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November 04, 2025
 

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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 / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jul 22, 2010
Clubs cope with roster changes as season resumes after World Cup
The World Cup was always going to cast a long shadow over this year's J. League championship, and how teams now deal with the fallout will play a significant part in the destination of the title.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 18, 2010
Kennedy provides spark for Grampus
Nagoya Grampus shrugged off a first-half red card for Igor Burzanovic to grab a 1-0 away win over Omiya Ardija on Saturday.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jul 2, 2010
Japan impressed despite falling short of Okada's goal
In the end, national team manager Takeshi Okada got neither the semifinal he craved nor the quarterfinal that looked there for the taking. When the dust settles on Japan's 2010 World Cup campaign, however, the overall feeling will be one of pride rather than regret.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 27, 2010
Victory over Denmark gives Japan inspiration
On a night when a positive result was more important than a positive performance, Japan emphatically delivered both.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 22, 2010
Attack as well as defense needed to secure qualification
Japan's disappointment at losing to the Netherlands on Saturday was understandable, but Thursday's final group game against Denmark was always going to be the one that mattered most. With only a point now needed to secure qualification for the knockout phase, Takeshi Okada's side stands on the verge...
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 17, 2010
Bold changes rewarded as Okada gets team tactics right
Japan's hard-boiled victory over Cameroon on Monday was never going to win Takeshi Okada's side any new friends, but confidence, respect and three crucial points are a far more valuable reward.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 10, 2010
World Cup gets ready for kickoff
The World Cup breaks new ground on Friday as the world's top soccer tournament will be held in Africa for the first time. South Africa plays host to the monthlong competition, where 32 teams will compete for a place in the final in Johannesburg on July 11.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 3, 2010
Battling performance leaves Nakamura's place in doubt
After the trauma of last week's defeat to South Korea, Japan salvaged some much-needed confidence — if not a result — against England. But if manager Takeshi Okada decides to stick with the revamped formation that served him so well on Sunday, where does that leave Shunsuke Nakamura?
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
May 27, 2010
Okada's moment of weakness sets worst possible example
Whether Takeshi Okada's offer to resign as national team manager immediately after this week's defeat to South Korea was serious or merely a gesture of apology, the effect is still the same: The growing sense that Japan is heading for World Cup humiliation has now been endorsed by the team's own leader....
SOCCER / World cup
May 26, 2010
Okada denies he offered to resign
National team manager Takeshi Okada insists he did not offer to resign in the immediate aftermath of Japan's 2-0 defeat to South Korea on Monday night.
SOCCER / World cup
May 25, 2010
Japan stumbles in World Cup tuneup
SAITAMA — South Korea sent Japan off to the World Cup with plenty to think about after a 2-0 defeat on Monday night.
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 20, 2010
S-Pulse beating strong going into World Cup break
Shimizu S-Pulse's momentum may have faded in recent weeks, but manager Kenta Hasegawa has plenty to smile about as his side heads into the two-month World Cup shutdown on top of the J. League.
SOCCER / World cup
May 18, 2010
Technology fuels Japan's 2022 bid
Japan is banking on its reputation for technological innovation to win hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
May 13, 2010
No room for sentiment as Okada separates men from boys
In the end it was simply a matter of fine-tuning for national team manager Takeshi Okada as he named a familiar squad for the World Cup on Monday. Of the few rabbits he did pull out of the hat, however, Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi should be regarded as anything but a sentimental choice.
SOCCER / World cup
May 11, 2010
Kawaguchi returns as Okada announces World Cup squad
Veteran goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and striker Kisho Yano were the biggest surprises in an otherwise familiar selection as national team manager Takeshi Okada named his squad for the World Cup on Monday.
SOCCER / J. League
May 9, 2010
J. League's Australians keeping fingers crossed for World Cup callup
National team manager Takeshi Okada will end months of speculation when he names his World Cup squad on Monday, but for some J. League players hoping to make it to South Africa the wait must go on for one more day.
SOCCER / J. League
May 7, 2010
Stojkovic criticizes players after loss to Reds
SAITAMA — Nagoya Grampus manager Dragan Stojkovic blasted his team's "lack of intelligence" after letting a halftime lead slip in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Urawa Reds, holding himself up as the model for his players to aspire to.
SOCCER / J. League
May 2, 2010
Nozawa spearheads Antlers to victory over rival Gamba
KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Takuya Nozawa scored with a picture-perfect free kick as Kashima Antlers maintained their stranglehold over J. League rival Gamba Osaka with a 2-1 win on Saturday.
SOCCER / World cup
May 1, 2010
Hirayama philosophical about World Cup chances
If Cameroon, the Netherlands and Denmark think they know what to expect from Japan at this summer's World Cup, one glance at Sota Hirayama should be enough to change their minds.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Apr 29, 2010
World Cup squad taking shape ahead of May 10 decision
With national team manager Takeshi Okada set to name his World Cup squad on May 10, Soccer Scene takes a look at the candidates. Names in bold are those predicted to make the final 23-man roster:
The unstoppable rise of konbini tourism
Guests typically follow Ryo Ito’s lead as he weaves through the narrow, colorful aisles of convenience stores.
More Japanese universities pushing toward teaching in English
Waseda University in Tokyo
A narrow Pacific waterway at heart of U.S. plans to choke China’s vast navy
Philippine and Australian troops fire an M777 howitzer during live fire exercises as part of joint military drills in Laur, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines, in August.
Trump would make U.S. Supreme Court history by attending tariffs case
There is no record in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 235-year history of a sitting president ever attending arguments, according to Clare Cushman, director of publications and resident historian at the Supreme Court Historical Society.
Dodgers clinch back-to-back World Series titles as Blue Jays downed in thriller
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and teammates celebrate after winning the World Series against the Blue Jays. Yamamoto was named MVP for the series.
How airlines are refining their in-flight food in Japan's tourism boom
All Nippon Airways' gourmet program, The Connoisseurs, showcases the Japanese concept of "shun" (peak season for ingredients), giving passengers a preview of the refined cuisine that awaits them in Japan.
The unstoppable rise of konbini tourism
Guests typically follow Ryo Ito’s lead as he weaves through the narrow, colorful aisles of convenience stores.
Anime isn’t competing with Hollywood — it’s beating it
After its July release, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle,” an animated feature adapted directly from a TV arc, became the highest-grossing Japanese film ever.
Oasis returns to Japan after 16 years — and fans can still sing every word
Liam Gallagher commanded the stage with effortless charisma during Oasis' Tokyo Dome set on Saturday.
At Japan Mobility Show, BYD gears up to conquer Japan's EV market
BYD Auto Japan President Atsuki Tofukuji unveils the Racco at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes
By Alex K.T. Martin

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