Favorite Japanese Skaters

[Arriba627]

Thanks iluvtodd, I was going to ask if I could add pairs and dance teams!
I love Kana & Chris. Kana is such a show pony and the couple have really gelled, taking Japanese ice dance to a new level.

And an honorable mention: Narumi and Mervin. I miss them so much. They did have SBS jump issues, but they were sassy and fun, and made the most of Narumi's flexibility in gorgeous lifts. Their Runaway Baby EX is forever etched in my memory. I know that Narumi has retired and Mervin is no longer skating with Marissa. If he is continuing with another partner, I wish him all the best.

As for the singles skaters, I love them all...

I thought Narumi and Mervin were wonderful the year they medaled at Worlds. You may have already seen this, but apparently this clip of Mervin and Olivia Serafini doing a SBS 3F was on Mervin's Instagram. Haven't heard any more about a partnership, but I am definitely intrigued.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiTD3k4jaIl/?taken-by=skate_moivo

A tweet from @sylviaunseen: Mervin Tran shared this clip yesterday of him jumping with 2015 U.S. Junior Ladies silver medalist Olivia Serafini, now 20, at Todd Sand/Jenni Meno's rink - a possible new pair team? (Note: Nothing has been "announced officially" yet by them or USFS to date.)

 

[Sai Bon]

I thought Narumi and Mervin were wonderful the year they medaled at Worlds. You may have already seen this, but apparently this clip of Mervin and Olivia Serafini doing a SBS 3F was on Mervin's Instagram. Haven't heard any more about a partnership, but I am definitely intrigued.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiTD3k4jaIl/?taken-by=skate_moivo

A tweet from @sylviaunseen: Mervin Tran shared this clip yesterday of him jumping with 2015 U.S. Junior Ladies silver medalist Olivia Serafini, now 20, at Todd Sand/Jenni Meno's rink - a possible new pair team? (Note: Nothing has been "announced officially" yet by them or USFS to date.)

Thanks, Arriba627. I did see it in another thread. Intriguing....

 

[Danny T]

Ladies: Mao Asada (the quality of her performance is simply phenomenal), Shizuka Arakawa (my first Olympics love - just rewatched 2006 Olys and that Ina Bauer! that hands-off spiral!!), Akiko Suzuki (I love her step sequences so so much), Midori Ito (her jumps are wayyy out of this world - with the old heavy boots her 3A was already as high as the boards, men whomst) and currently Wakaba Higuichi and Rika Kihira (both can deliver such explosive performances)

I love so many Japanese ladies

Men: Yuzuru Hanyu (the perfect figure skater), Daisuke Takahashi (so good he basically invented step sequence), Takahito Kozuka (his performance was not always there but he had skating skills for miles and miles - a classic case of daylight robbery by the judges *shakes fist*), Nobunari Oda (oh man, he has always been very charming - maths skills aside)

Go Team Japan!!

 

[iorii]

Yuzuru Hanyu

I like that you have registered last year but finally posted only to say 'Yuzuru Hanyu'

 

[Alifyre]

Ladies: I quite adore Rika Hongo's style, even though her inconsistency breaks my heart. Watching her "riverdance" video from 2016 worlds was a big part of my entrance into FS, and she'll always be special to me! Kaori Sakamoto I also quite like, and Wakaba Higuchi! Mao also had a number of skates I quite liked.

Men: Well, Yuzu obviously. But also Takahashi! Such a performer!

 

[dobrevaria]

Ladies : Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki, Wakaba Higuchi, Satoko Miyahara.
Men : Yuzuru Hanyu all the way, but I also like Shoma and Daisuke a lot.

 

[Plumededragon]

I love many many Japanese skaters, lol! So I chose those for the very favorite type:
Ladies: Mao, Akiko (most underrated JP lady imo), Satoko
Men: Yuzuru, Daisuke (Takahashi)

 

[Atlantis]

Yuzuru Hanyu and Daisuke Takahashi pull on my heartstrings like no other skaters can do.

 

[tipptong]

Men: Shoma Uno, Daisuke Takahashi, Yuzuru Hanyu, Sota Yamamoto

Ladies: Mao Asada, Wakaba Higuchi, Marin Honda

But honestly all of the team Japan are awesome [emoji4]

 

[PinkElephants]

I :luv17: Japanese skating, many of my favorites are Japanese... Yuzu and Mao obviously, but also LOVE Midori, Shizuka, Taka Kozuka, Daisuke, Keiji, more recently Wakaba, Kaori and Mai Mihara Love Rika Kihira in juniors too!

Ladies: I quite adore Rika Hongo's style, even though her inconsistency breaks my heart. Watching her "riverdance" video from 2016 worlds was a big part of my entrance into FS, and she'll always be special to me!

Mine too! I liked skating before, but I really started looking into it more because of her 2015 COC performance :luv17:

 

[Step Sequence4]

Unpopular opinions here but..

1.Shoma Uno
2.Mao Asada
3.Wakaba Higuchi
4.Daisuke Takahashi
5.Shizuka Arakawa

 

[combo]

Of the currently active skaters, I like Marin Honda, Kaori Sakamoto, Keiji Tanaka and Yuzuru Hanyu the most.
Of the retired skaters I like Mao Asada, Nobunari Oda, Takahito Mura.

