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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
Rugby
Aug 30, 2019
Former captain Brian O'Driscoll backs Irish to end slump before Rugby World Cup
Irish rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll believes Japan's players "will be licking their lips" at the prospect of facing an out-of-sorts Ireland at next month's Rugby World Cup, with a first-ever quarterfinal place for the Brave Blossoms the potential reward.
Japan Times
Rugby
Aug 29, 2019
Brave Blossoms coach Jamie Joseph hails contributions of team's foreign-born players
Japan national rugby team head coach Jamie Joseph countered observations Thursday that his squad for the upcoming Rugby World Cup contains several players born overseas by asking the question "what is a foreign player?"
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2019
Under the big top of Japan’s Kinoshita Circus
Michael Howes claims his job is "no more dangerous than driving a car."
Japan Times
CULTURE
Aug 17, 2019
Game not over: Japan's amusement arcades tap community spirit to stay relevant
"Kana," to call him by the nom de guerre he uses when he is competing in arcade game tournaments, is so good at The King of Fighters '97 that he can beat most other players one-handed.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jul 25, 2019
The sound of summer: Love them or hate them, cicadas have a special place in Japanese culture
Cicadas — known as semi in Japanese — are a superfamily of insects with around 2,000 known species worldwide, around 35 of which live in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 21, 2019
Eating king Kobayashi bites back in new documentary
Takeru Kobayashi, the 'godfather of competitive eating' recounts how he devoured the American dream, until it chewed him up and spat him out again.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 6, 2019
Cosplay conquers the world
The art of dressing up as characters from anime, manga, video games or TV shows has evolved into a global phenomenon.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 4, 2019
The life of a professional Japanese doppelganger
With his single sequined glove, sparkly jacket and sharp moonwalk dance moves, the man on stage could be no one else. Or could he?
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jun 19, 2019
Episode 17: Hikikomori — Japan's missing million
Over 1 million people are thought to be hikikomori in Japan. Andrew McKirdy, who interviewed several recovering hikikomori, joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2019
Rugby World Cup organizers tap traditional Japanese art for ticket designs
Rugby World Cup 2019 organizers on Monday unveiled their ticket designs for matches for the tournament, bringing a traditional Japanese flavor to what will be Asia's first-ever hosting of the event.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 6, 2019
Chiba loquat grower loves his work, but frets over the future of the biwa business
Kenzo Takeba picks a loquat out of his basket, unwraps it from its paper cover and expertly begins to peel off the delicate orange skin with his fingers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 1, 2019
The prison inside: Japan's hikikomori lack relationships, not physical spaces
Fifty-three-year-old Kenji Yamase doesn't fit the traditional image of a hikikomori, but then perceptions of Japan's social recluses are changing.
Japan Times
Rugby
May 16, 2019
Scotland's Stuart Hogg looks ahead to rematch with Brave Blossoms
Scotland fullback Stuart Hogg admits the autumn heat in Japan could hamper his team's chances of claiming a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal spot at the host nation's expense later this year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 13, 2019
Taking the fall: The hard-knock life of a stunt performer in Japan
Trainer Chuck Johnson explains what it takes to get a piece of the action in this rough-and-tumble world of stunt performers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 8, 2019
Support act: Behind every Japanese prime minister is a fascinating first lady
When Chizuko Obuchi's husband, Keizo, became prime minister of Japan in July 1998 and the couple moved into the official residence, she was taken aback by what she found.
Japan Times
Rugby
Apr 11, 2019
Wallabies icon George Gregan preaches value of preparation in quest for RWC title
George Gregan has experienced the full gamut of Rugby World Cup emotions, but the Australian legend knows what he is looking forward to most when Japan hosts the tournament later this year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2019
Pooches put their best paw forward at Japan International Dog Show
The event is the biggest dog show in Japan, with 2,201 canines representing 134 different breeds at this year's edition, which marks the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Japan Kennel Club.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2019
Tokyo Big Sight: Japan's biggest convention center all set for Olympic duty
One thing you notice pretty quickly when you spend some time attending events at Tokyo Big Sight is that there is a lot of esoteric language on display.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2019
Yamanote Line train driver fulfills life's dream, down to the exact second
Ask any group of children in Japan what they want to be when they grow up and one answer in particular is sure to feature.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2019
After almost a year behind the wheel, Tokyo's foreign cab drivers reflect on navigating a new way of life
Growing up in Canada, Alex Lipson never imagined he would one day become a taxi driver — especially not on the other side of the world in Tokyo.
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.
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.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
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.

Podcast

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

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?
By Kathryn Wortley

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