Team Japan: problems on the horizon? | Golden Skate

Team Japan: problems on the horizon?

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
I am afraid they will have the same problem as team USA. If Mao retires and Akiko announced she will after olympics, they will find themselves looking for their it skater. After watching Japanese nationals, although some of them are lovely skaters, I dont see the next Mao or Miki ando.

By the way, not to say that they dont have time to perfect their craft, but I think the russians will likely take over ladies figure skating after Sochi.

I just hope they dont make the same mistake team USA has made of prematurely announcing one skater as the next... Michelle Kwan.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
I am afraid they will have the same problem as team USA. If Mao retires and Akiko announced she will after olympics, they will find themselves looking for their it skater. After watching Japanese nationals, although some of them are lovely skaters, I dont see the next Mao or Miki ando.

By the way, not to say that they dont have time to perfect their craft, but I think the russians will likely take over ladies figure skating after Sochi.

I just hope they dont make the same mistake team USA has made of prematurely announcing one skater as the next... Michelle Kwan.

The USA went over 50 years of having contenders for the most part so they were due for a slump which has happened for the last 6-7 years. I don't think Japan will ever match that record. Once Mao, Suzuki and Ando retire Japans' depth is gone at least in the foreseeable future.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
The Japanese are also lacking a competitive pairs team since Tran was sent packing. And their dance program has no depth whatsoever. Reed/Reed are American-bred dancers, and the two new teams are in no way capable of taking the Reeds' place should Chris and Cathy recide to retire.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Japan has never been strong in pairs or ice dancers. But until recently, the United States had a pretty spotty record for both those disciplines as well. (Thank goodness for ice dance!) So what, if you have such a splendid run of singles skaters? I suspect that in the case of pairs, biology is destiny: Japanese men don't tend to be really tall, and the height differential for pairs skating has to be pretty significant these days. Ice dancing...I think they could get there at some point. I don't know what talent they have, but if the Japanese federation really, truly wants a great ice dancing couple, they could always arrange for them to train abroad with established coaches if there aren't any standout Japanese dance coaches yet.

I do hope that Japan can extend its run as a singles skating power, because I have just loved virtually everyone they've sent out there for the past--wow, two decades (counting Midori Ito and Yuka Sato). Maybe there's no one on the horizon right now, but I have hopes that Japan has managed to create a dynasty of great coaches, which is the really important ingredient for lasting skating strength. So maybe there will be a gap of a few years, and then the new champions will show up. Fingers are crossed!

The country I worry about is Korea. Their entire tradition of excellence has thus far depended on just one skater. Granted, she's amazing, but she can't stay in the spotlight forever.
 
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minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Japan has never been strong in pairs or ice dancers. But until recently, the United States had a pretty spotty record for both those disciplines as well. (Thank goodness for ice dance!) So what, if you have such a splendid run of singles skaters? I suspect that in the case of pairs, biology is destiny: Japanese men don't tend to be really tall, and the height differential for pairs skating has to be pretty significant these days. Ice dancing...I think they could get there at some point. I don't know what talent they have, but if the Japanese federation really, truly wants a great ice dancing couple, they could always arrange for them to train abroad with established coaches if there aren't any standout Japanese dance coaches yet.

I do hope that Japan can extend its run as a singles skating power, because I have just loved virtually everyone they've sent out there for the past--wow, two decades (counting Midori Ito and Yuka Sato). Maybe there's no one on the horizon right now, but I have hopes that Japan has managed to create a dynasty of great coaches, which is the really important ingredient for lasting skating strength. So maybe there will be a gap of a few years, and then the new champions will show up. Fingers are crossed!
The country I worry about is Korea. Their entire tradition of excellence has thus far depended on just one skater. Granted, she's amazing, but she can't stay in the spotlight forever.

Agree. I hope so
 

Serious Business

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
How is Japan going to maintain its success in women's skating when Asada retires? Well, they just won't. I have my doubts as to whether Japanese skating can even retain its level of popularity in the country when she's gone.

