Japanese Fed needs to decide who it is pushing.
This.
I think JSF is seriously messing with these girls. They seem to have decided that they should just fight it out among themselves but they've forgotten there are other ladies in this battle and scores do carry on, in terms of reputation, from competition to competition. They need to stand behind Wakaba and Mai far more firmly than they are doing now. By the time they decide oh we should do this it may already be too late.
I totally understand your argument, that is how the sport works.... But that is SO WRONG that I cringe everytime we have such discussion. Those girls should totally be able to fight out among themselves, just like girls in any other country. The whole federation push for one but not the other just makes me sick. Not to mention how bad it is that judges are under such a big influence of this nonsense. Only your performance should matter.