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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 / SOCCER SCENE
Jan 21, 2015
Japan gathering steam as Asian Cup gets down to business
There is certainly room for improvement as Japan takes the defense of its Asian Cup title into the quarterfinals on Friday, but the way the team has improved with each performance so far in Australia suggests the best is yet to come.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jan 15, 2015
JFA won't answer to reports on match-fixing case involving Aguirre until after Asian Cup
The Japan Football Association will wait until Japan's ongoing Asian Cup campaign has finished before responding to reports that a match-fixing case involving manager Javier Aguirre will go to court, JFA president Kuniya Daini said Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jan 12, 2015
Houllier challenges Japan to raise game
Former Liverpool and France manager Gerard Houllier has urged Japan to cast aside its inferiority complex and close the gap on the world's leading soccer nations.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jan 12, 2015
Houllier challenges Japan to take next step
Former Liverpool and France manager Gerard Houllier has urged Japan to cast aside its inferiority complex and close the gap on the world's leading soccer nations.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jan 7, 2015
Japan looking to put troubles on back burner at Asian Cup
Preparations could hardly have been more disrupted as Japan gets ready to defend its Asian Cup title, but that is all likely to be forgotten once the tournament kicks off on Friday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 27, 2014
Japan manager Aguirre protests innocence over match-fixing allegations
National team manager Javier Aguirre launched an impassioned defense of his integrity as he broke his silence over match-fixing allegations on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 18, 2014
JFA retains Aguirre for Asian Cup
Javier Aguirre will manage Japan at the Asian Cup in January despite being named as a defendant in a match-fixing case filed by Spanish prosecutors earlier this week, the Japan Football Association confirmed on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 13, 2014
Gamba claim treble
Gamba Osaka completed a remarkable trophy treble by beating Montedio Yamagata 3-1 to lift the Emperor's Cup on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 10, 2014
Gamba back on top after riding formidable wave of form
The notion of Gamba Osaka winning the 2014 J. League title was laughable when the club went into the World Cup break in the relegation zone, but after lifting the trophy on Saturday it is difficult to deny they deserved it.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 26, 2014
Vital Gamba win over Urawa breathes new life into title race
Gamba Osaka manager Kenta Hasegawa said he wanted to make the J. League title race interesting in Saturday's game against Urawa Reds, and after watching his team blow the field wide open with a 2-0 win over the league leaders, his wish was certainly granted.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 22, 2014
Gamba keep title hopes alive
Gamba Osaka launched a late smash-and-grab raid to blow the J. League title race wide open with a 2-0 win over Urawa Reds on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 12, 2014
Aguirre's experiments on back burner as Asian Cup looms
Japan manager Javier Aguirre is running out of time to build a team for January's Asian Cup, but the Mexican will hope that the return of several familiar faces for two friendlies over the coming week can provide instant solutions.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 8, 2014
Gamba win Nabisco Cup
Gamba Osaka lifted the Nabisco Cup after coming from two goals down to beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-2 on Saturday, stoking hopes of a trophy treble.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 2, 2014
S-Pulse stay afloat by beating Frontale
Substitute Kazuya Murata injected dramatic new life into Shimizu S-Pulse's J1 survival bid with a 90th-minute goal to seal a 3-2 win over Kawasaki Frontale on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 29, 2014
Urawa, Gamba break clear of pack
Stranger things have happened in the J. League, but with four games of the season remaining, the title race is now almost certainly down to two teams.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 26, 2014
Cerezo, Marinos settle for scoreless draw
Cerezo Osaka failed to seize the initiative in their fight against relegation after being held to a 0-0 draw by Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 18, 2014
Antlers squander lead twice in defeat to Reysol
Kashima Antlers wasted a glorious chance to make up ground in the J. League title race after twice throwing away a lead before conceding in the 90th minute to lose 3-2 to Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Oct 8, 2014
Aguirre focuses on team building
Javier Aguirre will be looking for positive performances in Japan's friendlies against Jamaica and Brazil over the coming week, but after failing to register a win in his first two games as manager, positive results would be even more welcome.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 1, 2014
Leading group sheds makeweights as season gets down to nitty-gritty
The last few weeks have whittled down the list of genuine contenders for this year's J. League title, but choosing a winner with eight games left is still far from straightforward.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 23, 2014
Struggling Sagan Tosu fall nine points behind Urawa Reds in standings
Sagan Tosu lost further ground in the J. League title race after a 2-0 defeat to Kashiwa Reysol on Tuesday night left them nine points adrift of leaders Urawa Reds.
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’

Longform

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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JNTO promotes sustainable tourism initiatives

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