran were taking place and insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open, contradicting Tehrans claim that the strategic waterway was still closed to...

Israeli Airstrike Kills Six Palestinians in Gaza as Trump Peace Plan Stalls

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed at least six Palestinians and wounded 14 others on Tuesday, according to Gaza health officials, as efforts to advance U.S. President Donald Trumps Gaza peace plan remained stalled....

Pentagon Weighs Permanent U.S. Military Drawdown in Persian Gulf

The U.S. Department of Defense is assessing whether to permanently reduce its military presence in the Persian Gulfonce the Iran conflict ends, potentially reshaping Washingtons long-standing security posture in the Middle...

Philippines Confident in U.S. Defense Commitment Despite Middle East Redeployment

The Philippines does not expect a slowdown in military cooperation with the United States despite the redeployment of some American defense assets from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, a Philippine military official...

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

OpenAI Tightens AI Safety Monitoring After Security Incidents

OpenAI is strengthening oversight of its most advanced artificial intelligence models as the company works to prevent unexpected or potentially dangerous behavior from increasingly autonomous AI systems. The ChatGPT...

Moody’s Affirms NVIDIA Aa1 Rating as AI Data Center Guarantees Reach $105 Billion

Moodys Ratings has affirmed NVIDIA Corporations (NASDAQ: NVDA) Aa1 senior unsecured rating and Prime-1 short-term commercial paper rating, while maintaining a positive outlook. The decision follows NVIDIAs plan to provide...

Anthropic Eyes $10B-Plus Credit Line Ahead of Potential IPO

Anthropic is reportedly considering expanding its revolving credit facility beyond an initial $10 billion target as the artificial intelligence company prepares for a potential initial public offering. Major Wall Street...

Moody’s Upgrades Vodafone Hybrid Debt Ratings to Baa3

Moodys Ratings has upgraded four hybrid debt securities issued by Vodafone Group Plc (NASDAQ: VOD) to Baa3 from Ba1, following amendments to the instruments terms and conditions announced by the telecommunications group....

BofA Sees Micron EPS Topping $230 by 2030, Backs Major Stock Upside

Bank of America expects Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) to deliver more than $230 in earnings per share by fiscal 2030, significantly above Wall Streets current peak estimates, as artificial intelligence demand reshapes the...