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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

Gold Price Slips as Stronger Dollar, Fed Rate Decision Weigh on Market

Gold prices edged lower on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar hovered near its highest level in almost a month, while investors remained cautious ahead of the Federal Reserves policy announcement and Chair Kevin Warshs remarks for...

European Stocks Edge Higher as Strong Earnings Offset Inflation and Fed Rate Concerns

European stock markets traded slightly higher on Tuesday as upbeat corporate earnings from major consumer, luxury, industrial, and automotive companies helped offset persistent concerns over inflation and upcoming central...

US Stock Futures Slip as AI Spending Fears, Fed Decision Weigh on Markets

U.S. stock futures declined during Asian trading on Tuesday as investors grew increasingly cautious over artificial intelligence (AI) spending, weak semiconductor sentiment, and the upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate...

RBA Signals More Rate Hikes Possible as Australia Battles Stubborn Inflation

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock warned on Tuesday that underlying inflation remains too high and said the central bank is prepared to raise interest rates again if necessary to bring price growth...

India GDP Growth Forecast Cut as Weak Investment, High Oil Prices Weigh on Economy

Indias economic growth is expected to slow significantly in the current fiscal year as weak private investment and rising oil prices linked to the Iran conflict weigh on domestic demand, according to a Reuters poll of...

Politics

Taiwan to Test Wartime Weapons Production in Han Kuang Military Drills

Taiwan will test its ability to relocate weapons production and convert civilian factories for military manufacturing during its annual Han Kuang military exercises next month, as the island strengthens its defense...

US Customs Inspects China-Linked Factories in Vietnam Amid Trade Compliance Review

U.S. customs officials have reportedly conducted spot inspections at factories in Vietnam with links to Chinese companies as Washington intensifies efforts to verify compliance with trade and import regulations, according...

Brazil Challenges Trump Tariffs at WTO Over Trade Dispute

Brazil has formally requested consultations with the United States under the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system, escalating its challenge against tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on...

West Bank Tensions Escalate as Palestinian Village Faces Settler Violence and Military Raids

Residents of the Palestinian village of Tal in the occupied West Bank say violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians has pushed the area close to a breaking point after a deadly confrontation last week left six...

US Drone Industry Still Trails Ukraine as Pentagon Pushes American-Made Supply Chain

The Pentagon says the United States is still in the early stages of building a competitive domestic drone industry, even as it tightens requirements for military drones to use American-made components. Defense officials...

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

TeamViewer Shares Fall Despite Profit Growth as ARR and Customer Base Decline

TeamViewer AG (ETR: TMV) shares slipped more than 2% on Tuesday after the remote connectivity software provider reported mixed first-half 2026 results. While the company delivered a solid increase in profit, investors...

Exosens H1 Profit Beats Forecasts as Defense Demand Drives Growth

Exosens (EPA: EXENS) reported stronger-than-expected first-half fiscal 2026 profitability, supported by robust demand for its defense imaging technologies, although revenue came in slightly below market expectations....

ASML, Applied Materials Slide as China DUV Chip Equipment Breakthrough Sparks Market Jitters

Semiconductor capital equipment stocks tumbled Monday after reports that China has begun mass-producing domestically developed immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, raising concerns about the future...

Tech Stock Positioning Nears Neutral as Investor Rotation Enters Final Phase, Deutsche Bank Says

Investor positioning in large-cap technology stocks has fallen sharply from previously elevated levels and is now close to neutral, signaling that the ongoing rotation away from the sector is largely complete, according to...

Nvidia Invests $1 Billion in Naver as South Korea AI Data Center Expansion Gains Momentum

Shares of South Korean internet and cloud services company Naver surged more than 10% on Monday after the company announced that Nvidia will invest $1 billion by purchasing newly issued shares to support a major artificial...