author

 
Menu
Search
 
April 04, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Andrew MCKIRDY

Meta

Twitter

@Andrew_McKirdy

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
Sep 15, 2011
Front four jostle for position heading into final stretch
It is all but certain that the 2011 J. League champion will come from the four-team breakaway group that has formed at the top of the table, but with a quarter of the season still to play, that is about as clear as the picture gets.
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 11, 2011
Reysol display mettle, championship drive
Kashiwa Reysol came from behind to refuel their title ambitions with a feisty 2-1 win over defending J. League champions Nagoya Grampus on Saturday.
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 4, 2011
Zaccheroni maintains confidence, trust in players
National team manager Alberto Zaccheroni insists he never lost faith in his team's ability to score after a last-gasp Maya Yoshida goal gave Japan a winning start to its 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign against North Korea on Friday.
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 3, 2011
Yoshida's late goal propels Japan past North Korea
Maya Yoshida headed in an injury-time goal to get Japan's bid to qualify for a fifth successive World Cup off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory on Friday night.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Sep 1, 2011
Zaccheroni must build upon strong start, be wary of rivals
Alberto Zaccheroni's first year as national team manager could hardly have been more successful, but that does not mean the Italian can expect to stroll through Japan's opening World Cup qualifying fixtures starting this week.
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 21, 2011
Reysol beat Avispa, pull even with Gamba
Kashiwa Reysol survived an early scare to beat bottom side Avispa Fukuoka 3-2 on Saturday and move level on points with Gamba Osaka at the top of the J. League.
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 20, 2011
Strong play has Kofu's Havenaar out of father's shadow
Ventforet Kofu might be struggling to keep their heads above water this season, but striker Mike Havenaar is making a big splash in the J. League's first division.
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Aug 11, 2011
Full-blooded competition a fitting tribute to Matsuda
Last weekend's J. League fixtures were always going to be difficult so soon after the shock death of former Yokohama F. Marinos and national team defender Naoki Matsuda, but in the event the passion and determination on show were a fitting tribute.
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 7, 2011
Kashiwa climbs back to top of standings
Kashiwa Reysol wrested leadership of the J. League away from Yokohama F. Marinos with a 2-0 win on Saturday night, just two days after the shock death of former Marinos defender Naoki Matsuda.
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 6, 2011
Nakazawa hoping to return to national team
On Tuesday afternoon, Yuji Nakazawa could never have imagined the events that would unfold over the course of the week.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 31, 2011
Reds complete season double over Frontale
Urawa Reds stretched their unbeaten run to eight J. League games and dented Kawasaki Frontale's title hopes into the bargain with a 1-0 win on Saturday night.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 30, 2011
Rafael says Ardija must keep poise despite home struggles
Omiya Ardija are yet to win a single game at their own Nack5 Stadium this season, but Brazilian striker Rafael is determined to find some home comfort as soon as possible.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 24, 2011
Marinos edge Vissel, extend unbeaten streak
Yokohama F. Marinos held on to first place in the J. League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Vissel Kobe on Saturday night.
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jul 21, 2011
Marinos look to hold on after scratching five-year itch
The J. League has a new leader, and after more than five years away from the summit, Yokohama F. Marinos are not likely to give up first place without a fight.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 20, 2011
'Nadeshiko' Japan feted upon return
Japan's Women's World Cup-winning soccer team made a triumphant return on Tuesday, with captain and tournament MVP Homare Sawa shrugging off suggestions she may retire in order to target gold at next year's London Olympics.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 14, 2011
Reysol recover from early setback to maintain top spot in league table
Kashiwa Reysol came from a goal down to beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-1 and preserve their lead at the top of the J. League on Wednesday night.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 9, 2011
Haraguchi charts path for eventual move to Europe
While more and more young players look to Europe for a soccer education, Urawa Reds midfielder Genki Haraguchi is enjoying the benefits of home schooling.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 3, 2011
Haraguchi matches Usami with late goal to help Reds salvage point
Genki Haraguchi scored a late equalizer to force Bayern Munich-bound Takashi Usami to share the spotlight as Urawa Reds drew 1-1 with Gamba Osaka on Saturday night.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 30, 2011
J. League's loss is Bayern's gain as Usami aims for stars
J. League fans will be sorry he did not stick around longer, but there can be no denying the opportunity facing Takashi Usami as he prepares to begin a six-month loan spell at Bayern Munich.
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 26, 2011
Kobayashi salvages draw for Frontale
Substitute Yu Kobayashi pounced with virtually the last kick of the game to complete a remarkable turnaround for 10-man Kawasaki Frontale in a 2-2 draw with Kashima Antlers on Saturday night.
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.
U.S. tourist arrested after bringing a handgun into Japan
Hyogo police believe the handgun a U.S. tourist inadvertently brought into Japan slipped through security procedures at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture.
Trump unveils 10% global tariff, with Japan levy set at 24%
Trump tosses a MAGA hat to the crowd during an event in which he unveiled new tariffs in the White House on Wednesday.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
Japan promises 'bold and speedy' response to Trump’s surprise 24% tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump unveils new U.S. tariffs at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
Haruki Murakami TV adaptation revisits 30 years of watershed moments
Though Haruki Murakami's trademark whiff of offbeat existentialism is threaded throughout NHK's "After the Quake," the final episode — conceived as a sequel to the story "Super-Frog Saves Tokyo" — is the most stylized, featuring an anthropomorphic talking frog (voiced by Non) and his erstwhile associate Katagiri (Koichi Sato).
A new human trafficking trend emerges from Myanmar scam centers
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar gather at a compound inside KK Park, a fraud center on the country's border with Thailand, after a multinational crackdown in February.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
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.
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.

Podcast

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

Longform

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
By Johan Brooks

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

BOARDING & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DAY 2025 (Sunday, April 20)
BOARDING & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DAY 2025 (Sunday, April 20)

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER