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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

Deutsche Bank Says Fed Balance Sheet Cuts Could Weaken US Dollar Instead of Boosting It

Deutsche Bank believes the U.S. dollar could come under pressure if the Federal Reserve chooses to tighten monetary policy primarily by shrinking its balance sheet rather than raising interest rates. The view comes as the...

Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, Raising Supply Fears

Oil prices climbed sharply in early Asian trading on Monday as escalating military exchanges between the United States and Iran intensified concerns over potential disruptions to global crude supplies, particularly through...

Asian Markets Cautious as Oil Tops $90, AI Earnings and Fed Rate Fears Weigh on Sentiment

Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Monday as escalating tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $90 per barrel, fueling inflation concerns and raising expectations that major central banks could keep...

Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Selloff, Iran Tensions Weigh on Tech Stocks

Wall Street closed sharply lower on Friday, ending a two-week winning streak as investors sold technology shares amid a continued pullback in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and renewed concerns over inflation...

Brent Oil Jumps 16% for Best Week Since April as US-Iran Conflict Fuels Supply Fears

Global oil prices posted their strongest weekly gains in months on Friday as the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over global crude supply and shipping disruptions through the...

Politics

US Service Member Killed During Explosive Disposal of Downed Iranian Drone in Iraq

A U.S. service member was killed in northern Iraq on Saturday while taking part in a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone, according to a statement released by U.S....

JD Vance and Wife Usha Welcome Fourth Child, Son Alec Neel Vance

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, have welcomed their fourth child, a baby boy named Alec Neel Vance. Vance announced the news on Sunday through a post on X, sharing that Alec was born at Walter Reed...

Russian Strike on Cargo Ship Off Odesa Kills Five Crew as Black Sea Attacks Escalate

A Russian strike on an international cargo vessel in the Black Sea off Ukraines southern port city of Odesa killed at least five crew members on Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials, marking another deadly attack on...

US-Iran Conflict Escalates as US Completes Eighth Night of Strikes, Regional Tensions Rise

The United States completed its eighth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, intensifying a conflict that has reignited after a month-old interim ceasefire collapsed. The latest military action follows deadly...

South Korea’s Coupang Fine Sparks U.S. Criticism, Raising Concerns Over Bilateral Ties

South Koreas decision to impose a hefty fine on e-commerce giant Coupang over a major data leak has drawn criticism from Washington, fueling concerns that the dispute is affecting broader U.S.-South Korea relations....

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

Bank of America Says These Overlooked AI Stocks Could Be the Next Winners

While semiconductor companies, AI hardware makers, and the Magnificent Seven have dominated the artificial intelligence rally, Bank of America believes the next phase of AI-driven gains could come from less obvious...

Foxconn Wins First SpaceX AI Server Contract Worth Estimated $52 Billion

Taiwans Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, has reportedly secured its first contract to manufacture artificial intelligence (AI) servers for Elon Musks SpaceX, marking a major expansion of its AI...

SpaceX Targets Thursday Launch for Starship's 13th Test Flight After Last-Minute Delay

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) plans to launch the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket as early as Thursday, following the cancellation of a previous launch attempt just minutes before liftoff due to engine startup issues. The...

TSMC Sees Multi-Year AI Chip Demand as Arizona Expansion Reaches $265 Billion

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) expects strong long-term demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips as it accelerates its U.S. expansion, committing a total of $265 billion to its Arizona operations. The...

Nationwide Data Center Protests Highlight Growing Backlash Against AI Expansion

Opposition to the rapid expansion of AI data centers spread across the United States on Saturday as activists staged 142 protests in 42 states, marking the first coordinated nationwide demonstration against the industrys...