The fact is, Mao Asada is a unique phenomenon. Japan has had other talented woman skaters before and since, but none of them come close to Asada's ability to keep herself in contention and dominance year after year. Asada is also charming and scandal-free, i.e. marketing-friendly. She is a super star who is burning longer and brighter than almost all other skaters can hope to do.

During Asada's reign (which is still ongoing, by the way), she's had strong teammates like Miki Ando, Akiko Suzuki, Yukari Nakano. But well, two of them retired while Asada is still going strong, and Akiko's didn't really have her breakthrough until well into the Age of Asada, and it looks like Akiko's competitive career will not outlast Asada's. And none of them were as marketable as Asada.

Don't get it twisted. Japanese skating didn't have a Beatles situation going on, with Asada the McCartney to Ando's Lennon and Suzuki's Harrison. It's more like Asada is Bob Dylan, and the rest of The Band. The non-Asadas are talented ladies, to be sure, but none of them is the institution Asada is.

So it really doesn't even matter that Suzuki is retiring. She's not an adequate replacement or continuation of Asada anyway. It doesn't matter that none of the up and coming Japanese girls are shaping up to be like Asada. It's very unlikely any of them could have her level of success and longevity anyway.

When Asada retires, Japanese women's skating will just have to carry on like anybody else: without a goddess to lean on. They'll have to develop a variety of talented girls, and hope that some of them can get it together at the right time at the right place, and keep some of Japanese skating's success and popularity going.

And another thing: stop banking on women's skating to attract the audiences. Japanese skating is very lucky to have another potential super star in their midst, one who is young, just getting started and shows no signs of stopping: Yuzuru Hanyu. They should promote the heck out of Hanyu. He probably won't have the longevity of Mao, but he is hitting the big time at a very young age (just like Asada did), and probably has a few good years in him. And it's not just that he has all the ability to dominate the competitive scene and win scores of medals, he has that amazing x factor, that star quality, more so than any skater currently competing in any discipline (including Mao). He is the Japanese skating industry's best hope after Asada.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Pairs and Ice Dancing ? not likely

but with ladies though they wont have a superstar once Mao retires
they still have promising ladies like Satoko and Kanako

Men's will maintain a deep field, Yuzuru will dominate the next quad, then there are many good juniors
like Hino, Shoma.
 

NMURA

Medalist
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
I'm sure men can't attract enough attentions to figure skating from the general public. Even Takahashi has not made much contribution in this respect. He was just very lucky to take advantage of the "boom" created by Arakawa and Asada. I think one of Murakami or Miyahara (depending on the results in coming years) will be propped up to the "star" status after Asada retires. In effect, the #1 Japanese lady will be always treated as a world contender. They are expected to keep the tradition of three spots (and world medals if possible) until Marin Honda moves up to the senior ranks. That is the consensus of the majority fans in Japan.
 
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hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
I don't see the future of Japanese ladies so dark.

What about Kanako Murakami who placed last year 5th at Worlds (which is just one place behind Wagner) and 3rd this year at 4CC?

They also have some young ones coming from juniors:
Satoko Miyahara looks quite promising too. 1st and 3rd at JGP, 5th at JGPF, 3rd at senior nationals, 1st at junior nationals.
Miyabi Oba was 2nd and 4th at JGP,
Rika Hongo was 2nd and 5th at JGP. 3rd at junior nationals, 5th at senior nationals (after Asada, Murakami, Miyahara and Suzuki)
Riona Kato 2nd at junior nationals
 

