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September 01, 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
Rugby
Apr 8, 2017
Sunwolves rally for first victory of Super Rugby season
Yu Tamura landed a penalty with five minutes remaining as the Sunwolves came from behind to beat the Bulls 21-20 on Saturday to claim their first win of the Super Rugby season.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 5, 2017
Utaka eager to strike up bonds at FC Tokyo
FC Tokyo striker Peter Utaka admits he is pinching himself at the thought of playing alongside all-time J. League top scorer Yoshito Okubo as the capital city club goes in search of its first-ever title.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 1, 2017
Persistent Antlers find a way past Ardija
Shoma Doi scored in the 79th minute as Kashima Antlers finally broke down Omiya Ardija's stubborn resistance to claim a 1-0 win in the J. League on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Mar 29, 2017
Goalkeeper Kawashima comes in from the cold to boost Japan's World Cup bid
Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima believes he has repaid his manager's faith after returning from the international wilderness to steer Japan closer to a sixth straight World Cup appearance with two clean sheets in two qualifying wins.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Mar 28, 2017
Kubo plays instrumental role in Japan's rout of Thailand
Man-of the-moment Yuya Kubo scored a goal and set up two more as Japan took a step closer to a sixth straight World Cup appearance with a 4-0 drubbing of Thailand on Tuesday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Mar 22, 2017
Japan playing for high stakes in World Cup double-header
Only one point separates the top four teams at the halfway stage of Japan's final qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, and the coming week could make or break the Samurai Blue's bid to reach a sixth successive tournament.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 20, 2017
Let's discuss the Tokyo 2020 Cultural Olympiad
Japan's celebration of culture leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will 'deliver something inspiring for the people of Japan and the whole world,' says the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Director.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 20, 2017
DAZN chief admits errors, sees bright future for J. League
The chief executive of sports streaming service DAZN insists the problems that plagued the much-trumpeted launch of its J. League coverage have been fixed, and remains confident that it can revolutionize the way that Japanese fans watch sports.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 18, 2017
FC Tokyo's Okubo provides final goal in dramatic triumph over former club Frontale
Yoshito Okubo scored against his former club as FC Tokyo lit the touch paper late in the second half to beat Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 on Saturday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 11, 2017
Newcomer Nakamura notches first goal in Jubilo's first victory of season
Shunsuke Nakamura scored a trademark free kick and Kengo Kawamata also hit the target as Jubilo Iwata beat Omiya Ardija 2-1 on Saturday to claim their first win of the J. League season.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2017
Japan will deliver big during Tokyo 2020 Cultural Olympiad, London Games official says
Japan's celebration of culture leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will "deliver something inspiring for the people of Japan and the whole world," according to London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Director Ruth Mackenzie.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 8, 2017
Perfect starts to season put wind in four teams' sails
The J. League's return to a single-league format will make this season's championship more of a marathon than a sprint, but four teams have already got off to flying starts after their opening two games.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 4, 2017
Reds bounce back against Cerezo
Urawa Reds picked up their first points of the new J. League season with a 3-1 win over Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2017
Private country club must equalize membership rules to host Olympic golf competition: IOC
Kasumigaseki Country Club will be stripped of hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic golf tournament if it does not allow women to become full members, the International Olympic Committee warned on Thursday.
Japan Times
Rugby
Feb 25, 2017
Sunwolves crushed in Super Rugby opener
The Sunwolves were handed a rude welcome to their second Super Rugby season with an 83-17 thrashing by the defending champion Hurricanes on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 24, 2017
Antlers looking to defend J. League crown
The following is second of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine highest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 23, 2017
Cerezo target J. League upset
The following is the first of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine lowest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 22, 2017
Antlers enter new campaign hungry for more success
Kashima Antlers' phenomenal end to last season has whetted, not sated, their appetite for more success, insists manager Masatada Ishii.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 21, 2017
Okubo eager to ignite offense, make impact for FC Tokyo
New FC Tokyo striker Yoshito Okubo admits that he feels "anxious" unless he is scoring goals, but the capital city club will be hoping to see him unwind over the coming J. League season as it goes in search of its first title.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 20, 2017
Vissel aiming for the stars with or without Podolski
Vissel Kobe's reported summer move for former Germany striker Lukas Podolski has made global headlines, but manager Nelsinho believes the players already at the club can lay the foundations for a J. League title challenge this season.
Alerts issued for Tokyo area cities as Shanshan crawls across Japan
A submerged area of Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on Thursday after Typhoon Shanshan dumped torrential rain throughout the Kyushu region.
Typhoon Shanshan batters Kyushu ahead of likely landfall
A satellite image shows Typhoon Shanshan south of Kyushu on Wednesday afternoon
From tropical storm to 'violent': Japan’s typhoon classifications
A satellite image from Wednesday shows Typhoon Shanshan south of Kyushu as the storm was rapidly intensifying.
Tropical Storm Shanshan soaks Japan as flood and landslide risks rise
People walk in front of closed ticket gates for the Tokaido Shinkansen in Tokyo Station as train operations between Tokyo and Nagoya remain suspended due to Tropical Storm Shanshan on Saturday.
Will Bangladesh go the way of Pakistan?
Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, Bangladesh's army chief, arrives at Dhaka International Airport to receive Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus on Aug. 8 to lead the country's interim government.
Japan seeks another record-breaking defense budget for fiscal 2025
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force hold a live-fire exercise at the GSDF's training grounds in the East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in May. Japan's Defense Ministry is seeking another record-breaking budget for fiscal 2025.
Can Japan handle a heat wave and natural disaster at the same time?
A member of the Self-Defense Forces wipes away sweat as he conducts a search and rescue operation at a landslide site caused by heavy rain in Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture, on July 11, 2018.
Did you feel that? It may be time to refresh your disaster kits — and vocabulary.
A map of western Japan shows the Nankai Trough and, to its north, the hypocentral region where the energy for an earthquake is thought to be building.
This English schoolboy has big dreams of becoming yokozuna — and more
Nicholas Tarasenko trains at Minato stable in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday. Tarasenko’s potential in sumo was made obvious when he won U18 gold in the 90-kg weight class at the 2023 Baruto Cup in Estonia despite being four years under the age limit and having only had a total of one hour of sumo training before the meet.
Kitakyushu clashes with academics over Meiji Era remains
Remnants of the first Moji station complex are located near the current Mojiko Station in the city of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.

Podcast

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

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?
By Alex K.T. Martin

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