Andrew MCKIRDY - The Japan Times

September 05, 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.

SOCCER / J. League

Nov 22, 2015

FC Tokyo eliminated from title contention

FC Tokyo crashed out of J. League title contention after a 0-0 home draw with Sagan Tosu on Sunday that put defending champions Gamba Osaka into the championship playoffs instead.

JAPAN

Nov 20, 2015

Tokyo must act now to build legacy for venues beyond 2020 Olympics, says London Games exec

Tokyo must act now to develop a vision for the new National Stadium and other Olympic venues that reaches decades beyond the 2020 Games.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 13, 2015

Style complements functionality at Shibuya exhibition of aids for disabled

A new design exhibition in Tokyo is aiming to give the public perception of disability a makeover by placing style at the top of the agenda.

Japan Times

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Nov 11, 2015

Japan keen to work off frustration in World Cup qualifiers

Japan heads into this week's World Cup qualifiers only in second place in Group E, but Vahid Halilhodzic's side will be hungry to set the record straight against opponents Singapore and Cambodia.

SOCCER / J. League

Nov 7, 2015

Reds stifled in bid to take lead

Urawa Reds drew 1-1 with Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday to give Sanfrecce Hiroshima one hand on the J. League overall points title with one game of the regular season remaining.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 6, 2015

Hebocon a venue for low-tech, crude robots that personify their makers

A new robot revolution is threatening to take over the world — as long as the glue and tape hold together long enough.

Japan Times

Rugby

Nov 2, 2015

Jones signs off with plea for Japan to keep momentum

Outgoing national rugby team coach Eddie Jones bid farewell to Japan on Monday with a warning that the Brave Blossoms must keep winning to make the 2019 Rugby World Cup a success.

SOCCER / J. League

Oct 31, 2015

Antlers capture 6th Nabisco Cup

Kashima Antlers lit the touchpaper in the second half to beat Gamba Osaka 3-0 and win the Nabisco Cup for a record sixth time on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Oct 24, 2015

Reds edge FC Tokyo

Urawa Reds stayed neck-and-neck with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the race for the J. League overall points title after a rip-roaring 4-3 win over FC Tokyo on Saturday.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Society

Oct 22, 2015

Fuji TV announces Japan-first lesbian drama, but attracts criticism for 'outdated' portrayal

Fuji Television has announced a drama series featuring a lesbian love story as its central theme — a first for Japan.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Oct 21, 2015

Internal mistakes behind S-Pulse's fall from J1 ranks

Shimizu S-Pulse's proud uninterrupted record as a J. League first-division team came to an end last weekend, but after years of muddled leadership, the club has no one to blame but itself.

JAPAN

Oct 16, 2015

Tokyo 2020 organizers launch fresh search for Olympic logo

Tokyo 2020 organizers on Friday launched their search for a new Olympic logo with a call for the public to reclaim the games after the original design was scrapped last month following accusations of plagiarism.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 15, 2015

IOC brass gives thumbs up to Tokyo's 2020 efforts

Olympic chiefs have given Tokyo 2020 organizers a vote of confidence, despite a series of missteps that have mired the upcoming games in controversy.

Rugby

Oct 13, 2015

Brave Blossoms return to hero's welcome

Japan's Rugby World Cup heroes returned home on Tuesday with a vow to continue their new "winning culture" when the country hosts the event in four years' time.

Japan Times

TENNIS

Oct 10, 2015

Paire ousts Nishikori in semis

Defending champion Kei Nishikori crashed out of the Japan Open after a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 semifinal defeat to his U.S. Open conqueror Benoit Paire on Saturday.

Japan Times

TENNIS

Oct 9, 2015

Nishikori battles past Cilic

Defending champion Kei Nishikori fought back from a set down to reach the Japan Open semifinals after a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Croatia's Marin Cilic on Friday.

Japan Times

TENNIS

Oct 7, 2015

Nishikori overcomes Querrey for place in quarterfinals

Kei Nishikori tamed big-serving American Sam Querrey 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Japan Open on Wednesday.

Japan Times

Rugby

Oct 5, 2015

Japan eyes World Cup heroes for Super Rugby's Sunwolves

Japan's new Super Rugby franchise is hoping to ride the wave of the national team's World Cup success when it enters the competition next season.

SOCCER / J. League

Oct 3, 2015

Reds, Tosu settle for 1-1 draw

Urawa Reds moved a step closer to the J. League overall points title despite squandering a lead in a 1-1 draw with Sagan Tosu on Saturday.

JAPAN

Oct 1, 2015

New sports agency chief Suzuki pledges 'new direction' for 2020 Olympics preparations

Former Olympic swimming champion Daichi Suzuki believes the launch of Japan's new sports agency can help lift the gloom surrounding Tokyo's preparations for the games.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.

From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons

Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons

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