Generally I'm a fan of a lot of Japanese skaters, but I tried to cut it down and refrain from posting thirty names

 

[yude]

Unpopular opinions here but..

1.Shoma Uno
2.Mao Asada
3.Wakaba Higuchi
4.Daisuke Takahashi
5.Shizuka Arakawa

I don't think it is unpopular opinion

 

[tosca]

1. Kaori Sakamoto
2. Mao Asada
3. Satoko Miyahara
4. Mai Mihara
5. Wakaba Higuchi

I honestly think you and I have the same taste in skating lol.

 

[invisiblespiral]

Hmmm...

Men: Takahashi, Hanyu, Uno

Ladies: Ito, Sato, Asada, Suzuki, Miyahara...

 

[Arriba627]

Unpopular opinions here but..

1.Shoma Uno
2.Mao Asada
3.Wakaba Higuchi
4.Daisuke Takahashi
5.Shizuka Arakawa

Looks like a good list to me.

 

[amonemae]

I love all of Team Japan, but if I had to narrow it down:

Ladies:
1. Mao Asada
2. Satoko Miyahara
3. Akiko Suzuki
4. Kanako Murakami

Men:
1. Daisuke Takahashi
2. Takahiko Kozuka
3. Tatsuki Machida
4. Yuzuru Hanyu

 

[surimi]

My tastes are a bit quirky...

Ladies:
1. Mao Asada, no contest. The most charming of the Japanese ladies I've seen so far, and a complete skater. Gorgeous ease in her skating, memorable programs, I feel she was too often held down on marks. I miss watching her.
2. Rika Hongo, for me the most charismatic and prettiest of the current crop of J ladies. Her style is very unique and refreshing to watch, I hope she stays around for several more years. She makes her music choices her own, and I have no problem remembering her best programs. Her consistency this season has also been appealing.
3. Satoko Miyahara. Lovely programs, beautiful rendition, great consistency and determination that one can see in her face, all of that is admirale for me. She's not as charismatic or wow-inducing as Rika and Mao for me, but she definitely stands out in the field.
4. I used to like Haruka Imai and Akiko Suzuki when they were still competing.
The other ladies are a bit too vanilla for my taste at this point, although I've been cheering for Kaori Sakamoto this season.

Men: this is where I have a number of favorites...
1. Yuzuru Hanyu and Sota Yamamoto, I cannot decide who I like better. The programs of them both take my breath away, and I don't mind watching them over and over again. That doesn't happen for me with any other skater. Both are incredibly talented and charismatic, and fortunately, not similar to each other anymore: one is more ethereal, the other more manly; I like that, as well as the fire, musicality, appreciation for audience reaction, tenacity and pure joy of skating that emanates from them.
2. I cannot pick a favorite so I list all I never miss an opportunity to watch and who I always cheer(ed) for: Keiji Tanaka, Daisuke Takahashi, Koshiro Shimada, Shoma Uno, and Ryuju Hino. Emotional favorites all of them, but gorgeous jumps when they're on, and/or great skating skills.

Pairs: I've grown fond of Suzaki/Kihara this past season. I'll be cheering for them from now on.

Dance: the same could be said of Muramoto/Reed. Their FD won me over, very unique and lovely. I'm happy they had major success this season, hopefully they'll continue to grow.

 

[solon]

Ladies
1. Satoko Miyahara
2. Mao Asada
3. Yukina Ota
4. Akiko Suzuki
5. Shizuka Arakawa

Men
1. Daisuke Takahashi
2. Yuzuru Hanyu
3. Shoma Uno

 

[tosca]

I realized that I actually never answered...

Ladies
1. Mao Asada - there is no other.

Of the current crop of competing ladies I actually love them all for different reasons (as well as see opportunities for growth!):
Kaori Sakamoto - Her jumps are just as strong (other than the flutz), if not stronger than Wakaba's. Her basic skating skills are so strong and ice coverage is spectacular. Needs more polishing in presentation but she has al the qualities to be at the top.
Rika Hongo - Sentimental favorite. Such unique style.
Wakaba Higuichi - I will say that at first, I was not a huge fan. She really won me over with her programs this season. Such a dynamic technician and performer. Aesthetically, I like longer lines so the spins sometimes get to me but she makes it up everywhere else.
Marin Honda - When I first saw her I literally thought I found my new Mao. She just needs to work on basic skating skills and improving tech and consistency.
Satoko Miyahara - Her attention to detail is unrivaled. I could watch her skate sans jumps any time. Alas, competition includes jumps and I cannot stand how somehow the fed has gotten the tech callers to turn a blind eye. (Obviously medvedeva's lack of edge calls perturbs me the same way).
Mai Mihara - Soft spot for her. Too inward in her performance but she has amazing qualities. I just don't know how they can repackage her...

Past Skaters
Fumie Suguri - Unique qualities like Rika Hongo that made her a sentimental favorite for me.

Men
Yuzuru Hanyu - I know he is the man... and he is in my top 3 but my number 1 is...
1. Shoma Uno - Literally skates with every fiber of his being. And I am here for that.