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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

US Dollar Heads for Worst Week Since July as Fiscal Concerns Mount

The U.S. dollar was on course Friday for its steepest weekly decline since late July as mounting fiscal concerns and unusual Treasury market intervention weighed on investor confidence. The U.S. Dollar Index, which...

Gold Prices Hit Three-Month High as Dollar Weakens

Gold prices surged to a three-month high on Friday and headed for strong weekly gains as a weaker U.S. dollar and mounting concerns over Treasury yields and government debt boosted demand for the precious metal. Spot gold...

Wall Street Ends Higher as Crypto Stocks and Materials Rally

Wall Street closed higher on Friday as gains in materials and cryptocurrency-related stocks helped offset renewed pressure from rising U.S. Treasury yields and elevated oil prices. The SP 500 gained 0.4% to finish at...

US Debt Tops $40 Trillion as Global Borrowing Costs Surge

U.S. government debt has surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, highlighting growing fiscal pressures as major economies face rising spending demands from ageing populations, defence, climate change and higher interest...

UK Budget Swings to Surprise £1.8 Billion Deficit in July

Britain recorded an unexpected 1.8 billion ($2.5 billion) budget deficit in July, as inflation-driven government spending outweighed record self-assessed income tax receipts, highlighting continued pressure on the UKs...

Politics

NATO Facilitates Allied Talks on Strait of Hormuz Navigation

NATOs top military commander convened a videoconference this week to help interested allies coordinate potential contributions aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that the...

Russian Drone Strike on Kryvyi Rih Shopping Centre Kills 15

At least 15 people were killed and more than 130 others injured after multiple Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, on Friday, according to Ukrainian authorities. Oleksandr Hanzha, the...

Turkey Seeks Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu Over Gaza Aid Flotilla

Turkey said Friday it will seek an Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a criminal investigation linked to Israels interception of activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to...

Prince Harry, Elton John Ordered to Pay £9.54 Million in Daily Mail Legal Costs

Britains Prince Harry, singer Elton John and other prominent figures have been ordered to make a 9.54 million ($12.7 million) interim payment toward the legal costs of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers after...

EU’s Von der Leyen Condemns Israel’s E1 West Bank Settlement Plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday strongly criticized Israels decision to issue construction tenders for the controversial E1 residential development in the occupied West Bank, adding to growing...

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

Apple Cuts Over 200 Siri, Vision Pro Jobs in AI Shift

Apple is cutting more than 200 jobs across teams responsible for its Siri digital assistant, Vision Pro headset and artificial intelligence features as the technology giant redirects resources toward new devices and AI...

Amazon to Expand Drone Delivery to 500 U.S. Locations

Amazon plans to significantly expand its drone delivery service across the United States, targeting roughly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year as the e-commerce giant accelerates its long-running Prime Air...

TikTok, DOJ Reach $400 Million Children’s Privacy Settlement

TikTok and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a $400 million settlement to resolve allegations that the popular short-video platform violated federal childrens online privacy protections. The agreement settles a...

Anthropic IPO Could Challenge SpaceX’s Record $86 Billion Offering

Anthropic is reportedly considering an initial public offering that could rival or surpass SpaceXs record-breaking IPO, potentially making the artificial intelligence company responsible for the largest public share sale...

Samsung Shares Rise on $72 Billion Shareholder Return Plan

Samsung Electronics shares climbed on Friday following reports that the South Korean technology giant is preparing a shareholder return package potentially exceeding 100 trillion won ($72 billion). Samsungs board is...