2018-2019 State of Japanese Men's Skating | Golden Skate

2018-2019 State of Japanese Men's Skating

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Since ladies have their own thread, it's normal that men get their thread too. The field is not as deep as ladies but it have olympic gold and silver medalists and young hopes for future (As Kazuki Tomono for seniors and Shun Sato for juniors).
Honestly, JSF should thanks Yuzuru and Shoma for no retiring yet, otherwise Japan would not have any chance of medal in big international competitions.

Main questions for the next season:
Will shoma finally take the lead or Yuzuru will still the emperor?
Will Kazuki Tomono be definetely the third man?
Can Sota Yamamoto be on top again and fight for one of three spots?
Is Keiji Tanaka a lost case or can he finally have decent placements all the season?
Can Japan have another medal contender in seniors?
Who can fight for big medals next season in juniors?
 

xeyra

Constant state
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
I haven't heard from Koshiro in a while. Is he still with Team Lambiel?
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
I think he's done especially after worlds

I suppose Boyang Jin and Vincent Zhou are done too, as well, then since they placed behind him? :p

Keiji (not Kenji, cruzceleste) was 13th.. 6 spots up from his last Worlds. He's 24 years old, so he's got plenty of skating left in him should he choose to. And he cleared 260 points (personal best) just 2 months ago, and made it to the Olympics, so it's not like he hasn't had any great moments from this season.
 

malo42

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
I really like Keiji. The first time I ever saw him skate was in 2009 Japanese nationals, Daisuke was my favorite then and he reminded me a lot of him so I've been rooting for him ever since. But I have to say I never expect him to do well any more, every time he starts doing good it lifts my hopes and then he always messes up on something. I'm happy for him that he made the Olympics and I think that he can compete with Kazuki for the 3rd spot but internationally I don't think he'll ever be close to the top. But hey, prove me wrong Keiji!

I do think Sota can continue to improve but I doubt he'll be much a factor next season. I hope he keeps on working on it though and by 2022 he might have a chance.

For junior medals, it seems like Tsuboi is the real up and comer. I'd like to see Shun Sato do well and then there's Yuto Kishina who I think shows potential. I also hope Koshiro can be fully recovered and that he's not wasting his time with Lambiel, I'd really like to see some improvement from him.
 

Danibellerika

Medalist
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Main questions for the next season:
Will Shoma finally take the lead or Yuzuru will still the emperor? Yuzu is a weird one since it's more common to retire after you win oly gold, let alone 2 of them, so I think his status won't really change regardless of Shoma's success, and vice versa. And really, Shoma did a lot of holding down the fort this season as it is. Japan's lucky to have them. Like even when Sasha Cohen was starting to finish ahead of Michelle Kwan in her later seasons, Michelle was still Michelle you know?

Will Kazuki Tomono be definetely the third man? He certainly shows potential for it. But at the same time this might be what Keiji needs to really kick himself into another gear. While it's sad to have to leave some of the best skaters home (like the challenge with Japan's and Russia's ladies), I still like seeing a well fought for podium.

Can Sota Yamamoto be on top again and fight for one of three spots? If there is anything this season has taught me, it's that if you have enough drive and put in the work to do it, anything is possible even with odds stacked against you.

Is Keiji Tanaka a lost case or can he finally have decent placements all the season? As I said above, this is probably as do or die as it will get for Keiji, and I think next season is going to bring out those sink or swim instincts.

Can Japan have another medal contender in seniors? For Grand Prix perhaps. A bit doubtful on worlds, but top 10 is possible.

Who can fight for big medals next season in juniors? I don't follow juniors enough to say.
 

singermelodie1

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 7, 2018
I suppose Boyang Jin and Vincent Zhou are done too, as well, then since they placed behind him? :p

Keiji (not Kenji, cruzceleste) was 13th.. 6 spots up from his last Worlds. He's 24 years old, so he's got plenty of skating left in him should he choose to. And he cleared 260 points (personal best) just 2 months ago, and made it to the Olympics, so it's not like he hasn't had any great moments from this season.

I meant that his third spot is gone as Kazuki Tomono seems more reliable after worlds.
 

asiacheetah

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Main questions for the next season:
Will Shoma finally take the lead or Yuzuru will still the emperor? Yuzu is a weird one since it's more common to retire after you win oly gold, let alone 2 of them, so I think his status won't really change regardless of Shoma's success, and vice versa. And really, Shoma did a lot of holding down the fort this season as it is. Japan's lucky to have them. Like even when Sasha Cohen was starting to finish ahead of Michelle Kwan in her later seasons, Michelle was still Michelle you know?

Will Kazuki Tomono be definetely the third man? He certainly shows potential for it. But at the same time this might be what Keiji needs to really kick himself into another gear.

Is Keiji Tanaka a lost case or can he finally have decent placements all the season? As I said above, this is probably as do or die as it will get for Keiji, and I think next season is going to bring out those sink or swim instincts.

