Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Mon, Aug 17, 2026 04:50 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

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 Stock Futures Mixed as Fed Rate Hike Bets Fade, AI Deals in Focus

U.S. stock futures traded mixed Monday as investors reassessed the Federal Reserve interest rate outlook and prepared for major retail earnings, while developments involving Anthropic, Nvidia and the Strait of Hormuz also...

European Stocks Edge Higher as Fed Rate Pause Bets Rise

European equities moved modestly higher on Monday as falling government bond yields and a weaker U.S. dollar supported investor sentiment. Markets are increasingly betting that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates...

US Dollar Slips as Soft Economic Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations

The U.S. dollar weakened on Monday as softer economic indicators reduced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again in the near term, while the Japanese yen gained modestly despite disappointing...

Malaysia Inflation Eases to 1.8% in July, Below Forecast

Malaysias inflation rate moderated slightly in July, with consumer prices rising 1.8% from a year earlier, according to government data released on Monday. The latest increase in Malaysias Consumer Price Index (CPI) came...

BSP Sees Philippine Inflation Easing, Keeps Policy Options Open

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects inflation in the Philippines to gradually ease over the medium term, although risks to consumer prices remain tilted to the upside, central bank Governor Eli Remolona said on...

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks Escalate as Strikes Hit Moscow, Kyiv and Romania

Russia and Ukraine exchanged major missile and drone attacks overnight, leaving several people dead and damaging industrial and commercial facilities as the war continues to intensify. Russian forces struck ArcelorMittal...

US CENTCOM Chief Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew Amid Mental Health Concerns

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln following a recent visit to the aircraft carrier, describing their performance and resilience as awe-inspiring amid growing...

Lula Targets Brazil’s Gig Workers as Reelection Battle Takes Shape

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched his final reelection campaign on Sunday in Sao Bernardo do Campo, returning to the stadium where his rise as a labor leader began nearly five decades ago....

Trump Envoys Hold Gaza Peace Talks in Cairo as Israeli Strikes Continue

U.S. President Donald Trumps envoys held talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday as diplomatic efforts intensified to advance Washingtons Gaza peace plan while Israeli airstrikes continued...

Migrants in Spain’s Ceuta Protest for Asylum, Refuse Return to Morocco

Hundreds of migrants in Spains North African enclave of Ceuta gathered on a popular urban beach on Sunday, calling on Spanish authorities to grant them asylum rather than return them to Morocco. The protesters are among an...

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

Alphabet Eyes First Australian Dollar Bond as AI Spending Drives Funding Push

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is preparing for its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance as the U.S. technology giant explores new funding sources amid rapidly rising artificial intelligence investment. The...

Alibaba Sells Lingxi Games for Over $1.5 Billion Amid AI Push

Alibaba Group is reportedly selling its gaming subsidiary Lingxi Games in a transaction that could value the Chinese video game studio at more than $1.5 billion, as the technology giant redirects resources toward...

Nvidia’s $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push Wins Morgan Stanley Support

Nvidia is doubling down on the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with a plan to help mobilize as much as $500 billion in third-party capital, drawing participation from major financial firms including Apollo,...

Alphabet Shifts AI Strategy Toward Commercial Growth, Goldman Sachs Says

Alphabet is increasingly shifting its artificial intelligence strategy toward commercialization, scale and long-term revenue growth, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. The investment bank said recent management changes,...

Nvidia Eyes $3 Billion Investment in SoftBank-Backed AI Data Center

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to invest up to $3 billion in SB Energy, a SoftBank Group-backed company developing a major AI data center campus in Ohio for OpenAI. According to a report by The Information, the...