Cherryy

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Sure it'll take a long time before Japan will have the next Mao Asada. USA is still waiting for another Kwan, Switzerland for the next Lambiel, Russia for Plushenko, South Korea for Yuna Kim, Italy for Kostner and Ukraine for anyone to have 1/5 of what Oksana had and the list goes on. But in some of these countries (namely USA, Russia, Japan and partially Italy) are other skaters that will still bring some attention to figure skating. Just like others said, now in Japan there's such depth in men's skating! Because of that, the interest in figure skating will still be there, I think. There are also some promising ladies. Satoko and Kanako won't be as good as Asada but who knows, maybe they'll medal one day at worlds. Look at Russia, for a long time there was only Slutskaya, now you have so many good junior/senior ladies. For me it does not matter whether a skater comes from a certain country. Skating itself matters and it seems ladies' competitions will now become more interesting. That's enugh for me :)
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
For me it does not matter whether a skater comes from a certain country. Skating itself matters and it seems ladies' competitions will now become more interesting. That's enugh for me :)

Exactly. I like (or sometimes dislike) skaters for their skating, not for the country they represent.
 

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
I'm sure men can't attract enough attentions to figure skating from the general public. Even Takahashi has not made much contribution in this respect. ... That is the consensus of the majority fans in Japan.
Yeah, exactly why I went through the hell of troubles with purchasing the tickets for FoI with Dai. While buying tockets for Mao's THE ICE in Osaka wasn't a problem.

Are you some kind of elected representative of "the consensus" to speak for "the majority fans in Japan"? :eek:
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Kanako Murakami is doing pretty well. Once she gets out of Akiko and Mao's shadow, who knows what she might do?
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Murakami has a real problem with URs, flutzing and a weird jump technique reminiscent of Caroline Zhang.

I realize that Japan has never put much value on Pairs and Ice Dance, but in the current drive towards Team events in figure skating, they almost have to address these areas, or they won't win another team event in the forseeable future.
 

Puchi

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
I'm pretty sure when Asada retires, Kanako's UR problems will be magically gone. ;)
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I doubt that Murakami will magically rotate all her jumps once Asada has retired. Asada's absence isn't going to affect tech teams' judgment.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
I doubt that Murakami will magically rotate all her jumps once Asada has retired. Asada's absence isn't going to affect tech teams' judgment.

No, sure the tech teams judgement will not be affected, but Murakami seems to be doing pretty well even with her underrotation problems, considering that at last worlds she ended up one spot behind US best lady and this years 4CC she beat all three US ladies... so if the situation will be so bad with Japanese skating, I would start worrying about US skating (considering that the US ladies were beaten by her).
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
No, sure the tech teams judgement will not be affected, but Murakami seems to be doing pretty well even with her underrotation problems, considering that at last worlds she ended up one spot behind US best lady and this years 4CC she beat all three US ladies... so if the situation will be so bad with Japanese skating, I would start worrying about US skating (considering that the US ladies were beaten by her).

Really? While I respect Murakami's achievement and think she'll actually improve over the next quad, I look at the American field with a great deal of respect. Not only Gold and Wagner (or Wagner and Gold), but Wang and Miller and Gao (if she wants) and Zawadski. I actually expect the next quad to really be about the USA vs Russia, with a couple spoilers in the mix should they improve as we expect/hope they do.
 

NMURA

Medalist
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
Yeah, exactly why I went through the hell of troubles with purchasing the tickets for FoI with Dai. While buying tockets for Mao's THE ICE in Osaka wasn't a problem.

Takahashi has sizable (old) ladies fans who go to everywhere in Japan and abroad. Probably the number is in the range of thousands. Since they buy tickets of all shows which Takahashi appears, it might be difficult to obtain tickets when the seats were limited. They are not the "general public" what I mean though. Their influences to TV ratings are limited.
 
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NMURA

Medalist
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
I doubt that Murakami will magically rotate all her jumps once Asada has retired. Asada's absence isn't going to affect tech teams' judgment.

I suspect the scores of Murakami and.or Miyahara will shoot up suddenly once Asada retires. Murakami is not well treated since she's the obvious #3 right now. Nevetheless her competition records are not so bad. I think the #1 Japanese lady will be always placed above #3 Russian and #2 American at worlds.
 
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