Andrew MCKIRDY - The Japan Times

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.

SOCCER / J. League

May 12, 2012

Marquinhos hoping he can give Marinos boost

As secret weapons go, there are few better players a J. League team could call on than Brazilian striker Marquinhos.

SOCCER / J. League

May 4, 2012

Frontale hold off Jubilo

Kawasaki Frontale overcame a nervy finish to beat Jubilo Iwata 4-3 and give manager Yahiro Kazama his first win in charge on Thursday.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 29, 2012

Tosu continues strong start by holding Reysol

First-division debutants Sagan Tosu kept up their impressive start to the J. League season with a 1-1 draw away to reigning champions Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Apr 26, 2012

Early pace-setters Vegalta determined to last distance

Skeptics may dismiss Vegalta Sendai's position at the top of the J. League as a fad waiting to blow over, but each passing weekend brings fresh evidence that the Tohoku side intends to stick around for good.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 21, 2012

Abe relishing derby after return to Reds from Leicester

Urawa Reds have suffered too many false dawns in recent years to get carried away by their bright start to the J. League season, but midfielder Yuki Abe is not about to sit back and let local rivals Omiya Ardija pull the plug in Saturday's Saitama derby.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 15, 2012

Leandro's brace not enough for Kashiwa in loss to Sendai

J. League leaders Vegalta Sendai preserved their unbeaten start to the season and took the defending champions' scalp in the process with a 3-2 win over Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 8, 2012

Cerezo storm past Ardija after break

Cerezo Osaka hit Omiya Ardija with a one-two punch from their Olympic arsenal as Hiroshi Kiyotake and Kim Bo Kyung both found the target in a 3-0 win on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 1, 2012

Grampus, Ardija fight to draw as wind, rain buffet stadium

Nagoya Grampus and Omiya Ardija battled through foul weather conditions to come away with a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 31, 2012

Ishikawa hopes FC Tokyo can sustain early momentum

Relegation is never an achievement to celebrate, but FC Tokyo winger Naohiro Ishikawa believes his side's perfect start to the J. League season would not have been possible without spending 2011 in the second division.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Mar 29, 2012

Serrao debacle leaves Gamba searching for stability

There was always a danger that Gamba Osaka would need time to adapt to life without former manager Akira Nishino, but no one expected things to turn out quite so badly.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 25, 2012

Kim leads unbeaten Cerezo to victory over Frontale

Cerezo Osaka ended Kawasaki Frontale's perfect start to the new J. League season and maintained their own unbeaten record with a 1-0 victory on Saturday.

Japan Times

SOCCER

Mar 21, 2012

Maranhao's late goal gives Ulsan Hyundai draw with FC Tokyo

FC Tokyo's perfect start to the new season collapsed with an 88th-minute equalizer as South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai salvaged a 2-2 draw in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 18, 2012

Despotovic goal delivers victory for Reds against Reysol

Urawa Reds beat Kashiwa Reysol 1-0 on Saturday to leave the reigning J. League champions still searching for their first win of the new season.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Mar 15, 2012

Opening day gives hint of things to come in 20th season

The future is hardly set in stone after one round of matches, but as the J. League kicked off its 20th season on Saturday, there were some tantalizing glimpses of what lies ahead.

SOCCER / World cup

Mar 15, 2012

Japan punches ticket to London Olympics

Japan Under-23 manager Takashi Sekizuka allowed himself a moment to savor qualification for the London Olympic men's soccer tournament on Wednesday night, but the 51-year-old insists the real work begins now.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 11, 2012

Lucas gives FC Tokyo season-opening win over Omiya Ardija

FC Tokyo made a winning return to the J. League first division with a 1-0 victory over Omiya Ardija as the new season got under way on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 10, 2012

J. League big guns set sights on Reysol's crown

The following is the second of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine highest-ranked teams competing in the first division are listed.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 9, 2012

Promoted sides seek to make mark against J. League powers

The following is the first of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine lowest-ranked teams competing in the first division are listed.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 8, 2012

Jorginho returns to ease Antlers toward new beginning

Kashima Antlers head into the new J. League campaign at something of a crossroads after a disappointing sixth-place finish last season, but incoming manager Jorginho sees no need to start a revolution.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 7, 2012

Popovic thinking big in his first season with FC Tokyo

Kashiwa Reysol pulled off the unprecedented feat of winning the J. League only a year after claiming the second-division title last season, but FC Tokyo manager Ranko Popovic is hoping history will repeat itself with his newly promoted team.

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

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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