Japanese figure skating 2023-24 season news & updates

[japanice]

[ICE TIME] After Shoma Uno's Retirement, a New Generation of Skating Stars Moves into the Spotlight | SportsLook

Japanese skating standouts Yuma Kagiyama, Kao Miura and Shun Sato step into the forefront with ambitious goals for the 2026 Olympics and other big events.

featured.japan-forward.com

 

[On My Own]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1801186561712951610

Shimada is training 4Lz.

 

[YukiNieve]

Kinosita Academy had a practice session that was open to the media.
They invited Jeff Dionisio, a Canadian harness training specialist, to train their skaters for their jumps.

Mao Shimada was practicing 4Lz, which she hopes to include in her program when she becomes a senior skater.
Clip (practicing 4lz): https://x.com/hitkurasawa/status/1801186561712951610

Mone Chiba was practicing 4T.
Clip (practicing 4T): https://x.com/hitkurasawa/status/1801248003367350298

Photo:

フィギュアスケート木下アカデミー練習公開 ［写真特集1/11］ | 毎日新聞

島田麻央（左）にハーネスを付けてジャンプの指導をするジェフ・ディオニシオ氏＝京都府宇治市の木下アカデミー京都アイスアリーナで2024年6月13日、中川祐一撮影

mainichi.jp

 

[japanice]

[ICE TIME] Kaori Sakamoto, Yuma Kagiyama Headline Grand Prix Series | SportsLook

In their first Grand Prix Series events of the season, Sakamoto is set to compete in Skate Canada in October and Kagiyama in November's NHK Trophy.

featured.japan-forward.com

 

[YukiNieve]

Cross-posting here since at the Dreams on Ice, all the Japanese skaters will skate new programs for the 2024-2025 season.

Dreams on Ice 2024

Dreams on Ice 2025 ～日本代表エキシビション～

「Dreams on Ice 2025 ～日本代表エキシビション～」は、2025年6月27日（金）、6月28日（土）、6月29日（日）全4公演　KOSÉ新横浜スケートセンターで開催します。

www.onice.jp

https://twitter.com/Dreams_onice 6/28-6/30 - Yokohama, Kanagawa
Men: Yuma Kagiyama, Kao Miura, Shun Sato, Sota Yamamoto, Rio Nakata, Haru Kakiuchi, Tsudoi Suto
Women: Kaori Sakamoto, Mone Chiba, Hana Yoshida, Rinka Watanabe, Mai Mihara, Mao Shimada, Rena Uezono, Ikura Kushida
Dance: Utana Yoshida & Masaya Morita, Azusa Tanaka & Shingo Nishiyama

Skating order (in Japanese)

https://www.onice.jp/order.pdf

 

[YukiNieve]

2024 All Nippon (Japanese Nationals) (Dec 19-22, 2024) will be held at Ractab Dome in Osaka.

フィギュアスケート：第93回全日本フィギュアスケート選手権大会 | 公益財団法人 日本スケート連盟 - Japan Skating Federation

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www.skatingjapan.or.jp

There will be Japan Open (October 5, 2024), too! Place:TBA

フィギュアスケート：ジャパンオープン2024 | 公益財団法人 日本スケート連盟 - Japan Skating Federation

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www.skatingjapan.or.jp

 

[japanice]

[ICE TIME] Taira Shinohara Benefits from Training with Yuma Kagiyama | SportsLook

After practicing with Kagiyama for seven days, American Taira Shinohara said

featured.japan-forward.com

 

[YukiNieve]

Dreams on Ice where all Japaneses skaters will skate new programs just began and my friends in the arena have been reporting the music by watching their run-through practices, so I will write some notes here. Sorry if there are any mistakes. The list may not be complete since these notes are from run-through practices.

Skating order is here: https://www.onice.jp/order.pdf
Most skaters skate only SP for 4 presentations over 3 days (some skate only FS), but Rinka Watanabe and Rena Uezono may skate both SP and FS.


<Senior Women>

Mai Mihara (SP) Grief (Tony Ann)

Rinka Watanabe (SP) Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (Nobuyuki Tsujii)

Hana Yoshida (SP) Temen Oblak - "Dark Clouds" (Christopher Tin)

Mone Chiba (SP) Last dance (Donna Summer)

Kaori Sakamoto (SP) Concierto del Ángel: IV. Resurrección del Angel - Piazzolla (Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica & Vadim Sakharov)

---

Rinka Watanabe (FS) Maria de Bueno Aires- Tema de Maria by Piazzolla (Per Arne Glorvigen, Marta Sudraba, Gidon Kremer, Alois Posch, Maria Fedotova, Peter Sadlo, Vadim Sakharov & Ula Zebriunaite)

ETA　Ilia came to the rink side to watch senior women's and men's run-through practices.

