Japanese Figure Skating 2016/17 season news, national team, updates

[Karpenko]

She's brought it all on herself. Quit picking them! just stop doing it with the warhorses already because that method only works for Sasha Cohen.

(of course I'll probably end up loving both programs, having had this rant. )

 

[kwanfan1818]

Carmen is skater-proof, but at least they come up with different selections. Everyone seems to use the same crap Tosca arrangement.

 

[Karpenko]

It's hypocritical because Kwan, Navka, Plushenko, Slutskaya, and many others used both pieces and I never thought twice to them on for it.

But all the same, she should cut it out.

 

[rosewood]

I knew how people would react to Kanako's music choices. You forgot she chose POTO for both of the two programs in a season? She continues competing for skating every single warhorse she loves.

 

[rosewood]

JSF announced names of skaters they send to the Jr GP event in Shinyokohama, Japan.
http://www.skatingjapan.or.jp/whatsnew/detail.php?id=3040
Men: Kazuki Tomono, Yuto Kishina, Sena Miyake
Ladies: Marin Honda, Mako Yamashita, TBA
Ice Dance: Rikako Fukase / Aru Tateno

 

[Sylvia]

Photo #9 of 10 in the Skate Detroit backstage photo gallery: http://web.icenetwork.com/photos/191642102

Miu Suzaki and Ryuichi Kihara, who train in Detroit under Jason Dungjen and Yuka Sato, placed fifth in the pairs short with their program to the 'theme from Mission: Impossible.' They skated their free to music from 'Star Wars' and placed sixth.

Suzaki/Kihara's Detroit videos from the live stream:
SP (48.72): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8lQvx-1ZQc
FS (86.54): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdN4mW2tvTo

ETA:

2016 Asian Open Trophy competition (Aug. 4-7) thread in Kiss & Cry: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...rophy-aug-4-7-philippines.98761/#post-4833220

Team Japan as of July 25:

Senior:
KEIJI TANAKA
YURA MATSUDA
MARIN ONO / WESLEY KILLING
MIU SUZAKI / RYUICHI KIHARA

Junior Men
YUTO KISHINA
KOSHIRO SHIMADA

Junior Ladies
MARIN HONDA
KOKORO IWAMOTO

Advanced Novice:
SHUN SATO (Boy)
MOA IWANO (Girl)

 

[rosewood]

JSF updated Team Japan skaters (following GPS assigments):
http://skatingjapan.or.jp/image_data/fck/file/2016/H28FS160729.pdf
Special
Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno, Takahito Mura, Keiji Tanaka, Sota Yamamoto, Daisuke Murakami, Satoko Miyahara, Wakaba Higuchi, Mao Asada, Rika Hongo, Marin Honda, Kanako Murakami, Yuka Nagai, Yura Matsuda, Mai Mihara
A
Ryuju Hino, Kazuki Tomono, Daichi Miyata, Yuna Shiraiwa, Rin Nitaya, Yuhana Yokoi
B
Shu Nakamura, Koshiro Shimada, Mitsuki Sumoto, Sei Kawahara, Taichiro Yamakuma, Hidetsugu Kamata, Yuto Kishina, Sena Miyake, Mariko Kihara, Kaori Sakamoto, Yuna Aoki, Rika Kihira, Kokoro Iwamoto, Mako Yamashita
Pairs A
Sumire Suto / Francis Boudreau Audet(Canada)
Pairs B
Marin Ono / Wesley Killing(Canada), Miu Suzaki / Ryuichi Kihara, Ami Koga / Spencer Akira Howe(USA)
Ice Dance Special
Kana Muramoto / Chris Reed
Ice Dance A
Emi Hirai / Marien De La Asuncion(France)
Ice Dance B
Rikako Fukase / Aru Tateno
Synchro A
Jingu Ice Messengers

 

[Jeschke]

so adding takahashi and her new guy we do have 5 japanese pairs this season in senior competitions?

 

[rosewood]

so adding takahashi and her new guy we do have 5 japanese pairs this season in senior competitions?

Kinoshita Group have been supporting pairs skaters & ice dancers on Team Japan for years. So they are lucky. Thus, S/K and T/S are together in the same show sponsored by Kinosita Group.
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...er-1-carnival-on-ice-gala.98849/#post-4836869

 

[NMURA]

article on Rika Kihira posted on the top page of Yahoo! Japan
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160730-00000050-nksports-spo

she landed the 3A five times in a day at junior national training camp.
four of them were combinations with 3T (3A-3T).
the current success rate is 60%.

