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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

ECB Expected to Hold Rates as Middle East Tensions Keep September Hike in Focus

The European Central Bank (ECB) is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its July 23 policy meeting, but rising geopolitical tensions and higher oil prices are keeping the possibility of another rate hike...

KB Securities Explains Why KOSPI Is Falling Despite Strong Samsung, SK Hynix Earnings

South Korean stocks have experienced a sharp correction despite solid corporate earnings, as investors shift their attention from profit growth to financing costs and geopolitical risks, according to a report from KB...

European Earnings Season Gains Strength as Barclays Sees Broader Profit Recovery

European companies are heading into the second-quarter earnings season with improving profit momentum and a broader recovery than many of their U.S. counterparts, according to a new research note from Barclays. The bank...

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

Ralph Norman Launches South Carolina Senate Bid After Lindsey Graham’s Death

U.S. Representative Ralph Norman has announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina following the death of longtime Senator Lindsey Graham, setting up a competitive Republican primary to fill the vacant seat....

US Launches New Strikes on Iran After Deadly Attack on American Troops in Jordan

The United States launched fresh airstrikes against Iran on Saturday after two U.S. service members were killed and another was reported missing following an Iranian attack in Jordan, according to U.S. Central Command. The...

Cuban Dissident Artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara Arrives in US After Prison Release

Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara has arrived in the United States after completing a five-year prison sentence in Cuba, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The announcement marks a...

Trump Administration Plans Grants to Back MAGA-Aligned Initiatives Overseas

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a new package of foreign aid grants aimed at supporting MAGA-aligned initiatives across Europe and other regions, marking a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford Slams Trump Over Canada Wildfire Smoke Criticism

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has strongly criticized President Donald Trump for blaming Canadas forest management for wildfire smoke that has spread across parts of the United States, calling the remarks absolutely...

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

Samsung Electronics America to Cut 739 New Jersey Jobs as Texas Headquarters Move Advances

Samsung Electronics America (SEA) is reducing its workforce in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with 739 positions affected as the company prepares to relocate its U.S. headquarters to Texas by the end of the year, according...

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...

DeepSeek Eyes $74 Billion Valuation Ahead of Planned China IPO

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is preparing a new fundraising round that could value the company at approximately 500 billion yuan ($74 billion) as it moves closer to a potential initial public offering...

SpaceX Eyes Pentagon AI Deal as Cloud Pricing Strategy Pressures CoreWeave

SpaceX briefly recovered some of its losses on Friday after a Wall Street Journal report said the aerospace company is negotiating a multi-billion-dollar agreement with the Pentagon to provide artificial intelligence...

Mikron H1 2026 Sales Fall 5.9% as Automation Weakness Weighs on Profit

Swiss automation and machining systems manufacturer Mikron Group AG reported lower first-half 2026 results as weaker demand in its Automation and Machining businesses offset strong growth in its Tool division. Despite the...