 

[YukiNieve]

<Senior Men>

Souta Yamamoto (SP) Ost Pullaka (Rahman Sabir)

Shun Sato (SP) Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra (Joshua Bell, Nigel Hess & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Kao Miura (FS) Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Peter Breiner & Peter Breiner Symphonic Pop Orchestra)

Yuma Kagiyama (SP) Sound of Silence (Miloš Karadaglić & 12 Ensemble ?)　
Yuma nailed 4F-3T during the practice.

 

[YukiNieve]

<Junior Women>

Ikura Kushida (SP) Sway (Rosemary Clooney)

Rena Uezono (FS) The Bells of Moscow (Wolfgang Sawallisch & The Philadelphia Orchestra)

Rena Uezono Chronos (Kirill Richter)

Mao Shimada (SP) Defying Gravity (Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel)

 

[YukiNieve]

<Junior Men>

Tsudoi Suto (SP) Take Five (Dave Brubeck) / Caravan (John Wasson)

Haru Kakiuchi (FS) I giorni: Andante (Daniel Hope, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin & Jacques Ammon)

Syunsuke Nakamura (FS) Io Ci Sarò (Andrea Bocelli & Lang Lang)

Rio Nakata (SP) Aroul (Taalbi Brothers)

 

[YukiNieve]

<Ice Dance>

Azusa Tanaka & Shingo Nishiyama (RD) September (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick & Earth, Wind & Fire) / Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) / Land of 1000 Dances (Wilson Pickett)

Utana Yoshida & Masaya Morita (RD) Be-Bop-A-Lula (Gene Vincent) / Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On (Elvis Presley)

 

[coralline]

<Ice Dance>

Azusa Tanaka & Shingo Nishiyama (RD) September (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick & Earth, Wind & Fire) / Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) / Land of 1000 Dances (Wilson Pickett)

Utana Yoshida & Masaya Morita (RD) Be-Bop-A-Lula (Gene Vincent) / Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On (Elvis Presley)

Thank you for sharing！Will this show be broadcasted anywhere？

 

[YukiNieve]

I heard that DOI will be broadcasted live on Saturday in Japan.

 

[YukiNieve]

You cane see the costumes of their new programs here:

フィギュアスケート　ドリーム・オン・アイス ［写真特集1/38］ | 毎日新聞

演技する坂本花織＝コーセー新横浜スケートセンターで2024年6月28日、猪飼健史撮影

mainichi.jp

 

[YukiNieve]

You can watch the clip of many of the performance here:

<Senior Women>

Mai Mihara (SP) Grief (Tony Ann)

x.com

x.com

Rinka Watanabe (SP) Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (Nobuyuki Tsujii)

x.com

x.com

Mone Chiba (SP) Last dance (Donna Summer)

x.com

x.com

Kaori Sakamoto (SP) Concierto del Ángel: IV. Resurrección del Angel - Piazzolla (Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica & Vadim Sakharov)

x.com

x.com

<Senior Men>

Souta Yamamoto (SP) Ost Pullaka (Rahman Sabir)

x.com

x.com

Shun Sato (SP) Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra (Joshua Bell, Nigel Hess & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

x.com

x.com

Kao Miura (FS) Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Peter Breiner & Peter Breiner Symphonic Pop Orchestra)

x.com

x.com

Yuma Kagiyama (SP) Sound of Silence (Miloš Karadaglić & 12 Ensemble ?)　
Yuma nailed 4F-3T during the practice.

x.com

x.com

 

[YukiNieve]

<Junior Women>

Rena Uezono (FS) The Bells of Moscow (Wolfgang Sawallisch & The Philadelphia Orchestra)

x.com

x.com

Mao Shimada (SP) Defying Gravity (Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel)

x.com

x.com

<Junior Men>

Haru Kakiuchi (FS) I giorni: Andante (Daniel Hope, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin & Jacques Ammon)

x.com

x.com

Rio Nakata (SP) Aroul (Taalbi Brothers)

x.com

x.com

<Ice Dance>

Azusa Tanaka & Shingo Nishiyama (RD) September (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick & Earth, Wind & Fire) / Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) / Land of 1000 Dances (Wilson Pickett)

x.com

x.com

Utana Yoshida & Masaya Morita (RD) Be-Bop-A-Lula (Gene Vincent) / Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On (Elvis Presley)

x.com

x.com

 

[Wyliefan]

Oh thank God, a Moonlight Sonata without vocals or sound effects or updates, and with relatively unobtrusive cuts. Bless you, Rinka.

 

[azcalder]

Oh thank God, a Moonlight Sonata without vocals or sound effects or updates, and with relatively unobtrusive cuts. Bless you, Rinka.

Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii was born blind due to microphthalmia. From an early age, he exhibited exceptional talent and musical ability. At age two, he began to play "Do Re Mi" on a toy piano after hearing his mother hum the tune. He began formal piano study at the age of four.

