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 Andrew MCKIRDY

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Andrew MCKIRDY
Andrew McKirdy is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His main beat is soccer, but he has also covered rugby, tennis, volleyball, golf and even tug-of-war. A native of the Scottish Borders, he has written for The Scotsman newspaper and organized filming for a program on Japanese soccer for ITV television.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Nov 26, 2017
Urawa breathes sigh of relief after exorcizing demons in ACL final
Urawa Reds lifted the Asian Champions League trophy for the first time in a decade on Saturday — then breathed a sigh of relief that they had not let their fans down again.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Nov 25, 2017
Urawa Reds clinch Asian Champions League title on late goal against Al Hilal
Urawa Reds claimed the Asian Champions League title for the first time in a decade after Rafael Silva scored in the 88th minute to seal a 2-1 aggregate win over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal with a 1-0 final second-leg win on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2017
Japan's lowriders get a little higher
The scene at Makuhari Messe could be at the Louvre — if the Louvre were to pump hip-hop throughout its galleries and have half-naked women posing beside its exhibits.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 18, 2017
Frontale keep title hopes alive
Kawasaki Frontale defender Elsinho scored in the 82nd minute to keep the J. League title race alive for at least another round with a 1-0 win over Gamba Osaka on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 8, 2017
Competition heats up as Japan prepares for top-class tests
National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic demanded strong friendly opposition to help prepare Japan for next summer's World Cup, and this coming week's two fixtures certainly fit the bill.
Japan Times
Rugby
Nov 4, 2017
Wallabies crush Brave Blossoms
Two-time Rugby World Cup winner Australia handed 2019 host Japan a harsh lesson two years ahead of the tournament with a 63-30 win in Yokohama on Saturday.
Japan Times
Rugby
Nov 2, 2017
Rugby World Cup schedule unveiled in Tokyo
Japan will play the winner of the European qualifying competition in the opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium on Sept. 20, as organizers announced the full tournament schedule on Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2017
Tokyo 2020 organizers mark 1,000 days until Olympic Games begin
Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizers on Saturday marked 1,000 days to go before the games begin with a parade and demonstrations of new Olympic sports in the city's Nihonbashi district.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 25, 2017
Fight for J1 survival taking toll on strugglers
This year's J. League title race has become a two-team duel between Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale, but the picture at the other end of the table is not quite so clear.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 21, 2017
Antlers stumble against Marinos, lose grip on title race
Kashima Antlers saw their stranglehold on the J. League title race loosen after a 3-2 defeat to Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 19, 2017
Reds look to change image in ACL final
Urawa Reds defender Tomoaki Makino hailed his team's composure and resilience after holding off star-studded Shanghai SIPG to book its place in the Asian Champions League final on Wednesday night.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2017
New IPC head 'very happy' about progress made to date for 2020 Tokyo Paralympics
During a two-day review of progress for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, IPC President Andrew Parsons sees preparations coming together successfully.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 18, 2017
Urawa beats Shanghai to reach Asian Champions League final
Urawa Reds advanced to the final of the Asian Champions League for the first time since 2007 with a 2-1 aggregate win over China's Shanghai SIPG after winning Wednesday's semifinal second leg 1-0.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 14, 2017
Yu Kobayashi delivers late brace as Frontale shock Vegalta
Yu Kobayashi scored a late double as 10-man Kawasaki Frontale kept their J. League title hopes alive with a stunning 3-2 win over Vegalta Sendai on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 11, 2017
Halilhodzic warns Japan to shape up before Brazil, Belgium tests
National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic branded Japan's 3-3 draw with Haiti on Tuesday "the worst match I have seen" and warned his players to shape up or be humiliated in next month's friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 10, 2017
Shinji Kagawa's injury-time goal gives Japan draw with Haiti
Shinji Kagawa scored deep into injury time to save Japan from an embarrassing defeat in a 3-3 friendly draw with minnow Haiti on Tuesday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 8, 2017
'King Kazu' wants to continue reign
Fifty-year-old soccer legend Kazuyoshi Miura insists he has no plans to retire any time soon, even joking that the day he stops will be "the day I die."
Japan Times
TENNIS
Oct 7, 2017
Mannarino, Goffin advance to Japan Open men's final
Unseeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino stunned top seed Marin Cilic 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday to book his place in the Japan Open final against Belgium's David Goffin.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Oct 4, 2017
Drifting: Japan-born street sport roars onto global stage
The first thing you notice at a drifting competition is the noise — a crazed shriek of engines punctuated by the sudden firecracker pop of an exhaust pipe under extreme duress.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 24, 2017
Wozniacki captures third Pan Pacific crown
Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki captured the Toray Pan Pacific Open title for the third time after beating unseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 7-5 in Sunday's final.

Longform

A woman passes an "akichi" (vacant lot) in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The capital is littered with such small lots in part because of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
Dealing with rising land vacancies as Japan shrinks