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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
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 12, 2018
War games: Examining the fascination with recreational airsoft combat games in Japan
I know that scores of heavily armed people are out there lying in wait to shoot me, but I can't see them.
Japan Times
Rugby
May 12, 2018
Sunwolves rout Reds for first win of season
The Sunwolves picked up their first win of the Super Rugby season in barnstorming style with a 63-28 demolition of the Reds on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 9, 2018
Amazing transformation puts Sanfrecce firmly in driver's seat
No one who watched Sanfrecce Hiroshima barely avoid relegation last season could have imagined that they would top the J. League table after 13 games of the 2018 campaign.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 5, 2018
Kosuke Ota sparks FC Tokyo in victory over Kawasaki Frontale
Kosuke Ota produced two free kick assists as FC Tokyo kept up its strong J. League form with a 2-0 win over defending champions Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Apr 27, 2018
Vahid Halilhodzic says firing was a 'shock'
Former national team manager Vahid Halilhodzic insisted Friday that he still had not "found out the truth" as to why he was fired two months before he was set to lead Japan at the World Cup.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2018
IOC to remain 'politically neutral' toward North Korea's involvement in 2020 Tokyo Olympics: vice president
International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates stressed Tuesday that the IOC will remain "politically neutral" toward North Korea's participation at the 2020 Tokyo Games and will not try to force the government to accept non-sporting visitors.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 21, 2018
Frontale heap misery on Antlers once again
Defending J. League champions Kawasaki Frontale rubbed more salt into Kashima Antlers' wounds with a resounding 4-1 win over last season's runners-up on Saturday.
Japan Times
Rugby
Apr 14, 2018
Blues drop Sunwolves to 0-7
The Sunwolves let an early lead slip through their fingers to remain winless after seven games of the Super Rugby season after a 24-10 defeat to New Zealand's Blues on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Apr 12, 2018
New manager Akira Nishino has big ambitions for national team
New national soccer team manager Akira Nishino believes Japan is capable of making an impact at this summer's World Cup despite taking over just two months before the tournament begins.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Apr 11, 2018
JFA breaking character with big World Cup risk
Rumors that Vahid Halilhodzic was on the brink of being fired as Japan manager dogged the Bosnian for almost as long as he was in the job, but it was still a major surprise to see the Japan Football Association push him over the edge this week.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Apr 9, 2018
Japan names Akira Nishino to replace Vahid Halilhodzic just two months before World Cup
Akira Nishino will lead Japan at this summer's World Cup in Russia after the Japan Football Association confirmed Monday that it had fired manager Vahid Halilhodzic just two months before the tournament begins.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 7, 2018
Reds hold off Vegalta to record first J. League victory of season
Asian champions Urawa Reds finally picked up their first win of the J. League season after beating Vegalta Sendai 1-0 on Saturday in caretaker manager Tsuyoshi Otsuki's first league game in charge.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2018
Tokyo 2020 Olympics to start accepting 'passionate' volunteers from September
Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizers plan to start recruiting 80,000 volunteers for the games from September, but warned Wednesday that only those who can handle the workload will be taken on.
Japan Times
Rugby
Mar 24, 2018
Chiefs crush winless Sunwolves
The Sunwolves failed to pick up their first win of the Super Rugby season on Saturday in a 61-10 thrashing by New Zealand's Chiefs.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Mar 21, 2018
Halilhodzic leaves door open as World Cup draws closer
Japan's squad for this summer's World Cup appears to be taking shape, but don't bet against manager Vahid Halilhodzic ripping up the blueprint before he submits it in time for the June 4 deadline.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Mar 15, 2018
Halilhodzic reveals roster for upcoming friendlies
National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic on Thursday warned World Cup qualifying heroes Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi to force their way onto their club teams or risk missing out on this summer's tournament in Russia as he named his squad for two friendly matches in Europe.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 10, 2018
Sagan keep Marinos winless
Sagan Tosu beat Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1 on Saturday to keep former Australia manager Ange Postecoglou waiting for his first J. League win.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 7, 2018
Surprise names fly out blocks with two wins
A good start can be a precious commodity in the J. League, and the three teams with perfect records after two games of the new season will be satisfied with their work so far.
Japan Times
Rugby
Mar 3, 2018
Rebels stick it to Sunwolves
The Sunwolves fell to their second defeat of the Super Rugby season on Saturday after collapsing early in the second half in a 37-17 loss to Australia's Rebels.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 22, 2018
Sagan, Vissel meet in opener as teams aim for Frontale's crown
The 2018 J. League season kicks off with just one fixture on Friday, but every club in the 18-team division will get the chance to throw down the gauntlet to defending champions Kawasaki Frontale before the weekend is over.
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.
Japan's average life expectancy rises for first time in three years
A decline in COVID-19-caused deaths likely helped boost the average life expectancy for Japanese men and women to rise for the first time in three years in 2023.
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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