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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

Global Motor Oil and Auto Paint Shortages Persist Despite Potential U.S.-Iran Peace Deal

Auto repair shops and car dealerships in Japan and the United States continue to face shortages of motor oil, automotive paint, and other petroleum-based products as supply chain disruptions caused by the Middle East...

Asian Currencies Steady as BOJ Raises Rates and Markets Await Fed Decision

Asian currencies and the U.S. dollar traded mostly unchanged on Tuesday as investors monitored developments surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement and prepared for a busy week of central bank decisions. Market...

U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Extends Gulf Ceasefire, Reopens Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Iran have signed a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the ongoing Gulf conflict, marking a significant step toward easing tensions in the region. While...

Myanmar Economic Outlook Hit by Fuel Price Shock as World Bank Cuts Growth Forecast

Myanmars economy is showing signs of stabilization, but a recent surge in global fuel prices has created fresh challenges for the conflict-ridden nation, prompting the World Bank to lower its economic growth forecast....

China Industrial Output Beats Forecasts as Domestic Demand Weakens

Chinas industrial production expanded slightly more than expected in May, highlighting the resilience of the countrys manufacturing sector despite mounting economic challenges. According to official data released on...

Politics

UN Secretary-General Candidate Maria Fernanda Espinosa Calls for Responsible UN Reform

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, an Ecuadorian diplomat and former foreign affairs minister, has pledged to reform the United Nations while preserving its vital global role if elected as the next UN secretary-general. Speaking...

U.S. Supreme Court to Review Trump Administration Appeal on Immigrant Detention Without Bond Hearings

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from President Donald Trumps administration in a significant immigration detention case that could reshape the rights of certain immigrants facing deportation. The case...

Trump May Release U.S.-Iran Agreement Ahead of Formal Signing

U.S. Vice President JD Vance revealed that President Donald Trump could decide to make public the recently finalized agreement between the United States and Iran before its official signing ceremony on Friday. Speaking...

Lukashenko Urges Russia-Ukraine Compromise as Peace Talks Remain Stalled

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for a compromise between Russia and Ukraine to bring an end to the prolonged conflict that has continued for more than four years. In an interview published Monday, the...

Zelensky Proposes Putin Meeting at G7 Summit to Advance Ukraine Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed efforts to advance peace negotiations with Russia, revealing that he offered to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G7 summit in France or in the United...

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

Microsoft Taps AWS to Support GitHub Amid AI Coding Boom

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is reportedly turning to Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), to help address growing infrastructure demands at GitHub as AI-powered software development...

SoftBank Vision Fund CFO Navneet Govil to Exit After Decade-Long Tenure

SoftBank Groups Vision Fund investment division is set to undergo a key leadership change as Navneet Govil, Chief Financial Officer of SoftBank Investment Advisors, prepares to leave the company after nearly a decade,...

OpenAI's $34B Spending Pushes AI Market Leadership Ahead of IPO

OpenAI invested approximately $34 billion in 2025 as it intensified efforts to strengthen its position in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence market ahead of a potential initial public offering (IPO), according...

SpaceX Stock Soars After Historic IPO, Reaches $2.5 Trillion Market Value

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) continued its strong post-IPO rally on Monday, extending gains after a record-breaking Nasdaq debut that marked the largest initial public offering in history. The aerospace and satellite technology...

Elon Musk Becomes World's First Trillionaire After SpaceX IPO Surge

Elon Musk has become the worlds first trillionaire, further cementing his status as one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the modern era. The milestone follows the highly successful initial public offering (IPO) of...