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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

New Zealand Budget 2026 Focuses on Fiscal Discipline and Infrastructure Investment

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced that the government will maintain strict control over day-to-day spending in Budget 2026 while significantly increasing capital investment to strengthen the countrys...

OECD Sees Bank of Japan Raising Interest Rates to 2% by 2027

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expects the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to continue raising interest rates steadily, projecting the countrys short-term policy rate will climb to 2% by the end of...

US-China Trade Talks Begin in South Korea Ahead of Trump-Xi Beijing Summit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for high-level trade discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ahead of the much-anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and...

S&P Global Revises Mexico Credit Outlook to Negative Amid Rising Debt Concerns

SP Global Ratings revised Mexicos sovereign credit outlook to negative from stable while affirming the countrys BBB foreign currency and BBB+ local currency long-term credit ratings. The agency also maintained Mexicos A-2...

Trump and Xi Temple of Heaven Visit Highlights Trade and Diplomacy Goals

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet at Beijings historic Temple of Heaven, a symbolic location tied to Chinas imperial past and agricultural prosperity. The visit, scheduled during...

Politics

Trump Administration Appoints David Venturella as Acting ICE Director Amid Immigration Crackdown

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official David Venturella will become the agencys new acting director following the departure of Todd Lyons at the...

Bahamas Election 2026: Prime Minister Philip Davis Secures Historic Second Term

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis and the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) secured a decisive victory in the 2026 Bahamas general election, marking the first time in nearly three decades that a Bahamian leader has...

Tennessee Republicans Remove Democrats From Committees After Redistricting Protest

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton removed Democratic lawmakers from all committee and subcommittee assignments following protests over the states controversial congressional redistricting plan. The disciplinary action...

Russia Resumes Heavy Drone Attacks on Ukraine After Ceasefire Ends

Russian forces launched a new wave of attacks across Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region on Tuesday, killing at least six people and injuring several others shortly after a temporary U.S.-mediated ceasefire expired. Ukrainian...

Mexico Denies CIA Role in Cartel Attacks Amid Rising U.S.-Mexico Tensions

Mexican authorities and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency have strongly denied a CNN report claiming CIA operatives were directly involved in deadly operations against drug cartels in Mexico. The report, published...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Samsung Shares Slide as Wage Talks Collapse, Raising Strike Fears

Samsung Electronics shares fell sharply on Wednesday after negotiations between the company and its largest labour union failed to produce a wage agreement, increasing concerns over a possible large-scale strike that could...

Arteris Stock Surges After Strong Q1 Earnings Beat and Higher 2026 Outlook

Arteris Inc. (NASDAQ: AIP) shares surged in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the semiconductor software company reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 earnings and raised its full-year revenue forecast. The...

Anthropic Eyes $300M Stainless Acquisition Amid Enterprise AI Expansion

Anthropic is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire developer tools startup Stainless in a deal valued at more than $300 million, according to a report from The Information. The potential acquisition highlights the...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Join Trump’s China Visit Amid AI Chip Tensions

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to join a group of top American business leaders accompanying U.S. President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to China, according to two Reuters sources familiar with the matter....

Kuaishou Stock Jumps on Kling AI IPO Plans and $20 Billion Valuation

Kuaishou Technology (HK:1024) shares surged on Tuesday after reports revealed that the Chinese short-video giant is considering spinning off its Kling artificial intelligence video generation business. The news boosted...

Digital Currency