 

[YukiNieve]

I find this interview of Kao Miura quite interesting.

https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASS6V0TRHS6VUNHB005M.html?ptoken=01J1TMGT5T01HTWDW1R0B0F3RR
(It will be behind the paywall after July 4)

Some excerpts:

- On his new FS, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne)
I know you are all wondering how well this song matches my type of performance, but I feel it fits well me as I skate. I have the impression that it is the best fit for me so far. I know you can't imagine it without actually seeing it.

The program has a highlight from the beginning. It starts when you are still happy while you are following the other person with your gaze. Then the last part is a choreography of mixed emotions, going through sadness, and then both of them becoming happy again. I asked Shae-Lynn to simply reflect my raw impressions from the movie on the ice. It is sad but not too sad. It is truly a delicate program.

However, we've got a problem.

I created the program thinking that there would be a rule revision by the International Skating Union (ISU), so I changed the number of jumps from 7 to 6, and one of the spins to a choreographic spin. After all, the number of jumps will not be reduced until the season after the Milan Olympic Games, so I have to rework where to put jumps and other things. When I asked my fellow skaters, it seems that there are many similar cases. I wish they had decided a little earlier what the rules were going to be (for this season).

On back-flip:
Back-flips are no longer subject to get deductions, but I have my own opinion about it. After all, this is a sport called figure skating, so I want the emphasis to be on the skating. If you do a back-flip in the second half when you are getting tired, and if you fail, there might be an irreversible accident. It's too late after that happens. This is strictly my personal opinion, though.

 

[Jarrett]

I really like Hana Yoshidas short. Has a lot of potential and I like the dramatics.

Shimadas short needs show lights to work properly. I don’t see it working as well as a competitive program but would be a decent exhibition.

 

[Frau Muller]

For very different reasons, I love the SPs of Rena Uezono (classical Bells of Moscow) and Ikura Kushida (mambo Sway). Also love Ikura’s fuschia dress and hairstyle…total Bohemian style.

 

[YukiNieve]

Team Japan is holding a summer camp this week in Kanku Ice Arena in Osaka and fans are invited to watch. Kurt Browning and Alissa Czisny are there as trainers.

Some skaters skated and revealed music for their new programs!
ETA: Added about choreographers. Since some programs were only skated partially, not all the music were idenitified (as noted *).

Kazuki Tomono
(SP): Tshegue (Tshegue) + another music* - Choreo: Shae-Lynn Bourne
(FS): Butterfly / MOVEMENT 11' / I NEED YOU （Jon Batiste）- Choreo: Lori Nichol

Shun Sato
(SP) Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra (Joshua Bell, Nigel Hess & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)　- Chore: Guillaume Cizeron
(FS): Nostos (feat. Bufflo) (Jean Michel Blais) - Choreo: Guillaume Cizeron
　　　　　
Sota Yamamoto
(SP) Split, Postcards From Far Away (Ezio Bosso) - Chreo: Benoit Richaud　
Note: this is different from my earlier post.
(FS) Melting + another music* Choreo - Lori Nichol

Kao Miura
(SP): Conquest of Spaces (Woodkid) - Choreo: Benoit Richaud
(FS) Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Peter Breiner & Peter Breiner Symphonic Pop Orchestra) - Choreo: Shae-Lynn Bourne
Note: in an interview, Kao indicated he may change the FS program since he had created this program with 6 jumps structure, not 7.

Yuma Kagiyama
(SP): (SP) Sound of Silence - Choreo: Lori Nichol
(FS): Concertino for Guitar and Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 72: II. Romanza (Karin Schaupp, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra & Benjamin Northey) + another music* (flamenco music?) - Choreo: Lori Nichol

Rio Nakata
(SP): (SP) Aroul (Taalbi Brothers) - Choreo: Misha Ge
(FS): Jack Sparrow (Hans Zimmer) - Choreo: Yea-Ji Shin

---
Kaori Sakamoto
(SP) Concierto del Ángel: IV. Resurrección del Angel - Piazzolla (Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica & Vadim Sakharov) - Choreo: Rohene Ward
(FS) undisclosed

Rion Sumiyoshi
(SP): Love Is A Funny Thing - Choreo: Misha Ge
(FS): Hymn (Adiemus, Karl Jenkins, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Miriam Stockley) - Choreo: Shae Lynn Bourne

Hana Yoshida
(SP) Temen Oblak - "Dark Clouds" (Christopher Tin) - Choreo: Benoit Richaud
(FS): SOS d'un terrien en détresse (Cirque du Soleil, Jean-Phi Goncalves & Ariane Moffatt) - Choreo: Lori Nichol

