2022-23 Japanese Women's Figure Skating

[rabidline]

Thank you so much @tsuyoboogie ! I definitely want to request Ikura's performance please, if it's not too much of a trouble for you I know it's an old SP but I enjoy watching her skate.

Azusa Tanaka looks so fabulous in her solo dance performance... I'm sad that her jumps are not working anymore, but I really hope we still get to see her skate in some way or form in the future. Perhaps a country switch like Yuka Orihara did to skate in ice dance? Is it possible for her to partner with Shingo Nishiyama? I'm just wondering since he seems to be based in Tokyo and she seems to be based in Kyoto...

Also, I guess we should wait for confirmation but I think Danse Macabre is a good SP music choice for Ayumi.

 

[n1co]

If requested, I can also upload performances by Haruna Murakami (Just Wave Hello SP), Ikura Kushida (The Piano SP)
and Mao Shimada (Queen's Gambit FS~EX version)

Yes, please. She improved a lot in 2 years. It will be a nice comparison.

 

[n1co]

Azusa Tanaka looks so fabulous in her solo dance performance... I'm sad that her jumps are not working anymore, but I really hope we still get to see her skate in some way or form in the future. Perhaps a country switch like Yuka Orihara did to skate in ice dance? Is it possible for her to partner with Shingo Nishiyama? I'm just wondering since he seems to be based in Tokyo and she seems to be based in Kyoto...

There is free and searching for partner ice dancer at her rink right now.

 

[rabidline]

There is free and searching for partner ice dancer at her rink right now.

Ah yeah I forgot...

 

[rabidline]

JSF has issued their list of Development Athletes for the 2023-2024 season, will list down the women here.
Source: https://www.skatingjapan.or.jp/common/img/info/2023-24_FS_20230426.pdf

Special Level
Kaori Sakamoto (S1)
Mai Mihara (S2)
Mao Shimada (S3, J1)
Rinka Watanabe (S12)
Hana Yoshida (S6)
Ami Nakai (S4, J3)
Mone Chiba (S5, J2)

Level A
Yuna Aoki (S7)
Ikura Kushida (S8, J4)

Level B
Mana Kawabe (S9)
Ayumi Shibayama (S10, J5)
Rika Kihira (S11)
Yurina Okuno (S27, J6)
Yo Takagi (S21, J7)
Haruna Murakami (S17, J8)

Notably missing is Rion Sumiyoshi who won 2 bronze medals in the GP series last season (GP France, NHK Trophy), but finished lower at Nationals than any of the senior skaters listed here. Rino Matsuike finished higher than her at Nationals but didn't have a great international season, while Wakaba Higuchi didn't compete last season. They can still be added to the list if they are invited to the GP series next season.

Note: Edited to add National placements (Sr. and Jr. Nationals)

 

[surimi]

It's a bummer not to see Rion and Rino here, but I'm hoping they'll be added later if they show good results in the summer competitions. I should think that GP medals would guarantee Rion a slot, but they didn't. Rino was quite unlucky; no CS, no senior B, and, a bit like Sena, got ill during one of her GP and didn't have much time to get better by the next one.
Fingers crossed for them both next year (and for less warhorsey programs for Rino)!

My questions for next season: Will Wakaba return? And who is going senior?

 

[skim1001]

I think Rion is guaranteed one spot in the GP for having a SB in the top 24 this season. It's not looking good for Rino though. Hopefully, JSF would send as many skaters they can in the CS next season. Wakaba's return is still a question mark. As for new seniors, Mone and Hana would compete as such next season.

 

[n1co]

My questions for next season: Will Wakaba return? And who is going senior?

If we consider Yoshida and Chiba already as seniors, then no one. And it will stay like that until 25/26 season.

EDIT: Well, there is Okuno too. But she will be lucky if ever she goes to jgp. I don't expect anything more than that for her in future.

 

[rabidline]

I love Rino but I think it's better for her and her team to learn how to maintain her health and conditioning throughout the season, before she gets any more international assignments. Her skating is my favorite amongst the Japanese women, but if she keeps getting sent out while she's in a bad condition, it's just going to do more damage to her reputation.

