Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Wed, Oct 07, 2026 05:21 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

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

Japan Real Wages Rise 1.5%, Supporting BOJ Rate Hikes

Japans inflation-adjusted wages increased for an eighth consecutive month in August, signaling continued improvement in household purchasing power and strengthening expectations that the Bank of Japan could pursue further...

Iran Tanker Attacks Surge as Hormuz Oil Flows Near Prewar Levels

Iran has intensified attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz even as oil shipments through the crucial waterway recover toward levels seen before the war, raising fresh concerns over Middle East energy security. UK...

Oil Prices Rise as Hormuz Attacks Fuel Supply Fears

Oil prices reversed earlier losses on Tuesday as escalating security risks in the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen outweighed improving Middle East crude exports and plans by Group of Seven nations to release emergency reserves....

S&P 500 Hits Record High as AI Rally Lifts Wall Street

Wall Street advanced on Tuesday, pushing the SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite to record closing highs as enthusiasm over artificial intelligence, easing Treasury yields and relatively subdued oil prices supported investor...

Gold Prices Rise as Dollar Weakens, Treasury Yields Ease

Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday as a weaker U.S. dollar and easing Treasury yields provided support, although rising oil prices limited bullions advance. Spot gold climbed 0.6% to settle at $4,163.97 per ounce, while...

Politics

Rapidus Seeks Chip Customers as Japan Pushes 2nm Semiconductor Revival

Japans Rapidus is expanding partnerships with global chip design companies as the state-backed semiconductor manufacturer races to secure customers for its planned 2-nanometre production facility. Backed by roughly $15...

Vance Demands Iran Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity before Washington will agree to end the seven-month US-Iran war, stressing that concrete action rather than diplomatic...

North Korea Slams US Taiwan Arms Sales, Reaffirms Russia Support

North Korea has criticized the United States for supplying weapons and military support to Taiwan, accusing Washington of increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait as Pyongyang also reaffirmed its backing for Russia. In...

Zelenskiy Warns Russia Is Preparing Massive Attack on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on Tuesday that Russia is preparing a potentially massive attack on Ukraine, citing the latest intelligence gathered by Ukrainian authorities. In his nightly video address,...

Lula Weighs Alckmin as Finance Minister to Boost Fiscal Credibility

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is considering appointing Vice President Geraldo Alckmin as finance minister if he wins re-election, a move aimed at strengthening his fiscal credentials ahead of Brazils...

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

SpaceX Seeks $40 Billion for Nvidia AI Chips

SpaceX is seeking to raise about $40 billion to finance a major purchase of Nvidia artificial intelligence chips, with Apollo Global Management expected to lead the fundraising effort, the Financial Times reported Tuesday....

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Warns Mythos AI Raises Cyber Risk Tenfold

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that advanced artificial intelligence systems are dramatically increasing cybersecurity risks for global banks, calling cyberattacks the financial giants biggest threat. Speaking...

Anthropic Expands Claude Access for Cyber Defense Teams

Anthropic has expanded access to its most advanced artificial intelligence models for verified cybersecurity professionals and select government partners, aiming to strengthen defenses against threats targeting critical...

Marvell Stock Surges on $90 Billion AI Revenue Outlook

Marvell Technology shares surged on Tuesday after the semiconductor company unveiled ambitious long-term financial targets driven by rapidly expanding demand for artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure....

Zcash Prepares for NU7 Upgrade as Zebra Gets Key Security Fixes

The Zcash network is moving closer to its NU7 upgrade following a series of Zebra releases focused on security, performance and network stability. According to an engineering update from the official Zcash Foundation X...