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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
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 2, 2012
Yokohama slips past Sagan in finale
Yokohama F. Marinos missed out on a place in next season's Asian Champions League despite beating Sagan Tosu 1-0 on Saturday, as Urawa Reds claimed the qualification spot by finishing third on the final day of the J. League season.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 1, 2012
Leandro hopes Reysol can still claim Asian Champions League berth
Outgoing J. League title-holders Kashiwa Reysol may have seen their crown handed to a new champion last weekend, but midfielder Leandro Domingues is determined to salvage something from the season as it reaches its conclusion on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 29, 2012
Debut title fitting reward for Sanfrecce's consistent campaign
Sanfrecce Hiroshima may have had to wait until the J. League's 20th season before winning their first piece of silverware, but after clinching the championship with a resounding win in front of a home crowd on Saturday, the achievement will taste all the sweeter.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 24, 2012
Trinita slip past JEF United to earn promotion to first division
Substitute Takenori Hayashi struck with four minutes left on the clock to send Oita Trinita back to the J. League first division with a 1-0 win over JEF United Chiba in the promotion playoffs final on Friday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 18, 2012
Sanfrecce retain lead despite defeat
Sanfrecce Hiroshima maintained a wafer-thin advantage in the J. League title race despite losing 2-0 to Urawa Reds on Saturday, as Vegalta Sendai closed the gap at the top to one point with two games of the season left to play.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 17, 2012
Ardija striker Ljubijankic focused on avoiding relegation
Omiya Ardija striker Zlatan Ljubijankic sees no reason why his summer move to the J. League should call an end to his international career, but for the time being the Slovenian is more concerned with keeping his struggling club in the first division.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 15, 2012
Sanfrecce, Vegalta prepare for final charge toward title
The 2012 title race has been one of the most open in J. League history, but with only three games of the season left to play, the championship contenders have finally been whittled down to two.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 8, 2012
Oman qualifier brings Japan back to reality after European tour
Japan may have enjoyed dining at soccer's top table in prestige friendlies against France and Brazil last month, but with World Cup-qualifying points at stake in next Wednesday's away trip to Oman, Alberto Zaccheroni's side will have to quickly readjust to the realities of Asian competition.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 8, 2012
Gamba still in danger of relegation despite draw with Reysol
Former J. League champions Gamba Osaka remained deep in relegation trouble despite salvaging a late 2-2 draw with Kashiwa Reysol on Wednesday, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima edged closer to their first-ever title after opening up a two-point gap at the top of the table with three games left to play.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 4, 2012
Shibasaki scores twice as Antlers beat S-Pulse in Nabisco Cup final
Gaku Shibasaki struck twice to help defending champions Kashima Antlers capture the Nabisco Cup for a record fifth time with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Shimizu S-Pulse on Saturday afternoon.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 28, 2012
Reds blow chance to close gap on leaders
Urawa Reds let a precious chance to make up ground in the J.League title race slip through their fingers after a frustrating 0-0 draw with Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 25, 2012
Relegation fears cast long shadow over struggling sides
Another weekend of mixed results has left this year's J. League championship race as opaque as ever, but after further movement at the bottom of the table, the relegation battle is looking even harder to call.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 21, 2012
Gamba improve survival chances
Gamba Osaka took decisive action in their bid to avoid J.League first-division relegation with a 3-2 win over Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 20, 2012
Experiences put game in perspective for Umesaki
Urawa Reds will be disappointed if their pursuit of this season's J. League title comes to nothing, but attacking midfielder Tsukasa Umesaki has survived enough setbacks in his career to know that the bad times can be just as important as the good.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 14, 2012
Efficient Antlers advance to Nabisco Cup final
Defending champions Kashima Antlers earned a shot at a record fifth Nabisco Cup title after claiming a 5-4 aggregate semifinal win over Kashiwa Reysol with a 2-2 second-leg draw on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Oct 11, 2012
Prestige friendlies provide perfect chance to lay down marker
International friendlies are often looked upon as little more than an irritation in the crowded calender of the modern game, but as Japan prepares to take on France and Brazil over the coming week, national team manager Alberto Zaccheroni is unlikely to concur.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 7, 2012
Sanfrecce let off hook after Ono misfires late
Sanfrecce Hiroshima escaped with minimal damage to their J.League title ambitions after Yokohama F. Marinos missed a second-half penalty in a 0-0 draw with the division leaders on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 4, 2012
Title-chasing pack slims down after weekend purge
There is still much to sort out before the identity of the 2012 J. League champion becomes known, but for perhaps the first time in a season that has consistently refused to produce a clear front-runner, a definitive shape is beginning to crystallize at the top of the table.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 30, 2012
Jubilo Iwata blow lead, fall to FC Tokyo
FC Tokyo trampled Jubilo Iwata's J.League title ambitions into the dirt after coming from behind to beat the three-time champions 2-1 on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 29, 2012
Olympic experience had profound impact on Omiya's Higashi
Escaping relegation would be the only thing on the mind of most teams sitting one place above the drop zone with just eight matches left to play, but Omiya Ardija midfielder Keigo Higashi has grander ambitions for his struggling side than mere survival.
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.
Paris Olympics kick off with rain-soaked — but grandiose — opening ceremony
Japan's 2024 Olympic team moves down the Seine River in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday.
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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