 

[WanderlustTO]

Can't wait to see the 2015/16 version of Honda. She was so dominant last season and carried with her good technique and strong musicality - signs of a skater who doesn't just fall off with age. Are there any links to pre-season stuff?

I'm also looking forward to seeing the efforts of my beloved(es) Wakababy and Satoko this season!

I genuinely feel that Satoko has a world champion quality within her.

As far as Mao goes - is she now officially over and out?

 

[rosewood]

Mao announced she'll start her season from Finlandia Trophy this season.
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160730-00000094-dal-spo

Very good choice to receive ISU points in Finlandia Trophy rather than skating in Japan Open considering the starting order in SP at Worlds.

 

[MAXSwagg]

Can't wait to see the 2015/16 version of Honda. She was so dominant last season and carried with her good technique and strong musicality - signs of a skater who doesn't just fall off with age. Are there any links to pre-season stuff?

I'm also looking forward to seeing the efforts of my beloved(es) Wakababy and Satoko this season!

I genuinely feel that Satoko has a world champion quality within her.

As far as Mao goes - is she now officially over and out?

It's not over 'til the 3A Lady skates...

 

[Jun Y]

Satoko Miyahara's free skate at The Ice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO315JVxxlQ

The step sequence is particularly chill inducing.

Amazingly there is no familiar Star Wars theme in the music cuts.

A new strong female role in a year full of strong female roles on screen and in real life. How fitting. Fingers crossed for Miyahara's health and competitiveness for the entire season.

 

[Jun Y]

I wonder about Japanese skaters' off-season training schedules. We are used to seeing US skaters just getting up to speed with their new programs and not having all their jumps in the middle of summer. However, both Miyahara and Shoma Uno appear to be fully prepared for the new season by now. Perhaps still working on some jumping passes, but they seem to be entirely familiar with the new choreography, even the details and timing are all ironed out.

Shoma Uno's tango free skate (?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWGqWzBesyM

(Also very heartened that there are plenty of peaks and valleys and edges in their music for varied interpretion. Certainly not shapeless or boring.)

 

[rosewood]

I wonder about Japanese skaters' off-season training schedules. We are used to seeing US skaters just getting up to speed with their new programs and not having all their jumps in the middle of summer. However, both Miyahara and Shoma Uno appear to be fully prepared for the new season by now. Perhaps still working on some jumping passes, but they seem to be entirely familiar with the new choreography, even the details and timing are all ironed out.

Shoma Uno's tango free skate (?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWGqWzBesyM

(Also very heartened that there are plenty of peaks and valleys and edges in their music for varied interpretion. Certainly not shapeless or boring.)

Maybe they have big shows almost every weekend in spring-summer, and they skate their competitive programs to get used to skating them in front of big crowds as well as to get feed-backs from the fans and people involved in this sport who watched their programs in person?

 

[Marco]

Has Marin Honda announced her programs?

 

[skateboy]

I like how Shoma's LP is evolving and that he is showing more personality!

 

[Debrah]

Satoko was mesmerizing in that new LP, loved all the nuances and arms to die for; that is how its done ladies!!! She just gets better and better, intensity of focus but combined with superb performance skills! I adore this gal!

 

[lauravvv]

Has Marin Honda announced her programs?

Yes, some time ago already. Her SP is 'Smile', choreographed by Marina Zueva. She skated it at Fantasy on Ice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brrtMLnGufc) and Dreams on Ice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9D1froeD2s) already.

Her FS is 'Romeo and Juliet' (seems that the exact version is still unclear) choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle. She has not skated it pubclily yet.

Does anyone know more?

 

[Sylvia]

JSF updated Team Japan skaters
...
Pairs B
Marin Ono / Wesley Killing(Canada), Miu Suzaki / Ryuichi Kihara, Ami Koga / Spencer Akira Howe(USA)

Glad to see Koga/Howe added to B - hopefully this means they will debut on the JGP this fall.

ETA:

Her FS is 'Romeo and Juliet' (seems that the exact version is still unclear) choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle. She has not skated it pubclily yet.

Does anyone know more?

