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April 02, 2025
 

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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 23, 2017
Wozniacki storms into final
Caroline Wozniacki ended Garbine Muguruza's honeymoon as world No. 1 in clinical fashion with a 6-2, 6-0 win on Saturday to book her place in the Toray Pan Pacific Open final against unseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 16, 2017
Cristiano's late strike gives Reysol draw against Marinos
Kashiwa Reysol striker Cristiano scored an 88th-minute equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw against Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday in a result that did little for either side's J. League title ambitions.
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Sep 13, 2017
J. League title race heating up as top five break away
The 2017 title race has been wide open even by J. League standards, but with nine games remaining a definite top five is beginning to emerge.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 12, 2017
Date routed 6-0, 6-0 in final match of career
Kimiko Date brought the curtain down on her storied tennis career after a first-round 6-0, 6-0 loss to Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic at the Japan Women's Open on Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2017
As more Japanese take up bodybuilding, a veteran chases a championship
Naoki Go carefully positions his feet on the ground, slowly lifts both arms, then shuffles as if preparing to shoulder a huge imaginary weight.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 1, 2017
Halilhodzic praises team's resolve, responds to critics after Japan clinches spot in World Cup
National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic took a swipe at his critics after guiding Japan to a place at the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia on Thursday night, before revealing that an unspecified issue in his private life almost forced him to miss the game.
SOCCER / World cup
Aug 31, 2017
Japan secures spot in sixth consecutive World Cup
Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi scored in each half to book Japan's place at the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia on Thursday.
SOCCER
Aug 29, 2017
Yoshida, Japan teammates await important match against Australia
Japan defender Maya Yoshida insists he and his teammates are relaxed ahead of Thursday's crunch World Cup qualifier against Australia despite rumors that manager Vahid Halilhodzic will be fired if the Samurai Blue fail to win.
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
Osaka Expo's Japan Pavilion completed
A ceremony is held to mark the completion of the Japan Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka on Saturday.
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
No longer a 'bridesmaid': Yuki Tsunoda prepares for the Red Bull pressure cooker
All eyes will be on Yuki Tsunoda as he makes his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.
Who among the opposition would join the ruling coalition?
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enters his office in Tokyo on Friday.

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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Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
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