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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.
TENNIS
Sep 22, 2008
Awesome Safina breezes to Toray Pan Pacific win
Russia's Dinara Safina hailed her "best ever tennis" as she swept past compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the Toray Pan Pacific Open final in straight sets on Sunday.
TENNIS
Sep 21, 2008
Safina overpowers Petrova in semis, awaits all-Russian final
Dinara Safina turned in a brutal display of power tennis Saturday to annihilate Nadia Petrova and set up an all-Russian final against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 20, 2008
Kuznetsova eliminates Jankovic in quarterfinals
Jelena Jankovic's bid to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking ended Friday when she joined Olympic champion Elena Dementieva in being bundled out at the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Sep 18, 2008
Mistake-aided Kashima salvage draw in first-leg
KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Kashima Antlers salvaged a draw but gifted a careless away goal to Adelaide United as their Asian Champions League quarterfinal first leg finished 1-1 on Wednesday night.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 18, 2008
Jankovic relishes chance to compete for top ranking
Jelena Jankovic is determined to draw strength from her U.S. Open final defeat and regain the top spot in the world rankings at this week's Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
TENNIS
Sep 17, 2008
Russian Olympians fight to stay focused after success in Beijing
Olympic gold-medal winner Elena Dementieva admits she is having trouble focusing on her game after the euphoria of Beijing, but losing finalist Dinara Safina has no such problems heading into this week's Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Sep 17, 2008
Oil wealth has big impact on Asia's soccer landscape
When the Asian Champions League began back in March, few outside of Uzbekistan had heard of Kuruvchi. Now, with the club preparing for Wednesday's Asian Champions League quarterfinals after an extraordinary summer, the world is certainly paying attention.
SOCCER
Sep 17, 2008
Engels worried about Reds making transition into ACL quarters
Urawa Reds manager Gert Engels is wary of culture shock as his side prepares to defend its Asian Champions League crown against Al Qadsia in Kuwait on Wednesday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 14, 2008
Oita's stifling defense frustrates host Reds
Oita Trinita frustrated Urawa Reds with a stifling defensive performance to earn a 0-0 draw and stay firmly in the J. League title hunt on Saturday.
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 14, 2008
Bosnar confident JEF United can avoid relegation
JEF United Chiba defender Eddy Bosnar is adamant his side can escape relegation from J. League Division 1, despite lying eight points adrift of safety with just 11 games of the season left to play.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 13, 2008
Johnsen: Stojkovic's leadership key for Grampus
Nagoya Grampus striker Frode Johnsen admits he is surprised by his side's challenge for the 2008 J. League title, but is taking nothing for granted as the season moves into its final stretch.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Sep 5, 2008
Utilizing strong midfield key to success for Japan
With Japan still struggling for firepower with the final World Cup qualification round getting under way against Bahrain on Saturday night, a new wind blowing around Europe could help lighten the load.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 28, 2008
Abe allows Reds to draw but Nagoya regains top
Yuki Abe salvaged a point for Urawa Reds with a goal deep into injury time to give his side an unlikely 1-1 draw with Tokyo Verdy on Wednesday.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Aug 24, 2008
Future looking grim for Olympic soccer
Argentina successfully defended its Athens Games gold in the Bird's Nest on Saturday, but events off the pitch have made sure little else about Olympic soccer will be the same again.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Aug 10, 2008
Nakamura's decision to stay with Celtic proved a wise move in the end
Anyone following the saga of quarterback Brett Favre could be forgiven for thinking that athletes care little for their legacy, but not all sportsmen are prepared to gamble with their reputation.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Aug 1, 2008
German power Bayern Munich post impressive victory over Reds
SAITAMA — Bayern Munich put a listless Urawa Reds side to the sword with a comprehensive 4-2 win in a Thursday night friendly match.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Aug 1, 2008
Sorimachi's squad faces big challenge
With its constantly changing cast and seemingly endless running time, Japan's Olympic soccer team has begun to resemble a TV soap opera.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 30, 2008
Di Maria's goal lifts Argentina
Japan's Olympic soccer team gave itself a confidence boost with a credible performance against defending champion Argentina on Tuesday night, before a thunderstorm forced the match to be abandoned with Japan trailing 1-0.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jul 22, 2008
Big clubs' shortcomings taking shine off J. League championship race
On the face of it, a league table where just 10 points separated the top 13 teams at the halfway point of the season would suggest an exciting contest, but this year's J. League has been more infuriating than it has been enthralling.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 17, 2008
FC Tokyo keeps Gamba out of first-place tie
FC Tokyo denied Gamba Osaka the chance to go level on points with J. League leaders Kashima Antlers with a battling 1-1 draw on Wednesday night.
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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