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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

Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Holds Firm, Yen Near Four-Decade Low Ahead of Fed, Jobs Data

Asian currencies mostly weakened on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar remained resilient, while the Japanese yen hovered near its weakest level in nearly four decades, keeping traders alert for potential intervention by...

Asian Stocks Mixed as South Korea Slides on Profit-Taking, Japan and China Gain on Strong Factory Data

Asian stock markets traded mixed on Wednesday, with South Korean equities leading regional losses as investors locked in profits after an exceptional second-quarter rally. Meanwhile, stronger manufacturing data from Japan...

Oil Prices Rise as U.S.-Iran Talks Keep Geopolitical Risks in Focus

Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday as uncertainty surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations continued to support crude markets, even as record U.S. oil production pointed to improving global supply. Traders remained...

Gold Price Drops to Eight-Month Low as Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion. Source: Photo by Michael Steinberg via Pexels

Gold prices extended their losses during Asian trading on Wednesday, with bullion hovering near an eight-month low after recording its steepest quarterly decline in 13 years. Growing expectations that the Federal Reserve...

UN Chief Urges Nations to Close $100 Million UNRWA Funding Gap

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to member states to urgently fill a $100 million funding gap facing the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), warning...

Politics

JD Vance Criticizes Vatican on Immigration, Defends Trump Border Policies

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said he disagrees with the Vaticans position on immigration, calling some of its recent comments troubling after Pope Leo repeatedly criticized President Donald Trumps immigration policies and...

U.S. Military Expands Venezuela Earthquake Relief Mission as Troop Presence Tops 900

The United States has significantly expanded its military presence in Venezuela to support humanitarian relief efforts following last weeks devastating earthquakes, with more than 900 U.S. personnel now operating inside...

Ukraine Preparing for Possible Russian Offensive From Bryansk, Military Chief Says

Ukraine is preparing for a possible new Russian offensive from the countrys northern border, although a direct assault on Kyiv is considered unlikely, according to Ukraines top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi....

Trump Prioritizes Iran Diplomacy Over Military Action as Nuclear Talks Continue

President Donald Trump has decided to keep diplomatic negotiations with Iran on track for now, despite recently reviewing options for renewed large-scale military action, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing...

NATO Albania Summit Faces Uncertainty as Trump, Defense Spending Concerns Loom

Plans for NATO to hold its 2027 leaders summit in Albania have been thrown into question as alliance members prepare for next weeks gathering in Turkey, according to Reuters, citing a NATO diplomat, a European 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

Anthropic Restores Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 After U.S. Lifts AI Export Controls

Anthropic announced late Tuesday that the U.S. government has lifted export restrictions on its Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 artificial intelligence models, allowing the company to begin restoring user access starting...

South Korea Alleges Google Abused Android App Store Dominance, Eyes Major Fine

South Koreas antitrust regulator has accused Alphabets Google of abusing its dominant position in the Android app marketplace, a move that could result in a significant financial penalty and new corrective measures if the...

Microsoft Reportedly Plans New Job Cuts Across Sales, Consulting, and Xbox

Microsoft is reportedly preparing another round of job cuts as the technology giant continues to reduce costs while increasing investment in artificial intelligence, according to a Business Insider report published...

Chip Stocks Rally as Samsung and SK Hynix’s $1.3 Trillion Investment Plan Boosts AI Optimism

Chip-equipment stocks surged on Tuesday after reports that South Koreas semiconductor leaders, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, plan to invest up to $1.3 trillion in new semiconductor manufacturing projects, reinforcing...

Nvidia Stock Rises as SemiAnalysis Sees AI Data Center Revenue Beating Wall Street Forecasts

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares rebounded on the final trading day of the quarter after bullish supply-chain research from independent semiconductor firm SemiAnalysis suggested the AI chipmakers data center business could...