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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

Mexico-EU Free Trade Deal Signals Strategic Shift Away From U.S. Dependence

Mexico and the European Union officially signed a long-delayed free trade agreement aimed at strengthening economic ties and reducing reliance on the United States amid ongoing tariff tensions linked to U.S. President...

World Bank Emergency Funding Demand Surges as 27 Countries Seek Crisis Support Amid Iran Conflict

Twenty-seven countries have moved to unlock emergency financing from existing World Bank programs following the economic shock caused by the ongoing Iran conflict, according to an internal document reviewed by Reuters. The...

Trump-China Summit Yields Limited Progress on Trade and Tech Cooperation

US President Donald Trumps May 1315 visit to China ended with both nations agreeing to strengthen communication and pursue a constructive strategic stability framework, signaling cautious progress in US-China relations....

US Economy Fueled by AI Investment Faces Rising Risks Ahead of Fed Meeting

The U.S. economy continues to outperform most developed nations, supported by resilient consumer spending and a sharp rise in artificial intelligence investment, according to new institutional research from Citi. Recent...

Goldman Sachs Sees Stronger U.S. Dollar as Global Economic Gaps Widen

Goldman Sachs expects the U.S. Dollar to remain strong as diverging global macroeconomic trends continue to favor the American economy over other major regions. In its latest global research report released Friday, the...

Politics

Trump Weighs Taiwan Arms Deal as U.S. Denies Iran War Caused Delays

A source familiar with the matter said U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are not being delayed because of the ongoing conflict with Iran, pushing back against comments from a senior American official that suggested otherwise. The...

Trump-Lai Call Remains Uncertain as U.S.-China Tensions Over Taiwan Intensify

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested he may soon speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, but sources familiar with the matter say no concrete plans for a call currently exist. A direct conversation...

Marco Rubio Visits India to Rebuild U.S.-India Ties Amid Trade and Geopolitical Tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day diplomatic visit aimed at strengthening the increasingly strained U.S.-India relationship. The visit comes as both countries attempt to move...

Xi Jinping Orders Full Rescue After Shanxi Coal Mine Gas Explosion Kills Eight

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an all-out rescue operation after a deadly gas explosion struck a coal mine in northern Chinas Shanxi province, leaving eight workers dead and 38 others trapped underground. The...

Wang Yi to Lead UN Security Council Meeting and Visit Canada Amid Improving China-Canada Relations

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to travel to New York on May 26 to chair a high-level United Nations Security Council meeting, according to an announcement from Chinas foreign ministry on Friday. The diplomatic trip...

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

SpaceX Starship V3 Test Flight Boosts IPO Momentum Ahead of Historic Market Debut

SpaceX successfully completed a major test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 rocket, marking a significant achievement for Elon Musks aerospace company as it moves closer to a highly anticipated initial public offering....

PDG Explores $1 Billion Sale of China Data Center Assets

Princeton Digital Group (PDG), a major data center operator backed by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, has reportedly launched a sale process for its China-based assets that could be valued at as much as $1 billion,...

Lam Research Expands AI-Powered Semiconductor Tools and Arizona Operations

Lam Research is accelerating its investment in artificial intelligence and advanced sensing technology to improve semiconductor manufacturing efficiency while expanding its presence in Arizona and California. The...

Texas Sues Meta Over WhatsApp Encryption Claims

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its messaging service WhatsApp, accusing the companies of misleading consumers about WhatsApps encryption and privacy protections. The...

Pentagon Expands AI Model Testing as It Seeks Alternatives to Anthropic’s Claude

The US Department of Defense is accelerating its evaluation of artificial intelligence models as it searches for alternatives to Anthropic PBCs Claude AI system, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday. The...