Completely agree with Yuzu will always be Yuzu. Just like Daisuke was still the biggest and most popular skater during the Sochi Olympics even though Yuzuru had overtaken him 2 years previously. I think there's room for both Shoma and Yuzuru in the ultra supportive Japanese skating landscape.

I'm guilty of calling Keiji Kenji. Oops sorry Keiji!

I like his skating and his drive to share the competition with Yuzuru again. I also liked Kazuki's performance at the Worlds. I'm excited that there will be a fight for that 3rd Japanese spot so that it isn't such a huge gap between the top 2 Japanese men and the rest of the field.
 

Sai Bon

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Country
New-Zealand
I like his skating and his drive to share the competition with Yuzuru again. I also liked Kazuki's performance at the Worlds. I'm excited that there will be a fight for that 3rd Japanese spot so that it isn't such a huge gap between the top 2 Japanese men and the rest of the field.

Totally agree. Would be great to see a few more up-and-comers challenging for the third spot. Kazuki had a lucky break at Worlds. He now needs to perform solidly next season to show the judges he's a serious contender. Hopefully he and Keiji will really push each other.
 

brens78

Medalist
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Country
Australia
The one I'm most excited about is Kazuki! Not only does he remind me of Hanyu's little bro, I see him being a podium regular and 5th at the recent worlds should give him a huge confidence boost to make a name for himself in the upcoming seasons :)
 

yume

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Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
I'm sorry if i didn't express myself well, but for the first question i wasn't talking about popularity. I was talking about results. Yuzuru is the highest japanese finisher of big competitions since 6 seasons. Since 2015
people expect Shoma to overtake him like Yuzuru with Daisuke, but Yuzuru seems to say "not so soon":biggrin:
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
I meant that his third spot is gone as Kazuki Tomono seems more reliable after worlds.

One competition doesn't make it definite though. Tomono was fantastic at Worlds but it remains to be seen if he can maintain that. Nam was also 5th in the World at some point. Tennell coming 6th doesn't make her a sure shot to beat the other US ladies, etc. etc.
 

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Nothing sure but at least he showed better potential than Keiji.
 

dodobirdo

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
I have a few questions about the juniors:

1. Do we know who among the 2017-18 juniors will be definitely moving up to seniors next season? If not yet, then when are such announcements usually made? Pure speculation on my part, but it seems that if anyone's making the leap then Mitsuki Sumoto would be the most likely, followed by Sena Miyake, possibly. Are there any others who might be possible candidates?

2. Besides age limitations, what kinds of things might skaters and their teams consider when deciding whether to stay in juniors or move up to seniors? As someone with no personal experience with competitive figure skating, my first thought was the quantity of competitive opportunities. Along this vein: In the senior field of Japanese Men's skating in particular, we have Yuzuru and Shoma's 1-2 lock very probably continuing into the next season, with Keiji and Kazuki looking like the ones who will be duking it out over that 3rd spot. On the other hand, looking at Junior National results, it seems that the junior ranks are getting more and more crowded as well (I am not as familiar with the junior scene, so please do tell if this is not the case). Perhaps the chance to gain experience/exposure/world-standing-points via senior B comps (ex: CS), plus potential GP invites and even 4CC may outweigh the benefits of another year of junior B comps, JGPs, and JWC?

Anyways. Just some thoughts I had reading through this thread, and I'd love to hear any/all thoughts on this topic! :)
 

bluelutz

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
Junior Men 2018-2019 season

Here is the boys one.

Last year, Japanese men originally got only 6 spots for JGP, but obtained a few extra spots from other countries.
5 boys were named initially, Sumoto, Shimada, Kishina, Miyake & Yamakuma, and the first three got the second spot, then later Tsuboi got the two, out of the sub list. So the total was 10 spots. Sumoto made it to the final.
This year Japan got the 7 spots as the result of the Junior Worlds, and probably will get a few extra spots like last year though they are not guaranteed.
All the top juniors are predicted to stay on the junior ranks because none of them are good enough to move up. Realistically if a male junior skater wants to make a smooth transition from JGP to senior GPS, he needs consistent both 3A & 4T/4S, plus top 24 SB & other criteria, but all the Japanese juniors are still struggling with their 3A.

This is the final group of the National high school competition which was held in Feb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32kyono16o8&t=2212s

Ichigo Santo - Mistuki Sumoto - Yuto Kishina - Sota Yamamoto - Kazuki Hasegawa - Sena Miyake


Top junior, Mitsuki Sumoto (will be 5th year on the junior ranks, 1st at the Junior Nationals)
He got the nice skating skill, semi-consistent 3A, pretty consistent other jumps without much height, and no facial expression. He has been training with coach Onishi who is known for the basic skating skills and the fact that he helped Machida to get a ticket to the Olympic Games.

