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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

U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Year-End Trading Turns Cautious

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Tuesday evening as investors prepared for the final trading session of the year, with market sentiment dampened by thin liquidity, lingering Federal Reserve uncertainty, and fading...

Asian Markets End Year on AI Optimism as Precious Metals and Currencies Shine

Asian stocks edged lower on the final trading day of the year, capping a period in which investors largely looked past tariff-related uncertainty and instead focused on the powerful rally in artificial intelligence chip...

U.S. Dollar Slides Toward Biggest Annual Loss Since 2017 as 2026 Risks Loom

The U.S. dollar held steady in thin year-end trading but remained on track for its sharpest annual decline since 2017, as a mix of interest rate cuts, fiscal concerns, and uncertainty around U.S. trade policy weighed...

Oil Prices Slide in 2025 as Oversupply and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook

Global oil prices declined sharply in 2025, with Brent crude posting its longest stretch of annual losses on record as rising supply continued to outpace demand despite persistent geopolitical tensions. Brent crude futures...

China Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in December, Offering Boost to Economic Growth Outlook

Chinas manufacturing activity unexpectedly returned to expansion in December, ending eight consecutive months of contraction and providing policymakers with renewed confidence as they worked to achieve the countrys annual...

Politics

Philippines Challenges Chinese Research Vessel Spotted Near Cagayan Coast

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed an aircraft to challenge a Chinese deep-sea research vessel spotted operating near the northern Philippines, underscoring rising maritime tensions in the West Philippine Sea...

Salvador Nasralla Challenges Honduras Election Results Amid Fraud Allegations

Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla has formally challenged the results of Honduras recent presidential election, intensifying political tensions following a narrowly decided and controversial vote. Nasralla,...

U.S. Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Enforce Medicaid Funding Ban on Planned Parenthood

A U.S. appeals court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to enforce a controversial Medicaid funding restriction targeting Planned Parenthood in several Democratic-led states. On Tuesday, a...

Zohran Mamdani Names Steve Banks as New York City Corporation Counsel Amid Clash With Trump

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced his pick for corporation counsel, selecting Steve Banks as the citys top lawyer in a move that underscores his administrations combative stance toward President...

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Three Intellexa-Linked Executives Amid Spyware Controversy

The administration of President Donald Trump has lifted U.S. sanctions on three executives connected to the controversial spyware consortium Intellexa, according to a notice published on the U.S. Treasury Departments...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

SoftBank Completes $41 Billion OpenAI Investment in Historic AI Funding Round

SoftBank Group has officially completed a massive $41 billion investment in OpenAI, marking one of the largest private funding rounds in global technology history. The deal gives the Japanese conglomerate an estimated 11%...

Elon Musk’s xAI Expands Supercomputer Infrastructure With Third Data Center to Boost AI Training Power

Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has acquired a third building to further expand its computing infrastructure, signaling a major step in the companys effort to compete with...

ByteDance Plans Massive AI Chip Spending Boost as Nvidia Demand Grows in China

Chinas technology giant ByteDance is preparing to significantly ramp up its artificial intelligence investment, with plans to spend about 100 billion yuan (approximately $14 billion) on AI chips in 2026, according to a...

Samsung Electronics Secures Annual U.S. Licence for China Chip Equipment Imports in 2026

Samsung Electronics has obtained an annual licence from the United States government that allows the South Korean technology giant to import critical semiconductor manufacturing equipment into its China-based facilities...

Applied Digital Stock Rises on AI Cloud Spinoff Plan and ChronoScale Launch

Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) shares climbed about 1.2% in after-hours trading on Monday after the company announced a proposed business combination designed to spin off its cloud computing operations into a new,...