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July 28, 2024
 

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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
Jun 12, 2015
Win over Iraq helps Samurai Blue rebuild confidence
Keisuke Honda admits Japan is still suffering mental "damage" from last year's World Cup and needs more wins like Thursday's 4-0 thrashing of Iraq to exorcize the demons.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jun 11, 2015
Japan trounces Iraq in friendly
Japan warmed up for the start of its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a ruthless 4-0 win over Iraq in a friendly on Thursday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 10, 2015
Halilhodzic looking to build on strong start as qualifiers begin
It would be unthinkable for Japan to begin its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with anything other than a win at home to Singapore next Tuesday, but manager Vahid Halilhodzic will be looking for more from his team than just three points.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2015
National Stadium architects reject reports they may be fired
The architects behind Tokyo's new National Stadium deny reports that they may be fired from the project as criticism mounts over the building's cost and appearance.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 7, 2015
Reds close in on first-stage title
Urawa Reds as good as wrapped up the J. League first-stage title but were forced to leave the champagne on ice after beating Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 30, 2015
Patric's late goal gives Gamba a draw with Marinos
Gamba Osaka substitute Patric scored in the 95th minute to claim a 1-1 draw and deny Yokohama F. Marinos a fifth straight J. League win on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 28, 2015
Early summer shifts have merit but experts see overtime, family disruption risks
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping to kick-start a summer of love by shifting work hours forward in order to free up time in the evenings for families to spend together.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 23, 2015
Urawa shows mettle in victory over Kashima
Urawa Reds took a significant step toward the J. League first stage title after coming from behind to beat Kashima Antlers 2-1 on Saturday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 15, 2015
Astroscale opens lab in Tokyo in bid to clean up space junk
A Singapore-based company that aims to sweep junk from space has expanded to Tokyo and has handed its biggest broom to 32-year-old female President Miki Ito.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 6, 2015
Streaking Sanfrecce beat Frontale for fifth straight win
Sanfrecce Hiroshima picked up their fifth straight win with a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory over Kawasaki Frontale on Wednesday to move one point off the top of the J. League table.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 2, 2015
Reds beat Gamba in showdown between J. League's top two teams
Zlatan Ljubijankic scored with six minutes remaining to keep Urawa Reds on top of the J. League with a 1-0 win over closest rival Gamba Osaka on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 25, 2015
Reds build three-point cushion atop J. League table
Urawa Reds extended their lead at the top of the J. League table with a comfortable 2-1 win over Nagoya Grampus on Saturday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 24, 2015
Apple Watch debuts in Japan with little fanfare
The much-hyped Apple Watch went on sale to a muted fanfare Friday as shoppers came to terms with limited availability of the tech giant's first wearable gadget.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 22, 2015
Gamba, Reds force way to top again
The J. League season is only six games old, but already there is a familiar look about both the top and bottom of the table.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Apr 18, 2015
Japan, Belarus tied after opening day of Fed Cup World Group II playoff
Kurumi Nara won her singles match to cancel out former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka's victory in the opening rubber as Japan and Belarus ended the first day of their Fed Cup World Group II playoff on Saturday tied at 1-1.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2015
Thais flock to Japan for holiday, ignore freeze on flight increases
Thai tourists took advantage of a weaker yen and relaxed visa restrictions to flock to Japan over the three-day Songkran holiday ending Wednesday, but a temporary freeze on Thai flight increases to the country was likely to impact numbers.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 12, 2015
Chelsea target Muto sends FC Tokyo joint-top of J. League table
Chelsea target Yoshinori Muto lived up to his billing with the winning goal as FC Tokyo beat Shonan Bellmare 1-0 on Sunday to move joint-top of the J. League table.
Japan Times
Rugby
Apr 4, 2015
Brave Blossoms qualify for Tokyo Sevens quarterfinals
Japan came through a group including France, Samoa and Argentina to advance to the quarterfinals of a Sevens World Series tournament for the first time since 2000 at the Tokyo Sevens on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Apr 1, 2015
Halilhodzic warns against complacency after Uzbekistan rout
New national team manager Vahid Halilhodzic hailed his players' efforts after Tuesday's 5-1 thrashing of Uzbekistan, but warned they will have to prove themselves all over again when he picks his next squad.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Mar 31, 2015
Japan trounces Uzbekistan in friendly
Japan turned on the style to sweep Uzbekistan aside 5-1 on Tuesday night and give new manager Vahid Halilhodzic the perfect start with two wins out of two.
Japan's population continues to fall even as foreign resident count rises
The number of residents in Tokyo as of Jan. 1 rose by 0.03% from a year before, data shows, marking a year-on-year increase for the first time in three years, while the country's other 46 prefectures saw their populations continue to decline.
Ahead of the Olympics, Japan is still talking about the gymnast who won't be there
Japan's Shoko Miyata withdrew from the gymnastics team herself over her drinking and smoking, although it had already appeared as though the association was prepared to send her home from the team’s training camp in Monaco.
Yen melt-up nudges Japanese stocks into correction territory
Japanese stocks are down 10% from their July peak as the yen strengthens.
‘Crazy’ yen rally is at risk of shattering as soon as Wednesday
Some investors are warning that a yen rally is fragile, as was on show this week when the yen rapidly retraced an advance after Thursday’s stronger-than-expected U.S. economic growth figures.
Paris Olympics kick off with rain-soaked — but grandiose — opening ceremony
Japan's 2024 Olympic team moves down the Seine River in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday.
The Japanese Olympians looking to shine in Paris
Rim Nakamura, who is attempting to win Japan's first Olympic gold medal in cycling, will be one of the top Japanese athletes to watch at the Paris Games.
Japan’s minimum wage set for record ¥50 hike in major boost
Demonstrators rally to demand a big hike in minimum wages in Tokyo last week.
Japan loses top spot on strongest passport list to Singapore
Japan had the strongest passport for six years running from 2018, before being dethroned by Singapore on the 2024 list.
Why Japan's mysterious stash of classified funds escapes scrutiny
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (right) during a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan eyes gold — and the future — as Olympic men's soccer campaign begins
Japan midfielder Yu Hirakawa controls the ball during a match against the United States in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 11.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals
By Alex K.T. Martin

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