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November 22, 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 / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 21, 2009
Frontale, Antlers, Gamba taking J. League title race down to wire
The 2009 J. League title race looked like it would turn into a cakewalk when Kashima Antlers stretched ahead of the pack earlier in the season, but history tells us nothing can ever be taken for granted.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 12, 2009
Japan ready for dress rehearsal
National team manager Takeshi Okada was not impressed by the weakened squads Scotland and Togo rustled up for last month's friendlies, but motivation is hardly likely to be an issue for this weekend's opponent.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 10, 2009
Hasegawa concedes title as S-Pulse's season flatlines
KASHIWA, Chiba Pref. — Shimizu S-Pulse manager Kenta Hasegawa conceded defeat in the J. League title race after Sunday's 5-0 loss to Kashiwa Reysol, and admits his previously league-leading side will struggle to secure a berth in the Asian Champions League if it continues its wretched form.
Rugby
Nov 2, 2009
All Black McCaw predicts bright future for Japanese rugby
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw believes Japanese rugby can use Saturday's historic Bledisloe Cup match in Tokyo as a springboard to success, but warned improvements will not happen overnight.
Japan Times
Rugby
Nov 1, 2009
New Zealand completes season sweep of Australia
New Zealand maintained its stranglehold over Australia with a 32-19 win in Japan's first taste of the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Oct 29, 2009
Ghosts of past mistakes return as bad moon rises in Chiba
Barring a sequence of results too far-fetched for even the J. League, Chiba will play host to no first-division teams next season.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 25, 2009
Victory puts Antlers back in first place
KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Kashima Antlers nudged back in front in the J. League title race as the defending champions beat hapless JEF United Chiba 3-0 on Saturday to end their six-game winless slump.
SOCCER / World cup
Oct 16, 2009
Okada backs Okazaki to reach highest level
RIFU, Miyagi Pref. — National team manager Takeshi Okada believes Shinji Okazaki has all the tools to become a world-class striker after the Shimizu S-Pulse forward took his international tally to 14 goals in 18 games on Wednesday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Oct 15, 2009
Okazaki, Japan overwhelm Togo
Shinji Okazaki grabbed his second international hat trick in the space of a week as Japan put Togo to the sword with a 5-0 win on Wednesday.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Oct 14, 2009
Nothing holding Japan back against Togo
Two wins and eight goals might not sound like a false start to Japan's October three-match series, but Wednesday's friendly against Togo will be the first and last chance manager Takeshi Okada has to really let go of the hand brake.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Oct 11, 2009
Late goals give Japan triumph over Scotland
YOKOHAMA — Japan needed a late own-goal to open the door to a 2-0 win over Scotland on Saturday, as Takeshi Okada's side struggled to find its rhythm in what had effectively become a B international.
SOCCER / World cup
Oct 10, 2009
Okada miffed about Scotland's lineup changes
National team manager Takeshi Okada has accused Scotland of short-changing his side ahead of their friendly on Saturday, after the Scots arrived in Yokohama minus 10 players selected for their original squad.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Oct 8, 2009
Fletcher, Adebayor set example for Okada's men to follow
The national team's three opponents over the next seven days may not present as severe a test as the Netherlands did last month, but that is not to say they have nothing to teach Takeshi Okada's men.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Oct 3, 2009
Sugiyama reaches doubles final in last tournament of pro career
Maria Sharapova moved within one win of capping her comeback from injury with a title by reaching the Toray Pan Pacific Open final on Friday.
TENNIS
Oct 2, 2009
Sharapova, Jankovic advance to semifinals
Former world No. 1s Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic remained on course for a final showdown with quarterfinal wins at the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Thursday, while Ai Sugiyama raged against the dying light to move into the semifinals of the doubles competition.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 27, 2009
Wilkie says J. League refs need to slow pace of game
Referees are rarely out of the spotlight in the J. League, but the recent rain-abandoned game between Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale has turned up the glare.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 27, 2009
Chiba falters, moves closer to relegation
CHIBA — JEF United Chiba slipped closer to the relegation trapdoor with a 2-1 loss to fellow strugglers Montedio Yamagata on Saturday, on a night when Kashima Antlers' stumbling pursuit of the title took yet another wrong turn.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Sep 24, 2009
Rally gives Frontale slight advantage over Grampus
Kawasaki Frontale came from behind to take a slender lead into next week's Asian Champions League quarterfinal second leg after beating Nagoya Grampus 2-1 in Wednesday's opening encounter.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 20, 2009
Antlers stumble again; Frontale fail to capitalize
YOKOHAMA — Kashima Antlers' stranglehold on the J. League title race slipped again after a 2-1 defeat by Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday, but best-placed challengers Kawasaki Frontale failed to capitalize by losing to Urawa Reds later in the evening.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Sep 19, 2009
Resolving Antlers-Frontale match fairly presented tough dilemma
Faced with a minefield in the aftermath of last weekend's abandoned top-of-the-table clash between Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale, the J. League deserves credit for guiding a sure-footed path toward steadier ground.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile during attack on Ukraine, Kyiv says
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is launched during a test from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Northern Arkhangelsk region of Russia, in this still image captured from video released on Oct. 29.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

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By Kathryn Wortley

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