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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 Stocks Rise as Fed Rate Hike Bets Fade

Asian stocks climbed on Monday as weaker U.S. employment data reduced expectations for another Federal Reserve interest rate hike this month, although elevated Treasury yields and persistent inflation concerns supported...

Gold Prices Rise as Weak US Jobs Data Cuts Fed Hike Bets

Gold prices moved higher on Monday, recovering slightly after their steepest weekly decline since June, as weak U.S. employment data reduced expectations for another Federal Reserve interest rate hike. Elevated Treasury...

Oil Prices Fall as G7 Reserve Release Eases Supply Fears

Oil prices declined during Asian trading on Monday as recovering Middle East crude exports and a planned release of emergency reserves by Group of Seven nations eased concerns over near-term global supply disruptions....

Asian Stocks Rally as Soft US Jobs Data Boosts Tech

Asian stocks climbed on Monday as weaker-than-expected U.S. labor data reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, supporting technology shares and easing pressure on government bonds. The MSCI...

OPEC+ Keeps November Oil Output Targets Steady

OPEC+ has agreed to maintain its existing oil production targets for November, keeping supply policy unchanged as Middle East disruptions continue to limit actual output from several major producers. Seven core OPEC+...

Politics

Yemen Launches Major Offensive to Retake Houthi-Held Areas

Yemens Saudi-backed government announced Sunday a major military campaign aimed at recapturing territory controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, escalating a conflict increasingly linked to the wider Middle East war....

US Caribbean Vessel Strike Kills Four

The U.S. military said Sunday that four people were killed in a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, marking the latest attack in Washingtons campaign against boats it alleges are involved in drug trafficking. U.S....

Flavio Bolsonaro, Lula Head to Brazil Presidential Runoff

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in an October 25 presidential runoff after delivering a stronger-than-expected performance in Sundays first-round election. With nearly 99%...

California Woman Arrested Over Alleged Spying on Taiwan President’s Son

U.S. authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday over allegations that she secretly gathered information on the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on behalf of Chinese officials. The FBI said Wanying Zhang, 34, who...

Nicaragua Withdraws From Central American Parliament

Nicaragua is withdrawing from the Central American Parliament, deepening the countrys international isolation as President Daniel Ortegas government faces continued criticism over alleged human rights abuses and...

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

UK Warned Over Growing Reliance on US Cloud Providers

Britains increasing dependence on U.S. cloud computing companies for critical government services could create a major strategic and economic vulnerability, lawmakers have warned, raising concerns about data sovereignty...

AI Agents Could Disrupt Financial Services, Bernstein Says

Consumer AI agents could reshape financial services by reducing customer inertia and making it easier to switch between financial products, although trust, data access and regulatory hurdles may slow adoption, according to...

SoftBank Shares Fall After $10 Billion OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group shares dropped sharply on Friday after the Japanese technology conglomerate completed the final portion of its latest OpenAI investment, lifting its total investment in the artificial intelligence company to...

Amazon Eyes $8 Billion Nvidia Chip Spinoff to Fund AI Expansion

Amazon is exploring a plan to transfer roughly $8 billion worth of advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to outside investors as the technology giant looks for new ways to finance its rapidly expanding AI...

California AG Subpoenas OpenAI Over AI Cybersecurity Incidents

California Attorney General Rob Bonta served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena Wednesday, escalating a state investigation into cybersecurity incidents involving the artificial intelligence company and its models. The...