Marin Honda's international season debut is later this week at the Asian Open Trophy so we should hear something then.

 

[Shiera]

I knew how people would react to Kanako's music choices. You forgot she chose POTO for both of the two programs in a season? She continues competing for skating every single warhorse she loves.

Should we expect her doing Swan Lake and Firebird in Olympic season?)

 

[Kateri]

Mao's Bach EX is just mesmerising.

 

[rosewood]

Mao's Bach EX is just mesmerising.

I somewhat feel a smell that Mao will be still remembered 20 years later and it'll be FOR THIS PROGAM. I'm jealous Finnish people can watch two challenging competitive programs plus this Cello Suit before long.

@Sylvia, in this video below you can see a glimpse of Marin's R&J that she skated in the national Jr summer camp at Nobeyama. You can catch her music choices here.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4lyepc_強化合宿-第１戦はアジアンオープンを予定_sportgram.

 

[Sylvia]

@Sylvia, in this video below you can see a glimpse of Marin's R&J that she skated in the national Jr summer camp at Nobeyama. You can catch her music choices here.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4lyepc_強化合宿-第１戦はアジアンオープンを予定_sportgram.

Thank you! Marin Honda's Junior FS includes Nino Rota's famous love theme from the 1968 R&J film soundtrack + the instrumental of "Kissing You" (composed by Craig Armstrong) from the 1996 film soundtrack.

 

[Sylvia]

JSF announced names of skaters they send to the Jr GP event in Shinyokohama, Japan.
http://www.skatingjapan.or.jp/whatsnew/detail.php?id=3040
Men: Kazuki Tomono, Yuto Kishina, Sena Miyake
Ladies: Marin Honda, Mako Yamashita, TBA
Ice Dance: Rikako Fukase / Aru Tateno

Links to the 3 men's ISU bios: Yuto KISHINA, Sena MIYAKE, Kazuki TOMONO
This will be the JGP debut for Mako YAMASHITA, age 13 (Novice A silver medalist & 9th at Junior Nationals last year).
Has the 3rd lady for JPN been named yet?

JGP #1 in FRA:
Ladies: Rin NITAYA, Kaori SAKAMOTO
Man: Koshiro SHIMADA

JGP #2 in CZE:
Ladies: Yuna AOKI, Rika KIHIRA (JGP debut for the 13-year-old Novice A champ from last season who is landing 3A)
Man: Mitsuki SUMOTO
Pair: Ami KOGA / Spencer Akira HOWE - their international debut together (his first international in pairs)

Ladies JGP subs:
Kokoro IWAMOTO
Akari MATSUBARA
Yuna SHIRAIWA
Yuhana YOKOI

Men JGP subs:
Tatsuya TSUBOI
Taichiro YAMAKUMA

 

[rosewood]

Now I witnessed a 3A-3T from a 14 yo Jr skater Rika Kihira
https://twitter.com/mamiyuzu519/status/760950192728186880

This article says she landed five 3As in the Jr national camp, and 4 out of the 5 was done in the combination of 3A-3T. She says she can land three 3As out of five attempts during training at the point of the national camp. JUST WOW
http://zasshi.news.yahoo.co.jp/article?a=20160801-00010003-sportiva-spo

ETA:
Better quality clip
https://twitter.com/ac4ayhtotw/status/760951598608560128/video/1

DM video (we can confirm the 3A-3T was done in a runthrough, and also we can see her multiple attempts of the insane combo here.)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4n3gp1_強化合宿-3a-3t-公式戦成功すれば女子初_sport

I'm expecting her 3A attempts (at least as a solo jump) in Jr GP circuit where she makes a debut this season.

 

[Marco]

Thank you! Marin Honda's Junior FS includes Nino Rota's famous love theme from the 1968 R&J film soundtrack + the instrumental of "Kissing You" (composed by Craig Armstrong) from the 1996 film soundtrack.

I love the Nina Rota version, but Kissing You only reminds me of all the dialogues from last season's program by Yan Han... [unless I love it and then it would remind me of the Kween ]

 

[Marco]

Should we expect her doing Swan Lake and Firebird in Olympic season?)

I believe she already skated to Swan Lake in the year she won Jr Worlds. I want to say, 2010?

 

[Karpenko]

...so 'Black Swan' is still available. or "The Swan" or "Song of the Black Swan"