Mone Chiba
(SP) Last dance (Donna Summer) - Choreo: Kaitlyn Weaver
(FS): Ariana Concerto No. 1: II. Adagio Sostenuto (Orchestre Colonne, Yves Lévèque & Caroline Fauchet) - Lori Nichol

Mai Mihara
(SP) Grief (Tony Ann) - Choreo: Misha Ge
(FS): Red Violin Based On En Aranjuez Cou Tu Amor (Ikuko Kawai) (with pipe organ) - Choreo: Dacid Wilison

Rinka Watanabe
(SP) Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (Nobuyuki Tsujii) - Choreo: Shae Lynn Bourne
(FS) Maria de Bueno Aires- Tema de Maria by Piazzolla (Per Arne Glorvigen, Marta Sudraba, Gidon Kremer, Alois Posch, Maria Fedotova, Peter Sadlo, Vadim Sakharov & Ula Zebriunaite) - Choreo: Lori Nichol

Rena Uezono
(SP) Voilà - Choreo: Mihoko Higuchi
(FS) The Bells of Moscow (Wolfgang Sawallisch & The Philadelphia Orchestra) - Choreo: Mihoko Higuchi

Mao Shimada
(SP) Defying Gravity (Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel) - Choreo: Kaitlyn Weaver
(FS) Mado Kara Mieru - Choreo: Lori Nichol

 

[tony]

Kagiyama's music is (at least in part) the first piece Kwan used in her 1996 short. I'd think he needs something else for the back half of the program.

 

[YukiNieve]

Here are the photos of the summer training camp for Team Japan.

フィギュアスケート全日本代表合宿 ［写真特集1/40］ | 毎日新聞

全日本代表合宿で表現練習をする坂本花織（奥）と佐藤駿＝大阪府泉佐野市の関空アイスアリーナで2024年7月6日、西村剛撮影

mainichi.jp

I also added some new information for the new program, including the names of choreographers, in the above thread.

 

[livetoskate]

Here are the photos of the summer training camp for Team Japan.

フィギュアスケート全日本代表合宿 ［写真特集1/40］ | 毎日新聞

全日本代表合宿で表現練習をする坂本花織（奥）と佐藤駿＝大阪府泉佐野市の関空アイスアリーナで2024年7月6日、西村剛撮影

mainichi.jp

I also added some new information for the new program, including the names of choreographers, in the above thread.

Thank you! Wonderful to see all those pictures.

 

[YukiNieve]

Marin Honda choreographed a program for Shoma Uno:

宇野昌磨ShomaUno on Instagram: "🌪️"

24K likes, 561 comments - shoma_un0 on July 8, 2024: "🌪️".

www.instagram.com

Then he also posted clips for the bloopers
Marin seems to be quite a tough coach, lol. (she shouted "do it again!")

宇野昌磨ShomaUno on Instagram: "NG集　 完成までの険しい道のり笑　振付かっけえですまりん先生 かなりハードです頑張ります"

20K likes, 289 comments - shoma_un0 on July 8, 2024: "NG集　 完成までの険しい道のり笑　振付かっけえですまりん先生 かなりハードです頑張ります".

www.instagram.com

 

[japanice]

[ICE TIME] Japan's Best Skaters Get Start on New Season at Annual Training Camp | SportsLook

Fourteen skaters, including three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto, attended the training camp in Osaka Prefecture to prepare for the upcoming season.

featured.japan-forward.com

 

[YukiNieve]

Kao Miura scored 201.55 for FS, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, at Prince Ice Cup in Japan with 4Lo, 4S, 4T, 4T-3T.

Kao's FS:

ããã£ã®ã¥ã¢ã¹ã±ã¼ãä¸æµ¦ä½³çãä»å£åæ¦Prince Ice Cupã§200ç¹è¶ã

â 2024å¹´ï¼æ15æ¥ã«KOSÃæ°æ¨ªæµã¹ã±ã¼ãã»ã³ã¿ã¼ã§éå¬ãããPrince Ice Cupã®ã·ãã¢ç·åããªã¼ãæ°ã·ã¼ãºã³åæ¦ã®ä¸æµ¦ä½³çé¸æ(19)ã201.55ããã¼ã¯ã1ä½ãâ¼#ãã¸ã¹ã± å¬å¼ãã¼ã ãã¼ã¸ï¼https://www.fujitv.co.jp/sports/skate...â¼ãã¸ãã¬ãã¹ã±ã¼ãå¬...

www.youtube.com

Judges' detailed scores:

https://www.jsfresults.com/local/2024-2025/fs/14/671/data0205.pdf

 

[japanice]

[ICE TIME] Exclusive: Kurt Browning, Wife Alissa Stressed the Joy of Skating to Japan's Elite | SportsLook

Changing the stoic faces that Japanese skaters often maintain on the ice became a primary mission for Kurt Browning and his wife at the camp.

featured.japan-forward.com