Rion is just unlucky she finished 14th at Nationals because they can only go down on the National placement list so far for this initial announcement (top 12 in Senior, top 8 in Junior). But she should be fine once she gets her GP assignment(s) since it will guarantee her at least a bump to Group B (I can see her, Mana and Rika being bumped up to Group A if they get 2 assignments).

 

[TeamGubanova]

I think Rion is guaranteed one spot in the GP for having a SB in the top 24 this season. It's not looking good for Rino though. Hopefully, JSF would send as many skaters they can in the CS next season. Wakaba's return is still a question mark. As for new seniors, Mone and Hana would compete as such next season.

IIRC Rino won a minor japanese competition ahead of YAMASHITA and YOKOI with over 210 points in march, she looked much improved from nats and gp season. Hopefully, japan will push for her to have a GP she looks to be on the cusp of having 1.

 

[RatedPG]

Yay for Yuna!

 

[cohkaix]

Yay for Yuna!

Yuna is working on Choreography with Misha (again) in LA. And Misha just posted on his IG story about working with Yuna on "Flow with heart", not sure if a new SP or FS for her.

 

[RatedPG]

Yuna is working on Choreography with Misha (again) in LA. And Misha just posted on his IG story about working with Yuna on "Flow with heart", not sure if a new SP or FS for her.

Ooh! That is fantastic news! I just hope Japan gives her a GP spot for next year. I love these older ladies with breakthrough performances at Nationals.

 

[rabidline]

First notable coaching change news of the season: Mone Chiba joins Kinoshita Academy starting today and is leaving for LA to get new choreography. Also, Happy Birthday Mone!



She's listed on the Kinoshita Academy website: https://kinoshitaacademy.com/trainee/chiba/

 

[cohkaix]

First notable coaching change news of the season: Mone Chiba joins Kinoshita Academy starting today and is leaving for LA to get new choreography. Also, Happy Birthday Mone!


She's listed on the Kinoshita Academy website: https://kinoshitaacademy.com/trainee/chiba/

Happy B-day, Mone.

I was expecting a move from her, so that was not a surprise. It was more of a surprise that she'll be joining Kinoshita Academy (I was thinking more of moving to Tokyo region as she'll be attending a college there...)

Well, the good side of this move: Coach Hamada didn't really have a Sr. woman's skater training with her in the past season. I know there was You, but is it Young also left Kinoshita? There will be more skaters moving to Sr. at Kinoshita (such as Hana), but it will be good for Mone.

The bad side of the move: the Tohoku-Hokkaido Region may lost the spots to the national competitions, as there doesn't seem to be any strong Sr. skaters left, nor good Jr. skaters moving up...

 

[rabidline]

Well, the good side of this move: Coach Hamada didn't really have a Sr. woman's skater training with her in the past season. I know there was You, but is it Young also left Kinoshita? There will be more skaters moving to Sr. at Kinoshita (such as Hana), but it will be good for Mone.

Take this with a grain of salt since the source is The Skating Lesson, but rumor is Hamada resigned from being You's coach. You is back with her Korean coaches now.

 

[RafaelAstro]

Why I feel Ami Nakai will go to Hamada?

 

[rabidline]

I was expecting a move from her, so that was not a surprise. It was more of a surprise that she'll be joining Kinoshita Academy (I was thinking more of moving to Tokyo region as she'll be attending a college there...)

Also, Mone will be moving to Kyoto, per this Kinoshita Academy tweet. Has there been any news where she is going to go for her college? Although it's possible for her to study in the Tokyo region but still train at Kinoshita Academy if the college program allows her to do so.

 

[n1co]

Why I feel Ami Nakai will go to Hamada?

She won't.

Chiba had to go somewhere. Sendai isn't a good place for a top skater. She choosed the coach with great trainig facility and history of training 3a/quads. Nakai already has both training facility and 3a.

(And Young You simply can't afford coaches outside of Korea anymore.)

 

[cohkaix]

I don't see why Ami has any reason to move to Hamada either...on the contrary, I think MF Academy has been doing quite well and the skaters from there are in general technically strong (perhaps not as stable as skaters from Kinoshita Academy).