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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 / J. League
Feb 24, 2013
Sato strike sends Sanfrecce past Reysol in Xerox Super Cup
Reigning J. League player of the year Hisato Sato lit up the Xerox Super Cup with a spectacular goal to give league champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima a 1-0 win over Emperor's Cup holders Kashiwa Reysol in the 2013 season curtain-raiser on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 23, 2013
Sanfrecce, Reysol ready to sqare off in Xerox Super Cup
Sanfrecce Hiroshima manager Hajime Moriyasu urges his team to forget last year's historic J. League title triumph and start afresh in Saturday's 2013 season curtain-raising Xerox Super Cup match against Kashiwa Reysol.
Japan Times
SUMO
Feb 20, 2013
Harumafuji dreaming big after overcoming early setback
Yokozuna Harumafuji insists the prospect of being forced to retire never once crossed his mind ahead of last month's dominating victory at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, but the Mongolian refuses to speculate on how much more success he can achieve before he calls it a day.
Japan Times
SUMO
Feb 19, 2013
Harumafuji saddened by bullying incidents
Yokozuna Harumafuji on Monday condemned the recent incidents of corporal punishment that have shocked Japanese society, but insisted parents must take responsibility for ensuring their children are able to stand up for themselves.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 8, 2013
Firebrand Okubo targeting title at new home Frontale
Yoshito Okubo is looking forward to a new challenge after joining Kawasaki Frontale ahead of the new J. League season, but the fiery forward is not about to tone down his style just because of a change in surroundings.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jan 31, 2013
Japan looking to lay down marker for 2013 in Latvia friendly
...
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 24, 2013
Tokyo goalkeeper Gonda sets bar high for coming season
FC Tokyo goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda is far too modest to accept the plaudits that have come his way after a string of fine performances for club and country last season, but there is certainly nothing humble about his ambitions for the year ahead.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 20, 2013
Hosho captures high school soccer title in shootout win over Tachibana
Hosho of Miyazaki came through a penalty shootout to win the National High School Soccer Championship for the first time with a 5-3 victory over Kyoto Tachibana after a 2-2 draw in Saturday's final.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 17, 2013
Promoted teams hoping to buck trend with J1 survival
Teams around the J. League have been busy parading their winter recruits this week, but if the recent travails of several promoted sides are anything to go by, this year's J1 new boys will need all the reinforcements they can get.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jan 10, 2013
Kagawa returns to changed landscape at high-flying United
Shinji Kagawa will not have expected anything to come easy when he joined Manchester United last summer, but having returned from injury over the holiday period to a team that has been winning in his absence, the forward will have to work overtime to establish himself at Old Trafford.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 30, 2012
Reysol, Gamba advance to Emperor's Cup final
Kashiwa Reysol set up a New Year's Day Emperor's Cup final showdown with Gamba Osaka after beating Yokohama F. Marinos 1-0 on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 20, 2012
Departure of Club World Cup strips Japan of valuable asset
The Club World Cup undoubtedly has its flaws, but as the competition ends its long association with Japan to set up home in Morocco for the next two years, the Japanese game would do well to consider what it is losing.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 18, 2012
Jubilant Corinthians on cloud nine after CWC victory
Corinthians defender Paulo Andre paid tribute to his team's formidable supporters after beating Chelsea to win the Club World Cup on Sunday night, framing it as a victory for the Brazilian people over the aristocrats of European soccer.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 17, 2012
Guerrero carries Corinthians to CWC title against Chelsea
Paolo Guerrero headed home a 69th-minute winner to crown Corinthians world champions for the second time with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 16, 2012
Corinthians face major challenge against Chelsea
Corinthians manager Tite is aiming to channel the passion of his club's fanatical supporters in Sunday's Club World Cup final, but warns that Chelsea will need no second invitation to exploit any lapse in his players' resolve.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 15, 2012
Chelsea takes aim at Corinthians after reaching CWC final
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is determined to prove the superiority of European soccer in Sunday's Club World Cup final, but warns that Brazilian opponents Corinthians have the samba magic to jeopardize his side's plans for global domination.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 14, 2012
Chelsea punches ticket to Club World Cup final
European champions Chelsea cruised into a Club World Cup final showdown against Corinthians after beating Mexico's Monterrey 3-1 in their semifinal on Thursday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 13, 2012
Chelsea ready to rise to challenge at Club World Cup
Chelsea defender Gary Cahill admits he is only now beginning to realize how badly rival teams want to win the Club World Cup this week, and is taking nothing for granted in Thursday's semifinal against Monterrey.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 11, 2012
Benitez plays down pressure as Chelsea arrives for Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez insists his side is under no extra pressure to win the Club World Cup this week after making an early exit from the Champions League, shrugging off speculation he may lose his job less than three weeks after taking over on an interim basis.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 7, 2012
Aoyama strike carries Sanfrecce into Club World Cup quarterfinals
J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima secured safe passage into the Club World Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over New Zealand's Auckland City in the tournament opener on Thursday.
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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