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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

Australia Extends Fuel Sulphur Relaxation Amid Iran War Supply Disruptions

Australia has extended its temporary easing of fuel-quality standards through September, as ongoing disruptions from the Iran war continue to strain the countrys fuel supply chains. Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed...

Stocks Surge as Strait of Hormuz Reopens, Oil Prices Plunge

U.S. stock markets closed sharply higher on Friday as easing Middle East tensions and the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz sent investor confidence soaring. The SP 500 gained 1.2% to finish at 7,125.36, the...

Oil Prices Plunge as Strait of Hormuz Reopens Amid U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Talks

Global oil prices fell sharply on Friday after Iran and the United States jointly announced the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing fears over a major disruption to the worlds oil supply. Brent crude...

Dollar Retreats as Strait of Hormuz Reopens, Easing Safe-Haven Demand

The U.S. dollar surrendered most of its war-driven gains on Friday after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz was completely open, reducing the safe-haven appeal that had propped up the currency since the U.S.-Iran conflict...

IMF Warns Middle East War to Deepen Economic Divide Across Latin America and Caribbean

The ongoing Middle East conflict is expected to widen economic inequality across Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the International Monetary Fund. While oil-exporting nations stand to gain short-term...

Politics

Trump's Iran Claims Spark Market Confusion Over Strait of Hormuz

Global financial markets and world leaders are navigating a wave of cautious optimism mixed with uncertainty after President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations, including what he described as...

Anthropic CEO Meets Trump Officials to Discuss Powerful New AI Model Mythos

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei sat down with senior Trump administration officials last Friday in what analysts are calling a pivotal move to repair a strained relationship between the AI company and the federal government....

Trump and IRS in Settlement Talks Over $10 Billion Tax Return Leak Lawsuit

Donald Trumps legal team and the Internal Revenue Service are reportedly engaged in settlement negotiations over a $10 billion federal lawsuit stemming from the unauthorized disclosure of the presidents private tax...

UNICEF Condemns Killing of Aid Workers Delivering Water in Gaza

The United Nations childrens agency UNICEF has expressed outrage following the fatal shooting of two contracted truck drivers who were delivering clean water to families in the Gaza Strip. The deadly incident occurred on...

Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz Amid Fragile Ceasefire and Ongoing Nuclear Tensions

Iran has temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, sparking cautious optimism in global markets. However, Tehran issued a stark warning...

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

Apple Wins ITC Ruling, Keeping Blood-Oxygen Feature on Apple Watch

A U.S. trade tribunal sided with Apple on Friday, rejecting Masimo Corporations push to reinstate an import ban on Apple Watch. The U.S. International Trade Commission chose not to review an earlier judges ruling that...

OpenAI's $20 Billion Cerebras Deal Signals Massive AI Infrastructure Push

OpenAI is reportedly set to spend over $20 billion with AI chip startup Cerebras over the next three years, marking a significant expansion of an already substantial computing partnership. According to The Information, the...

Tesla's Terafab: AI Chip Factory Eyes Taiwan's Semiconductor Talent

Tesla is actively recruiting semiconductor engineers in Taiwan for its ambitious Terafab project a fully vertically integrated AI chip manufacturing facility that aims to consolidate logic, memory, packaging, testing, and...

Japan to Subsidize Sony's Image Sensor Plant in Kumamoto with $380 Million

The Japanese government has announced plans to provide Sony with subsidies of up to 60 billion yen, equivalent to approximately $380 million, to support the construction of an image sensor manufacturing facility in...

NiSource Signs Long-Term Energy Deals with Alphabet and Amazon to Power Indiana Data Centers

NiSource, a U.S. utility company, has secured a long-term energy supply agreement with an Alphabet subsidiary to power a major data center in northern Indiana. The announcement also included an expanded partnership with...