Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
@takutamaki.bsky.social
800 followers 790 following 330 posts
Political Scientist at Loughborough University, specializing in International Relations of East Asia & Japan's foreign relations. Also exploring applying the ideas of Watsuji Tetsuro to IR theorizing. And a soft spot for railways.
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takutamaki.bsky.social
今回の東急の事故、「欧米の鉄道は事故前提で設計されていてけしからん」云々と言う輩に再考の機会になるかなとも思いしや、いや、それは所詮無理なことなんだろうな、と思う。
takutamaki.bsky.social
A glitch in the space-time continuum at Leicester.
takutamaki.bsky.social
日本が少子高齢化を脱せない理由がまた一つここに。
asahi.com
高市氏の「WLB捨てる」発言 過労死遺族は驚き「影響力考えて」
www.asahi.com/articles/AST...

高市氏の「私自身もワーク・ライフ・バランスという言葉を捨てる」と発言したことに対し、夫を過労死で亡くし、日本の状況を変えようと取り組んできた女性 は「国のトップに立とうとする人の発言とは思えない」と驚きます。
高市氏の「WLB捨てる」発言 過労死遺族は驚き「影響力考えて」:朝日新聞
高市早苗氏は自民党の新総裁に選ばれた後、党所属の国会議員を前にしたあいさつで「私自身もワーク・ライフ・バランス(WLB)という言葉を捨てる。働いて、働いて、働いて、働いて、働いていく」と述べた。 こ…
www.asahi.com
Reposted by Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
bylinetimes.bsky.social
🚨EXCLUSIVE

‘Thick as Thieves’: Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage’s Putin Problem

Insiders reveal that the former MEP - convicted of bribery for his part in the Kremlin’s strategic plan to crush Ukrainian independence - was one of Farage’s closest aides
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/04/t...
‘Thick as Thieves’: Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage’s Putin Problem
Far from being distant from the Reform UK Leader, insiders told Byline Times that the former MEP convicted of bribery was one of Farage’s closest aides – and that he worked on the Kremlin’s strategic ...
bylinetimes.com
takutamaki.bsky.social
Japan's LDP makes the same mistake made by other right-of-centre parties in the West.

Imitating bigots and racists will only result in handing power to them.

The Japanese extreme right's cut & paste prewar nationalism will lead Japan into darkness.

Dark days ahead for Japan.
takutamaki.bsky.social
"The announcement comes against the backdrop of China’s growing rail infrastructure development near India’s northeastern borders, with the Indian government accelerating efforts to strengthen connectivity in the region in recent years."

www.railjournal.com/infrastructu...
India to build cross-border lines to Bhutan
India will finance and construct two cross-border rail links with Bhutan worth Rs 46bn that will boost passenger and freight traffic.
www.railjournal.com
takutamaki.bsky.social
Now, that's something.

To be honest though, I am more of a Kirin Ichiban-shibori guy myself....
Reposted by Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
paperghost.bsky.social
i've seen so many articles on this today, and not a single one so far has pointed out that where "not taking any benefits payments" is concerned, you have no access to public funds on a visa. this has been the case for years. but nobody, from the BBC down, will challenge this or anything else
nisreenalwan.bsky.social
To say that you will ‘have to volunteer’ to be eligible for settled status even if working full time as a doctor or nurse for example is not really volunteering because it would not be voluntary. The govt should call it something else if they want to enforce it.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Shabana Mahmood to demand migrants earn right to settled status
New tests will include learning English to a high standard, paying National Insurance and not claiming benefits.
www.bbc.co.uk
takutamaki.bsky.social
danielsohege.bsky.social
Migrants already "earn the right to settlement" through extortionate visa costs, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds. They prop up key services, including through the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Pushing the hostile environment on steroids helps no-one.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Mahmood demands migrants earn right to settlement in UK
New tests will include learning English to a high standard, paying National Insurance and not claiming benefits.
www.bbc.co.uk
takutamaki.bsky.social
"Being in work
Not taking a penny in benefits
No criminal record"

For most ILR applications, these are the conditions. Shows how politicians are ignorant of existing immigration rules.

Ignorance breeds hatred.
paulbrand.bsky.social
Mahmood says she will introduce new conditions for indefinite leave to remain:

Lived here 10 years not 5
Being in work
Not taking a penny in benefits
No criminal record
Giving back to community eg volunteering
takutamaki.bsky.social
If you imitate the fascists, you are giving them a free ticket to power.
theipaper.com
The Home Secretary is understood to be considering applying the policy to deal with concerns about the so-called ‘Boriswave'.

Read more: trib.al/WewVODg
Reposted by Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
johnspringford.bsky.social
Government breaking its promise if it's true. The FT says it may not be applied retrospectively. Which is it?
Reposted by Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
iandunt.bsky.social
If she does this, the gap between her policy and Farage's will narrow considerably. Retrospective legislation is the choice of tinpot dictators and intellectual vegetables. It means no-one could take Britain's word seriously.
theipaper.com
The Home Secretary is understood to be considering applying the policy to deal with concerns about the so-called ‘Boriswave'.

Read more: trib.al/WewVODg
takutamaki.bsky.social
"[CAF] it says it has followed in the projects it has worked on in the city, which it says do not violate human rights but offer a positive contribution to the entire population, including the Arab minority."

Well, let's see....

www.railjournal.com/regions/midd...
CAF defends role in Jerusalem light rail project
Spanish manufacturer defends role in Jerusalem light rail project as criticism of foreign companies active in Israel grows.
www.railjournal.com
Reposted by Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
aljazeera.com
BREAKING: Gaza’s Health Ministry warns hospitals in the besieged enclave are “entering an extremely dangerous phase” due to fuel shortages.

🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/wjw4fe
Reposted by Taku Tamaki, PhD 🎌🇬🇧🌏🚄😷
davidheniguk.bsky.social
Populism gets the clicks. Until we sort that out, very hard to see how we climb out of a widespread political mess.
takutamaki.bsky.social
If and when they win the next election--which is not unlikely--this becomes the only choice.
nialloconghaile.bsky.social
Lastly, for Europeans in the UK, it is time to reconsider your position, esp. given the lack of constitutional-tyor protections for your positon, more so if UK leaves ECHR.

You can't vote.

Vote with your feet.

Ends
takutamaki.bsky.social
However, given how ordinary British voters do not seem to know the details of immigration policy, I will not be surprised if this proposal actually appeals to a significant proportion of the electorate.

And I won't be surprised if this actually happens.
jdportes.bsky.social
The unravelling of Reform's xenophobic and half-baked proposals on ILR would be ideal time for Govt to say its own proposals, which I described as "not just unfair and vindictive, but economically irrational" will *not* apply retrospectively to migrants already here.

ukandeu.ac.uk/immigration_...
Immigration is down, should the government be happy? - UK in a changing Europe
Jonathan Portes analyses the latest ONS immigration statistics. He argues that net migration has dropped significantly, but that this will expose the...
ukandeu.ac.uk
takutamaki.bsky.social
Are you sure you have enough motive power?