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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

Gold Holds Near Two-Month High as Treasury Yields Fall

Gold prices remained close to a more than two-month high on Thursday as falling U.S. Treasury yields, a softer dollar and expectations for easier financial conditions boosted demand for the precious metal. Spot gold...

Oil Prices Rise as Trump Threatens Tougher Iran Economic Measures

Oil prices climbed on Thursday, extending their winning streak to five sessions as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over global crude supply. Brent crude futures gained 0.3% to...

Australia Unemployment Rate Hits 4.5% as Jobs Fall in July

Australias unemployment rate climbed to 4.5% in July, signaling further weakness in the labor market and potentially influencing the Reserve Bank of Australias (RBA) interest rate decision at its September meeting....

Japan Trade Deficit Widens as Imports Surge on Energy and AI Demand

Japan recorded a trade deficit of 634.58 billion yen ($4.01 billion) in July as strong export growth was outweighed by an even sharper rise in imports, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. The July trade deficit...

Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Weakens After Treasury Bond Buybacks

Asian currencies stabilized on Thursday following strong gains in the previous session, while the U.S. dollar remained under pressure as investors assessed Washingtons efforts to ease volatility in the Treasury bond...

Politics

South Korea Estimates North Korea Has Up to 120 Nuclear Warheads

South Korea estimates that North Korea may possess between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday, offering a significantly higher range than U.S. President Donald Trumps recent figure of...

Australia Summons Israeli Ambassador Over Gaza Aid Worker Death

Australia has summoned Israels ambassador and condemned the Israeli militarys decision not to pursue criminal proceedings over the 2024 Gaza airstrike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her World...

Trump Threatens Economic Penalties on Countries Supporting Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened sweeping economic consequences against countries providing what he described as a lifeline to Iran, escalating pressure nearly six months into the U.S.-Israel war with Tehran. The...

Russia Strikes Kyiv With Drones and Airstrikes, Targets Military Facilities

Russia launched a series of airstrikes and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region, targeting military and logistics facilities, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. In a statement published on Telegram, the...

Trump Threatens ‘Crushing’ Iran Sanctions as Hormuz Standoff Deepens

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that Washington is preparing tougher economic restrictions on Iran as tensions between the two countries continue over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that countries...

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

Samsung Eyes $72 Billion Shareholder Return Plan as AI Chip Boom Fuels Profits

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing a new shareholder return policy worth more than 100 trillion won ($71.75 billion), as booming demand for artificial intelligence chips drives expectations of record profits at...

SK Hynix Shares Surge on Record $28.6 Billion Buyback

SK Hynix shares staged a strong rebound on Thursday after the South Korean memory-chip giant announced a record 40 trillion won ($28.6 billion) share buyback and cancellation plan, providing fresh confidence to investors...

OpenAI Revenue Rises 18% in Q2 as Losses Widen and Anthropic Surges Ahead

OpenAI reported an 18% increase in second-quarter revenue, but widening losses and rapid growth at rival Anthropic are adding pressure on the ChatGPT maker, according to The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI told investors that...

Unitree Robotics Shares Soar Over 600% in Shanghai Market Debut

Unitree Robotics shares skyrocketed in their Shanghai stock market debut on Wednesday, highlighting surging investor interest in Chinas robotics and artificial intelligence sectors. The Chinese humanoid robot maker saw its...

Goldman Sachs Names 9 Top Japanese Semiconductor and Electronics Stocks

Goldman Sachs has identified nine Japanese semiconductor and electronic components stocks it believes are well positioned for growth, particularly as artificial intelligence and data center demand accelerates. The bank...