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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
JAPAN
Feb 1, 2017
Tokyo Olympic chiefs call on public to recycle smartphones to make medals
Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic organizers are urging people living in Japan to help make the medals for the games by donating their discarded smartphones for recycling.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 24, 2017
Japan Golf Council urges new Olympic venue over female membership ban
The Japan Golf Council urges Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizers to move the event's golf competition away from a country club in Saitama Prefecture, even if the venue changes its rules and allows women to become full members.
Japan Times
Rugby
Jan 19, 2017
Joseph urges Japan to look toward future, forget 2015
Japan rugby head coach Jamie Joseph on Thursday urged the Brave Blossoms to forget about their 2015 World Cup heroics and focus on rebuilding for the 2019 tournament on home soil.
Japan Times
Rugby
Jan 15, 2017
Rugby star Pocock preparing to swap Japan for African wilderness
Australian rugby star David Pocock has enjoyed locking horns with the big beasts of Japan's Top League since joining the Panasonic Wild Knights in December.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 11, 2017
Seasoned veterans in demand in J. League offseason
The J. League's new 10-year, ¥210 billion broadcasting deal may not have led to any big-name overseas signings just yet, but there has been plenty of action on the domestic transfer front as clubs retool for the coming season.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GEARING UP FOR THE GAMES
Jan 2, 2017
Tokyo 2020 Olympics will come and quickly go, but the legacy is all-important
The eyes of the world will be on Tokyo for more than just the 16 days that it hosts the 2020 Olympics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2016
Tokyo Olympics organizers settle on price tag for 2020 Games, eye further cost-cutting
Tokyo Olympic organizers on Wednesday slapped a first official price tag of ¥1.6 to ¥1.8 trillion on the 2020 Games.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 21, 2016
Japan may have to wait for more Club World Cup heroics
Kashima Antlers showed how far Japanese soccer has come when they gave Real Madrid a mighty scare in the Club World Cup final last Sunday, but it may be some time before a J. League champion gets to take advantage of Japan hosting the tournament again.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 19, 2016
Antlers hold heads high after Club World Cup final near-miss against Real Madrid
Kashima Antlers manager Masatada Ishii hailed his team as an inspiration for the little guy after the J. League champions went down fighting 4-2 against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 18, 2016
Ronaldo hat trick sends Real Madrid past Kashima in Club World Cup final
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick as Real Madrid shook off a monumental effort from Kashima Antlers to lift the Club World Cup with a 4-2 extra-time win in Sunday's final.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 17, 2016
Antlers aim for historic triumph over powerful Real Madrid in Club World Cup final
Kashima Antlers midfielder Gaku Shibasaki is ready to make dreams a reality by toppling mighty Real Madrid and lifting the Club World Cup when the two teams meet in Sunday's final.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 17, 2016
FIFA boss backs bigger World Cup
FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday claimed there are "no down sides" to expanding the World Cup to 48 teams and "no taboos" in discussing changes to soccer's flagship competition.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 16, 2016
Zidane questions video reviews after Madrid's Club World Cup semifinal win
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane voiced concern that FIFA's new video review system "could cause confusion" after guiding his team to the Club World Cup final on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 15, 2016
Real Madrid blanks Club America, books spot in Club World Cup final
Real Madrid scored injury-time goals in each half to set up a Club World Cup final showdown with J. League champions Kashima Antlers after a 2-0 win over Mexico's Club America on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 14, 2016
Real Madrid focused on winning Club World Cup crown
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane believes four-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of adding more awards to his bulging trophy cabinet and will prove it this week in Japan at the Club World Cup.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 8, 2016
Antlers' Kanazaki provides winning header against Auckland City in Club World Cup opener
Mu Kanazaki came off the bench to score an 88th-minute winner as J. League champions Kashima Antlers beat part-timers Auckland City 2-1 on Thursday to advance to the second round of the Club World Cup.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 7, 2016
Kashima's J. League title win a fitting end to flawed format
There was always a danger that the J. League's ill-fated introduction of a playoff championship format in 2015 would produce a deeply unsatisfying result somewhere down the line. Kashima Antlers' coronation as champions on Saturday night duly delivered it.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2016
Paris organizers confident they can avoid Tokyo's Olympic mess
The head of Paris' bid for the 2024 Olympics has branded Tokyo's original 2020 Games proposal "a fairy tale" and believes the French capital can avoid the kind of after-the-fact revisions bogging down Japan's organizers.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 4, 2016
Kashima lives up to championship pedigree by stunning Urawa for J. League crown
Kashima Antlers midfielder Gaku Shibasaki hailed his club's winning DNA after capturing a record eighth J. League title against Urawa Reds on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 3, 2016
Kanazaki's two-goal performance carries Antlers to title over shocked Reds
Kashima Antlers claimed their record eighth J. League title after coming from behind to stun Urawa Reds 2-1 in the championship final second leg on Saturday and win on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
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.

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