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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
Oct 10, 2017
Shinji Kagawa's injury-time goal gives Japan draw with Haiti
Shinji Kagawa scored deep into injury time to save Japan from an embarrassing defeat in a 3-3 friendly draw with minnow Haiti on Tuesday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 8, 2017
'King Kazu' wants to continue reign
Fifty-year-old soccer legend Kazuyoshi Miura insists he has no plans to retire any time soon, even joking that the day he stops will be "the day I die."
Japan Times
TENNIS
Oct 7, 2017
Mannarino, Goffin advance to Japan Open men's final
Unseeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino stunned top seed Marin Cilic 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday to book his place in the Japan Open final against Belgium's David Goffin.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Oct 4, 2017
Drifting: Japan-born street sport roars onto global stage
The first thing you notice at a drifting competition is the noise — a crazed shriek of engines punctuated by the sudden firecracker pop of an exhaust pipe under extreme duress.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 24, 2017
Wozniacki captures third Pan Pacific crown
Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki captured the Toray Pan Pacific Open title for the third time after beating unseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 7-5 in Sunday's final.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 23, 2017
Wozniacki storms into final
Caroline Wozniacki ended Garbine Muguruza's honeymoon as world No. 1 in clinical fashion with a 6-2, 6-0 win on Saturday to book her place in the Toray Pan Pacific Open final against unseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Sep 16, 2017
Cristiano's late strike gives Reysol draw against Marinos
Kashiwa Reysol striker Cristiano scored an 88th-minute equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw against Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday in a result that did little for either side's J. League title ambitions.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Sep 13, 2017
J. League title race heating up as top five break away
The 2017 title race has been wide open even by J. League standards, but with nine games remaining a definite top five is beginning to emerge.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 12, 2017
Date routed 6-0, 6-0 in final match of career
Kimiko Date brought the curtain down on her storied tennis career after a first-round 6-0, 6-0 loss to Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic at the Japan Women's Open on Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2017
As more Japanese take up bodybuilding, a veteran chases a championship
Naoki Go carefully positions his feet on the ground, slowly lifts both arms, then shuffles as if preparing to shoulder a huge imaginary weight.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 1, 2017
Halilhodzic praises team's resolve, responds to critics after Japan clinches spot in World Cup
National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic took a swipe at his critics after guiding Japan to a place at the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia on Thursday night, before revealing that an unspecified issue in his private life almost forced him to miss the game.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Aug 31, 2017
Japan secures spot in sixth consecutive World Cup
Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi scored in each half to book Japan's place at the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Aug 29, 2017
Yoshida, Japan teammates await important match against Australia
Japan defender Maya Yoshida insists he and his teammates are relaxed ahead of Thursday's crunch World Cup qualifier against Australia despite rumors that manager Vahid Halilhodzic will be fired if the Samurai Blue fail to win.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Aug 23, 2017
Podolski's Japan adventure in danger of turning sour
Things are not going well for Lukas Podolski.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 19, 2017
Reds remain unbeaten since new manager Hori's appointment last month
Shinzo Koroki scored twice as Urawa Reds continued their nascent revival under new manager Takafumi Hori with a 2-1 win over FC Tokyo on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 13, 2017
Kawasaki slams door on Kashima's unbeaten streak
Kawasaki Frontale ended Kashima Antlers' nine-match unbeaten run and cut the gap on the J. League leaders with an emphatic 3-1 win on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Aug 5, 2017
Frustrated Podolski tastes defeat in J. League for first time as Vissel falls to Kashiwa
Kashiwa Reysol brought an abrupt end to German World Cup-winner Lukas Podolski's J. League honeymoon after coming from behind to beat Vissel Kobe 3-1 on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jul 13, 2017
Rakuten, Barcelona hail official start of partnership, lucrative sponsorship
Rakuten Inc. will be splashing its name across "the most important shirt in the world," according to Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, after the e-commerce giant celebrated the start of its four-year, $235 million sponsorship with the iconic Spanish soccer club on Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 5, 2017
From sex toys to works of art: 'Love doll' maker seeks to shed seedy image
Japan's oldest "love doll" manufacturer wants to strip the sex toys of their seedy image and encourage people to see them as works of art instead.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jul 5, 2017
Moriyasu can leave Sanfrecce with head held high
It was probably in the best interests of everyone at Sanfrecce Hiroshima that Hajime Moriyasu stood down as manager on Tuesday, but that should not obscure the debt of gratitude that the three-time J. League champions owe him.

Longform

Wozme, founded by dancer and choreographer Wakaba Kohei, is composed of Kana Kitty, Ami Ishii, Akane Watanabe and Natsuki. Its aim is to inject elegance and beauty, traits traditionally associated with femininity, into the sometimes grotesque art form of butoh dance.
Wozme, an all-women dance troupe, wants to move the needle in butoh