Koshiro Shimada (will be 4th year, WD from JN due to injuries)
Being parted with his ex-coach, Kotoe Nagasawa due to her relocation to take care of her elderly mother, now he trains with Lambiel. Still no sign of 3A or any quad partially due to the injuries. He needs one so desperately if he likes to be considered as one of the elite juniors .

SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2C_59EgAYY
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObECk6E5AII

During the 2017-2018 season, unfortunately he could compete only at JGP. Both of SP & FS were choreographed by Lambiel. SP is cute, but FS is a little bit heavy for him. I would like to see more character driven program from him like Chaplin FS he did a couple of seasons ago.

Sena Miyake (will be 4th year, 2nd at JN)
He used to share the coach with Shimada, but now he is coached by Utako Nagamitsu and Takeshi Honda, who coached Daisuke Takahashi. This nice looking kid needs the good stamina to finish his FS seriously. He bombed miserably at FS of the recent Junior Worlds, dead last of that segment of the competition.

Yuto Kishina (will be 4th year, 5th at JN)
He is coached by Dad of Takahito Mura, and he was the most consistent during the prior season due to the non attempt of 3A. However, after he started to try them, all his jumps were messed up.

Tatsuya Tsuboi (will be 3rd year, 3rd at JN)
He is coached by Howa club coaching team, and his strength is his consistency besides 3A. Unlike Kishina, Tsuboi also started to make an attempt on 3A, which always ended as a fall, but he has been so consistent on the rest of his programs even after the big fall. Also his skating style has become more & more resembling Sota's who he admires.

Taichiro Yamakuma (will be 5th year, 8th at JN),
I do think he is very talented. Shimada's expressiveness is more like theatrical one/character driven, on the other hand Taichiro can dance. And his jumps are big and impressive when he hits them, but they have been wildly inconsistent though he started hitting some 3A. He shares his coach with Keiji Tanaka.

These are from the recent Challeneg Cup, where he won by beating Kishina.
SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut4fAn7Zrnw
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLVIH3O2zTE&t=168s


To me, all these boys are more or less same, all talented and each of them got their different strength & weakness though Sumoto is ahead of others probably like one step or two. Whoever gets consistent 3A & 4T/4S can move up.

So who else can challenge thier JGP spots?

Shun Sato (will be 2nd year, 6th at JN)
Despite of his young age, he already got semi-consistent 3A. However, there are a lot more to be desired for his other elements.

This is his FS at the Senior Nationals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ltosUSpLQ

Kazuki Hasegawa (will be 4th year, 7th at JN)
He has started getting some attention since the last season and been steadily making improvement. Needing better presentation and expression, he is pretty much on the same level, comparing him elements to elements, with the guys who have been sent to JGP. No 3A or 4T/4S attempt yet.

SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFbrDy8BqLQ
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NfaItwIzzc

These are from recent Coupe du Printemps, where he finished 2nd after Tsuboi, and also this is his first international competition. As you see, he does have decent basics and jumps.

Kao Miura (will be new to the junior ranks, the Novice Champ and 13th at JN)
I think he just might be a next big thing because of his presence and energy on ice. Keep an eye on his development! He is coached by the coaching legend Tsuzuki.

His performance at Asian Open
SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqR7z-1PMM0&t=65s
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8pcn0i6kc4

His EX at NHK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgKi15b4Tfk


And a few other guys deserve to be mentioned:

Shingo Nishiyama (9th at JN), who has been with Brian Orser's team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G56kb3RfkeY&t=280s

Takeru Kataise (will be 2nd year, 10th at JN) who shares the coach with Kaori & Mai, and more musical than them.

This is his performance from the last year's Coupr du Printemps.
SP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2riBHOfGiDI
FS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr3J4E6uwzE

I LOVE Takeru, and just hoping & wishing that coach Nakano will make him a skater like Kaori or Mai.

Ichigo Santo (will be 6th year, 11th at JN) who is coached by Hata, who used to coach Machida, and he is the first skater of the National high school competition video (the very first video link of this post).
Yuma Kagiyama (will be 2nd year, 12th at JN) who is the son of the Japanese Champ, Masakazu Kagiyama.
Haruya Sasaki (will be 2nd year, 14th at JN) who shares coaches with Tsuboi.
Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda (will be 3rd year, 16th at JN) who has been steadily improving, also started 3A attempt.

This video is from the National Middle school competition, and you get to see a little bits of Lucas Tuyoshi Honda and Yuma Kagiyama at the begining, then followed by Tsuboi who won there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXcHGA8YHZQ
 

yude

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
To me, all these boys are more or less same, all talented and each of them got their different strength & weakness though Sumoto is ahead of others probably like one step or two. Whoever gets consistent 3A & 4T/4S can move up.

Thank you for your whole post :thank: While I'm a little bit worried of Junior field, this sounds good at the same time because every skater has still a chance to move up. I did not know the reason for Koshiro's coaching change, do you know his process of going to Lambiel? (I watch Junior's competitions sometimes but am not following info)
 
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