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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
Rugby
Jan 24, 2016
Panasonic captures Top League title
Panasonic Wild Knights survived an almighty late scare to become Top League champions for the third straight season after beating Toshiba Brave Lupus 27-26 in Sunday's LIXIL Cup final.
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2016
IOC praises Tokyo as 'most prepared city' during latest visit
International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates on Friday praised Tokyo as "the most prepared city we've ever seen," more than four years ahead of the 2020 Games. But Coates also scotched suggestions that the new National Stadium could be completed in time to host games at the 2019 Rugby World...
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 15, 2016
J. League teams gearing back up after short time off
The Jan. 1 Emperor's Cup final brought the curtain down on the 2015 Japanese soccer season, but already J. League clubs are gearing up for the new campaign ahead.
Japan Times
SOCCER / CLUB WORLD CUP
Dec 21, 2015
Barcelona as good as advertised in Club World Cup final
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi paid tribute to strike partners Luis Suarez and Neymar after the trio combined to deliver Barcelona a record third Club World Cup title on Sunday — and warned the rest of the world they are not finished yet.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 20, 2015
Barcelona cruises past River Plate to claim third Club World Cup title
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi recovered from illness to lead Barcelona to a record third Club World Cup title with a 3-0 win over River Plate in Sunday's final.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 19, 2015
River Plate, Barcelona confident, ready for Club World Cup final
River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo has invited Barcelona to hit his team with its best shot in Sunday's Club World Cup final — and believes it can withstand the one-two-three punch of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 18, 2015
Suarez puts on sublime show as Barcelona moves into final
Barcelona defender Jordi Alba hailed teammate Luis Suarez as "the most complete No. 9 in the world" after the Uruguayan's three-goal demolition of Guangzhou Evergrande on Thursday night put the Spanish giants into the Club World Cup final.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 17, 2015
Suarez hat trick carries Barcelona into Club World Cup final
Luis Suarez shrugged off the absence of strike partners Lionel Messi and Neymar with a hat trick to send Barcelona into the Club World Cup final with a 3-0 win over China's Guangzhou Evergrande on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 16, 2015
Guangzhou ready for Barca
Guangzhou Evergrande manager Luiz Felipe Scolari admits that the absence of injured Barcelona superstar Neymar will make little difference to his team's chances of beating the European champions in Thursday's Club World Cup semifinal.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 10, 2015
Sanfrecce off to winning start at Club World Cup
Yusuke Minagawa and Tsukasa Shiotani scored either side of halftime as J. League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat New Zealand part-timers Auckland City 2-0 on Thursday to kick off the Club World Cup.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 9, 2015
Jury still out on new J. League championship format
The J. League's new playoff format produced a worthy champion and a thrilling finale in its debut season, but only time will tell if it is a success.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 6, 2015
Sanfrecce turned pressure into advantage during championship final
Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato admits that the fear of missing out on the 2015 J. League title after finishing the regular season on top of the table helped drive his side to the championship.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 5, 2015
Sanfrecce complete title quest against Gamba
Sanfrecce Hiroshima claimed their third J. League title in four years with a 4-3 aggregate win over Gamba Osaka after a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the championship final on Saturday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 22, 2015
FC Tokyo eliminated from title contention
FC Tokyo crashed out of J. League title contention after a 0-0 home draw with Sagan Tosu on Sunday that put defending champions Gamba Osaka into the championship playoffs instead.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2015
Tokyo must act now to build legacy for venues beyond 2020 Olympics, says London Games exec
Tokyo must act now to develop a vision for the new National Stadium and other Olympic venues that reaches decades beyond the 2020 Games.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 13, 2015
Style complements functionality at Shibuya exhibition of aids for disabled
A new design exhibition in Tokyo is aiming to give the public perception of disability a makeover by placing style at the top of the agenda.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 11, 2015
Japan keen to work off frustration in World Cup qualifiers
Japan heads into this week's World Cup qualifiers only in second place in Group E, but Vahid Halilhodzic's side will be hungry to set the record straight against opponents Singapore and Cambodia.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 7, 2015
Reds stifled in bid to take lead
Urawa Reds drew 1-1 with Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday to give Sanfrecce Hiroshima one hand on the J. League overall points title with one game of the regular season remaining.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2015
Hebocon a venue for low-tech, crude robots that personify their makers
A new robot revolution is threatening to take over the world — as long as the glue and tape hold together long enough.
Japan Times
Rugby
Nov 2, 2015
Jones signs off with plea for Japan to keep momentum
Outgoing national rugby team coach Eddie Jones bid farewell to Japan on Monday with a warning that the Brave Blossoms must keep winning to make the 2019 Rugby World Cup a success.
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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