Japanese figure skating 2025-26 season news & updates

[Sylvia]

Yuma Kagiyama to perform quadruple flip at Olympics - "I have no intention of playing it safe" (Jan. 17, 2026): https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cc68c5252b87084061040914b4aaf38752ca4b42

On the 17th, men's figure skater Yuma Kagiyama announced that he will incorporate a quadruple flip into his free program at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which begins on February 6th. It's a difficult jump he has avoided in order to prioritize the overall perfection of his performance. Speaking to reporters in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, he expressed his strong determination, saying, "I want to give it my all at the Olympics. I have no intention of playing it safe." By adding a flip to his previously three quadruple jumps (a salchow and two toe loops), he aims to raise his technical score to four, with three types. Earlier this year, he and his choreographer adapted his routine from the opera "Turandot" to an Olympic version. During practice with music playing on this day, he successfully completed all seven jumps, including the quadruple flip.

Photo gallery of the ceremony for the Japanese Olympic team at Lala Arena Tokyo Bay in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, held on January 18, 2026 in which Kaori Sakamoto was the acting flag bearer [in place of speed skater Wataru Morishige, who was unable to attend due to overseas training]:

ミラノ五輪日本代表選手団の結団式・壮行会 ［写真特集16/24］ | 毎日新聞

日本選手団の壮行会で決意表明する坂本花織＝千葉県船橋市のららアリーナ東京ベイで2026年1月18日、猪飼健史撮影

mainichi.jp

Video highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8a7jY6urlg
JSF's photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTpqnuaE7mu/

Jan 6th article:

Olympics: Speed skater Morishige to be Japan flagbearer at Winter Games - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Speed skater Wataru Morishige will be one of Japan's two flagbearers at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, the c

mainichi.jp

Japan will also select a female flagbearer in line with the International Olympic Committee's policy of promoting gender equality by encouraging each delegation to have both a man and a woman in the role.
The Japanese Olympic Committee previously appointed a captain of the delegation but abolished the role ahead of the 2024 Paris Summer Games to reduce the burden on athletes.
Figure skater Kaori Sakamoto will stand in for Morishige as flagbearer at the official team sendoff on Jan. 18, as he will be attending a training camp in Europe.

 

[Sylvia]

Mone Chiba article - "Just believe in yourself and skate" for the Milan Olympics, attempting the difficult quadruple jump in open practice (Jan. 16, 2026):

【フィギュア】千葉百音、ミラノ五輪へ「自分を信じて滑るだけ」　公開練習では大技４回転に挑戦 - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ

フィギュアスケート女子で2月のミラノ・コルティナオリンピック（五輪）代表の千葉百音（20＝木下グループ）が16日、拠点の木下アカデミー京都アイスアリーナで練習… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）

www.nikkansports.com

Mone Chiba held an open practice session at her base, Kinoshita Academy Kyoto Ice Arena, on the 16th. With 21 days until the opening, she was excited about the dream stage, saying, "I'll just have fun and believe in myself and skate. The Olympics have been my dream since I started skating. I want to devote myself to it so that it will be an irreplaceable memory."

During her on-ice practice, she attempted the difficult quadruple toe loop multiple times, a move she has not used this season. "I continue practicing so I don't forget the feeling. I came here when I felt I could get a good feeling by practicing," she explained her intentions. Although she was unable to land it, her priority is to maintain a condition in which she can attempt a quadruple jump. While she said she is "not thinking about using it at the Olympics at the moment," she continues to practice, saying, "It is important to maintain a condition in which I can perform a quadruple jump throughout the season while watching my condition."

Her next challenge is the Four Continents Championships in Beijing, which begins on the 22nd. This is the stage where she won her first title in 2024. "As a pre-Olympic competition, I'm going to compete to get a good feel for the competition. I hope I can confirm that," she said.

Sota Yamamoto article (Dec. 20, 2025) posted on X ("Before the Four Continents Championships, one more time... A paid article has been gifted! You can read the full article until 20:17 on January 20"):

「これが僕のスケート人生」　山本草太、「寿命10年」の相棒と歩む：朝日新聞

来年2月のミラノ・コルティナ冬季オリンピック（五輪）への切符を懸けたフィギュアスケート全日本選手権に、山本草太（25）＝MIXI＝が挑んだ。ショートプログラム（SP）を6位で折り返し、勝負のフリーへ…

digital.asahi.com

It was March 2016, the day he was to depart for the World Junior Championships. Five minutes before finishing his final practice session in Japan, he jumped a triple axel (three and a half rotations) to the music.
　The bone in his right ankle, which absorbed the impact of the landing, broke.
　"My goal was to win the World Junior Championships, and I was pushing myself harder than ever in my skating career. I had been experiencing pain in my ankle for about a week (before I broke it). Practicing to win had become my top priority, and it came at a high price."
　He was 16 years old at the time, and has since undergone three surgeries.
　"There was a period of over a year where I thought my injury might never heal. I was very scared."
　Back on the ice, he built up again with a single jump.
　"Even now, sometimes in the middle of the night I wonder if my right ankle is okay."

　In his third year of university, he considered getting a job, but he couldn't give up on his "most fundamental" dream.
　"I really love figure skating, and figure skating is really all I have. My life has been about skating, and I think it will continue to be about skating in the future."
　I entered this season feeling like I had finally regained the strength to reach the Olympics.
　I have been fighting despite having to deal with back pain, asthma, and other unexpected situations.

Doctors have told me that the bolt in my ankle will last about 10 years.
　"This season marks my 10th year in the sport, and the Olympics are coming up during that season. It really feels like fate. I've overcome so many things, so I want to fight to the end alongside Bolt."
　He has faced so many difficulties that he feels he has had enough, but still, "This is my skating life now."