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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

Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High as Yen Approaches 160

The U.S. dollar remained near a two-month high on Friday, supported by rising Treasury yields and expectations of additional Federal Reserve rate hikes, while the Japanese yen hovered near the closely watched...

Gold Holds Near $4,275 as Rising Treasury Yields Fuel Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices were largely unchanged on Friday but remained headed for a weekly loss of more than 3% as rising U.S. Treasury yields and elevated energy prices strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise...

Japanese Bank Stocks Surge as Bond Yields Fuel Rate Hike Bets

Japanese bank stocks rallied on Friday as surging government bond yields and expectations for further Bank of Japan interest rate hikes strengthened the outlook for lenders profit margins. Shares of Mizuho Financial Group,...

Asian Stocks Fall as Surging Bond Yields Rattle Markets

Asian stocks mostly declined on Friday as a global bond market selloff drove long-term U.S. Treasury yields to multi-year highs, pressuring risk appetite across regional markets. Investors were also assessing the outcome...

Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act

The Federal Reserve has proposed a broad regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers, moving forward with implementation of the GENIUS Act and efforts to bring dollar-backed digital assets further into the...

Politics

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Plan Urgent Defence Talks Over Houthi Attacks

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are preparing an urgent high-level defence meeting to discuss support for the kingdom as Houthi missile and drone attacks intensify across Saudi territory. The talks will be held under the...

Ukrainian Drone Attacks Hit Russian Regions, Injuring at Least 12

A series of Ukrainian drone attacks struck several Russian regions on Friday morning, leaving at least one person dead and more than a dozen injured while damaging industrial sites, homes and vehicles, according to Russian...

Najib Razak Seeks Stay of 15-Year 1MDB Prison Sentence

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has asked a court to suspend a 15-year prison sentence linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal, his lawyer said Friday, following a royal pardon in a...

What ‘Taiwan Independence’ Means as Xi Presses Trump on US Policy

Chinese President Xi Jinpings call for President Donald Trump to oppose Taiwan independence has renewed attention on the complicated political and historical status of Taiwan and the differing positions held by Beijing,...

Xi Calls for Deeper U.S.-China AI Cooperation in Trump Talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stronger cooperation with the United States on artificial intelligence during his state visit to Washington, highlighting AI safety and human oversight as potential areas for closer...

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

SpaceXAI to Double Nvidia Chips at Colossus 2 by Year-End

Elon Musk said SpaceXAI plans to nearly double the number of advanced Nvidia AI chips operating at its Colossus 2 data center by the end of 2026, significantly expanding the computing power behind its artificial...

SoftBank Shares Fall as Oracle Flags Stargate Data Center Delay Risk

SoftBank Group shares dropped on Friday after Oracle moved to protect itself against possible delays at a major New Mexico data center, adding to investor concerns over the financing and execution risks surrounding the...

Jeff Bezos Invests $32 Billion in Blue Origin as Space Firm Targets Major Growth

Jeff Bezos has invested about $32 billion in Blue Origin since founding the space company in 2000, underscoring the Amazon founders long-term commitment to competing in the rapidly expanding commercial space industry....

OpenAI to Preview GPT-6 Cyber AI Model for Cybersecurity

OpenAI is preparing to preview GPT-6 Cyber, a new artificial intelligence model focused on cybersecurity, within days as the company expands its push into AI-powered security tools, according to a Fortune report cited by...

Former OpenAI Data Center Chief Chris Malone Joins Nvidia

Chris Malone, the former head of data centers at OpenAI, has joined Nvidia as vice president of its DSX Platform, strengthening the chipmakers leadership team as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure continues...