author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 27, 2024
 

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.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 26, 2019
England ends All Blacks' reign in Rugby World Cup
England ended New Zealand's reign as Rugby World Cup champion in the semifinals on Saturday, beating the All Blacks 19-7 to reach the final for the first time since 2007.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 25, 2019
England players united for battle with All Blacks
England fullback Elliot Daly says his team is more united than ever as it prepares to face New Zealand in Saturday's Rugby World Cup semifinal.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 25, 2019
Springboks will rely on pack against Wales
South Africa standoff Handre Pollard believes his team's backs have the pace and skill to trouble Wales in Sunday's Rugby World Cup semifinal — if they can get the ball off their forward teammates for long enough.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 24, 2019
Coach Steve Hansen says pressure is on his All Blacks — but on England too
New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen on Thursday brushed off attempts to add spice to his team's Rugby World Cup semifinal against England, dismissing claims of spying by England head coach Eddie Jones as "clickbait."
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2019
Fans toast beer hawkers' debut at Rugby World Cup
Dilemma: You are watching a Rugby World Cup game at a stadium and you fancy a beer, but you don't want to take your eyes off the action.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 23, 2019
Wales hopes to reach first final by matching Springboks' physicality
Wales hooker Ken Owens says his team is ready to stand up to South Africa's physical might and fight fire with fire when the two teams meet in Sunday's Rugby World Cup semifinal.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 21, 2019
Brave Blossoms rue quarterfinal exit, but take pride in their Rugby World Cup heroics
Japan's Rugby World Cup players expressed mixed feelings as their incredible campaign came to an end with a quarterfinal defeat to South Africa on Sunday, with pride in their achievements largely crowding out the disappointment.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 20, 2019
South Africa routs Japan to advance to Rugby World Cup semifinals
South Africa ended Japan's phenomenal run at the Rugby World Cup with a 26-3 win in Sunday night's quarterfinal.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 20, 2019
Barrett hails All Blacks' quick start in quarterfinal romp over Ireland
New Zealand star Beauden Barrett paid tribute to his team's ability to shake off the cobwebs in Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal demolition of Ireland, as the All Blacks returned from a two-week layoff to set up a semifinal showdown against England.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 19, 2019
New Zealand torches Ireland to reach Rugby World Cup semifinals
Two-time defending champion New Zealand cruised into a Rugby World Cup semifinal matchup against England after dismantling Ireland 46-14 on Saturday night.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 18, 2019
Brave Blossoms coach Jamie Joseph says team is ready for physicality of Springboks
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has warned his players to expect a brutal onslaught from South Africa's forwards when they go head to head in Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 17, 2019
Episode 26: Perspectives from Typhoon Hagibis — a storm chaser, an evacuee, a reporter
Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan on Oct. 12, causing widespread damage to Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. This week, storm chaser James Reynolds, evacueeu00a0Andrew McKirdyu00a0and reporteru00a0Chisato Tanakau00a0share their experiences of the typhoon.
Japan Times
JAPAN / First Person
Oct 17, 2019
Typhoon Hagibis: A night in an evacuation shelter shows just how fragile Tokyo life can be
If you look at a map of Kitasenju in Tokyo's Adachi Ward, you will see that it's almost entirely surrounded by water.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 16, 2019
Japan has 'nothing to lose' ahead of quarterfinal clash
Japan's Rugby World Cup heroes on Wednesday vowed to go for broke in their historic quarterfinal against South Africa on Sunday, insisting the Brave Blossoms have "nothing to lose" after reaching the knockout round for the first time.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 14, 2019
Brave Blossoms warn rivals 'there's more to come' after reaching Rugby World Cup quarterfinals
Japan's players allowed themselves a moment of satisfaction after beating Scotland to reach the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals for the first time on Sunday, but warned their next opponent, South Africa: "we're not finished yet."
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 13, 2019
Japan prevails over Scotland and secures historic berth in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals
Japan beat Scotland 28-21 on Sunday night to claim a place in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals for the first time ever, winning Pool A with a perfect record of four wins from four.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 11, 2019
Rugby World Cup fans express disappointment about canceled matches
Rugby World Cup fans on Friday expressed mixed feelings as they contemplated a weekend of canceled games due to Typhoon Hagibis, with ticket-holders praying that Japan's crucial match against Scotland on Sunday still goes ahead.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 11, 2019
Jamie Joseph demands respect as Japan prepares for Scotland showdown at Rugby World Cup
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph on Friday blasted suggestions his team is running scared ahead of Sunday's Rugby World Cup showdown against Scotland, insisting the Brave Blossoms are ready to prove they belong in the quarterfinals if the typhoon-threatened match goes ahead.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 10, 2019
Rugby World Cup cancels two Saturday games as powerful Typhoon Hagibis takes aim at Japan
Rugby World Cup organizers announced Thursday that two crucial pool games scheduled to take place on Saturday have been canceled to avoid the impact of a massive super typhoon set to hit the country.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 6, 2019
Japan coach Jamie Joseph looking forward to 'real ripper' against Scotland
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph is looking forward to "a real ripper" of a game when his team plays Scotland in its final Rugby World Cup pool match next Sunday.
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.
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.
One dead, three missing as heavy rain batters Tohoku
Camera footage shows the Mogami River bursting its banks in Tozawa, Yamagata Prefecture, on Friday morning.
Brazil issues apology for persecuting Japan immigrants during WWII
Enea Almeida (right), chair of the Brazilian amnesty commission, shakes hands with the representative for Japanese immigrants on Thursday in Brasilia.
When did summer in Japan stop being fun?
Summer in Japan is now consistently brutal enough to drive you indoors and keep you there until autumn.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.8: Omron Corp.Omron helping firms achieve carbon neutrality
mission sustainability vol.8: Omron Corp.Omron helping firms achieve carbon neutrality

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER