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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

Trump Secures Russian Diesel Deal as US Fuel Prices Surge

US President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia had agreed to immediately supply diesel to American and global markets, aiming to ease soaring fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. However, energy...

Gold Prices Hit One-Week High as Oil Falls, Fed Rate Outlook Weighed

Gold prices climbed for a second consecutive session on Friday, reaching a one-week high as declining oil prices strengthened demand for the precious metal. Investors also assessed the Federal Reserves interest rate...

US Dollar Rises for Fourth Week as Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow

The U.S. dollar extended its winning streak to four consecutive weeks, supported by expectations of additional Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and growing concerns over Europes fiscal stability. Meanwhile, the euro...

Oil Prices Slip as Trump Rules Out Iran Strike Before Midterms

Oil prices edged lower on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would not launch military strikes against Iran before the November midterm elections, easing concerns over potential disruptions to Middle...

Asian Stocks Mixed as OpenAI Revenue Concerns Hit Chipmakers

Asian stock markets traded unevenly on Friday as semiconductor shares declined following fresh concerns about OpenAIs revenue outlook, while rising oil prices and volatile bond markets weighed on investor sentiment. The...

Politics

Flydubai Co-Pilot Planned Suicide Attack on Israel Airport, UAE Says

An Omani flydubai co-pilot allegedly planned to hijack a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and crash the aircraft into a terminal at Israels Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide attack on September 30, according to UAE prosecutors. UAE...

Trump Sanctions International Criminal Court, Sparking EU Backlash

US President Donald Trumps administration imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, escalating tensions with European allies and raising concerns over the future of international...

JD Vance Questions Pentagon Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution

US Vice President JD Vance expressed uncertainty Friday over the Pentagons controversial plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood...

Trump Cancels Alabama Football Trip as Hurricane Isaias Approaches

US President Donald Trump canceled his planned visit to Alabama on Saturday to attend a highly anticipated college football game between Georgia and Alabama, citing safety concerns as Hurricane Isaias approaches the Gulf...

Zelenskiy Slams US-Russia Diesel Deal as Funding War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has strongly criticized a new US-Russia diesel supply agreement, warning that the deal could provide Moscow with additional financial resources to sustain its ongoing war against...

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

Robinhood Chain Eyes Priority Gas Auctions for Faster Trades

Robinhood Chain, the Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain designed for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), is reportedly considering a new transaction-ordering system that would allow traders to pay additional fees for faster trade...

Zcash Plans Quantum-Resistant Security Upgrade for January

Zcash (ZEC) developers are preparing to introduce quantum-resistant security features in January 2027, aiming to protect cryptocurrency wallets against potential threats from advanced quantum computing and artificial...

Apple Cuts iPhone 18 Pro Production Orders Amid Weak Demand

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has reportedly instructed several suppliers to reduce component production for its newly released iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, signaling potential challenges for the companys latest...

OpenAI Revenue Hits $50 Billion, Below Earlier $70 Billion Estimate

OpenAI has informed investors that its annualized revenue reached nearly $50 billion in September, significantly below the $70 billion previously indicated, according to a Reuters report on Thursday. The revised figure...

Trump Buys Up to $25M in Meta Stock, Invests in SpaceX Debt

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) shares briefly climbed more than 1% after President Donald Trumps latest financial disclosure revealed a stock purchase worth up to $25 million. The shares later trimmed their gains as...