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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

Rising U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Oil Market Volatility and Ceasefire Uncertainty

Uncertainty continues to cloud the future of the temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran, as geopolitical tensions intensify following the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel. The two-week pause in...

U.S. Stock Futures Fall as Iran Tensions Rise, Oil Prices Surge

U.S. stock futures moved lower on Monday as renewed geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran unsettled global markets and raised concerns about the future of a fragile ceasefire expected to expire later...

Oil Prices Surge Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions and Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Oil prices climbed sharply on Monday as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran intensified, raising fresh concerns about global energy supply. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 4.9% to...

Oil Prices Surge Amid Middle East Tensions as Global Markets React Cautiously

Oil prices climbed sharply on Monday while global stock futures dipped, as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint. Brent...

Japan Inflation Expectations Rise as BOJ Rate Hike Timing Faces Uncertainty

Most Japanese households expect inflation to continue rising in the coming years, according to a recent Bank of Japan (BOJ) quarterly survey, reinforcing pressure on policymakers to pursue further interest rate hikes....

Politics

China Expands Global Influence Amid Taiwan Tensions and Gulf Crisis

China is intensifying its role on the global stage as geopolitical tensions rise in both the Middle East and East Asia. Following unsuccessful U.S.-led peace efforts in Pakistan and escalating conflict in the Strait of...

Israel Expands Southern Lebanon Buffer Zone Despite Fragile Ceasefire with Hezbollah

Israel has warned residents of southern Lebanon to avoid returning to a wide stretch of territory along the border, reinforcing its military presence despite an ongoing ceasefire with Hezbollah. The advisory includes areas...

Rumen Radev Wins Bulgaria Election in Landslide, Signals Potential Shift in EU Relations

Rumen Radev has secured a decisive victory in Bulgarias parliamentary election, marking a major shift in the countrys political landscape and raising questions about its future relationship with the European Union and...

Pakistan Halts $1.5 Billion Sudan Arms Deal After Saudi Arabia Withdraws Support

Pakistan has reportedly put a $1.5 billion arms deal with Sudan on hold after Saudi Arabia requested the agreement be terminated and declined to finance the purchase. According to Pakistani security and diplomatic sources,...

Maria Corina Machado Pushes for Free Elections in Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she expects to return to Venezuela before the end of 2026 and is calling for faster action toward free and fair elections, according to an interview with Reuters....

Science

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...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Tesla Q1 Earnings Preview: Robotaxi Delays and SpaceX Merger Speculation Grow

Teslas upcoming first-quarter earnings report, expected Wednesday, may do little to ease investor concerns about the companys long-promised robotaxi strategy. According to analysts at Jefferies, the widening gap between...

Elon Musk Faces French Probe Over X and Grok Amid Rising U.S.-EU Tensions

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is expected to face questioning by French prosecutors as part of an ongoing investigation into his social media platform X and its AI chatbot Grok, a case that could intensify tensions between...

Chinese Robotics Stocks React as Humanoid Robot Marathon Sparks Competition Concerns

Chinese robotics stocks showed mixed performance on Monday after a high-profile humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing highlighted rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics technology. The event drew...

Huawei Expands Vietnam Presence Through Strategic Partnership with SHB Bank

Vietnams Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinas Huawei Technologies Group, marking a significant step in the tech giants expansion within Vietnams growing...

SK Hynix Launches 192GB SOCAMM2 Memory for Nvidia’s Next-Gen AI Chips

SK Hynix Inc (KS:000660) has announced the mass production of its latest high-performance memory module, the 192GB SOCAMM2, specifically designed to support Nvidias upcoming Vera Rubin artificial intelligence platform....