That's a good point, there the cost when you buy the item, then before the item is shipped they notify you re: the shipping fee from Japan to your country. So that's definitely something to be aware of!
Meanwhile, someone kindly gifted the Nikkon Sports interview Kazuki gave just after GP France:
https://www.nikkansports.com/premium/sports/figure/news/202411030001468.html
Here's the machine translation:
Words from Kazuki Tomono: What an entertainer thinks about true figure skating / Local exclusive
Kazuki Tomono (26, Daiichi Juken Group), who finished fifth in the men's competition at the third round of the Grand Prix (GP) series and his first GP of the season, spoke about his passion for skating one night after the free skate.
From the lifting of the backflip ban to his ideal skating and what it means to be a true skater. We bring you ‘Kazuki Tomono's Words’, an exclusive exchange with the media covering the event, including an analysis of his current position in the world of skating.
Right hip pain... the option of abstaining.
-What are your thoughts now that the night is over?
Well... Even though I was injured, it's still frustrating. I had my heart set on the Grand Prix Series this season. I wanted to go to the finals. I still haven't made it to the Finals and I feel I'm behind the others, so this year I'm pretty competitive. I was going to give it my all from the first Grand Prix to the All-Japan, but the practice didn't work out, and if I had realised earlier and not pushed too hard, I would have been in better shape to compete, so it was a new type of regret. But I want to be a player who can do it in this situation. Yesterday, I was able to finish without any problems, and after the free practice, my teacher was just like, ‘It was good that you were able to compete’, but I managed to finish with a little bit of tension, so that was good, but everyone has injuries, and even Adam (Siao Him-fa) did well in the free practice, and he was able to turn it around (Miura). Kao (Miura) had thigh pain last time, and Yuzuru (Hanyu) has also won Olympic gold medal despite not being able to train due to injury. I thought I was an athlete who didn't get injured very often, but you have to fight hard even in that kind of situation, and I think injuries come along because you train at such a high level. It's a miracle that I haven't had any injuries up until now, but I think these things happen, and I need to take these situations as opportunities to grow and develop even more. But I have learnt once again that this kind of experience is unexpectedly important, and although there may not be enough time until Finland next time, I hope to be able to move at my best, and if I don't make it, I hope to give a performance where I can think ‘I didn't make it, but I made it to the max’, and I want to do the best I can now. I hope to be able to do the best I can do at the moment, one performance at a time.
-Did the option of abstaining never cross your mind?
Once I got out..................................... I didn't know either. To be honest, I didn't have any tests done on the injury, and after talking to the doctor, he said that it was probably a separated muscle, but it was in the middle of the body, maybe in the iliopsoas muscle. It's a type of pain I haven't experienced before. I'm not really sure. I didn't know how far to go with it and I didn't have any experience, so if the pain had been a bit more obvious I would have said, ‘I can't do it anymore’. But I made it in time, and on the day of the short really, I think it was partly a feeling, but I said, ‘I can move! I was able to get to the point where I could lift my legs, so I'm glad I came, and I was able to practice with proper restraint in order to compete, so I think that was a good thing. But I think I could have done more with my feelings.
-Is there anything that has been stimulated by this summer's shows that has been positive for you in terms of your expression?
It's a very happy problem, but I've been allowed to participate in many shows, and because of that, I've been able to think ‘I want to be a more competitive skater’, not just ‘huffing and puffing’ at shows, but I've participated in many shows and been exposed to many exciting performances and various movements. I have been in contact with entertainment, and I have seen Arakawa (Shizuka), Dai-chan (Daisuke Takahashi), Hanyu and so on, and they have performed with a greatness that I haven't reached yet. It's natural, but through the show, I felt that they have depth as skaters. The same goes for Shoma Uno. When I saw that, I thought, ‘What's missing? Until now, I was just having fun when I was invited to skate in shows, but I thought, ‘I don't want to do just that’. I think the most important thing from the show was that it made me realise that I have to work harder in competitions now, so that I can be the kind of skater that people think is the most amazing skater. It's very extravagant, but... Of course, there were various expressions and I wanted to connect them, but more than that, after being involved with so many people who have competed at the top, I realised once again what I was lacking. Or rather, what I want. Now I want to win in competitions, and I want to master skating even more.
-What is your opinion on the lifting of the ban on backflips this season?
I thought it was great that Kao said it so clearly, but I have the same opinion as him, but in my case, I think it's OK because the ban has already been lifted, and I'm against backflips before the ban was lifted. I can understand that you want to expand the possibilities of skating, but I also have a sense of sportsmanship towards other skaters, and that kind of thing. I think it's just a difference in the way we think about skating, so it's important to want to change something. But to be honest, I think the answer is that up to now, athletes like Nathan (Chen) and Keegan (Messing), who are really good at backflips, haven't been able to compete with it. Even those who can do backflips so well, they are competing in a competition where the emphasis is on showing off their skills, and they are competing within the rules. Everyone follows sportsmanship, and I honestly don't know what sportsmanship is, but sometimes there are things that go beyond the rules, but Nathan and the others have the skills, but they were competing within the rules without doing so, so I think that is the answer. Now that the ban has been lifted, people are going through that and it's OK now because the ban has been lifted, so I don't have any problems with it now. But there is a point where high quality athletes weren't doing it in competition until now.
-What do you think of figure skating and its beauty?
I'm the type of person who attracts people with entertainment, but I actually prefer skating. I am an athlete who attracts people with my body movements, but on the other hand, I admire that kind of skating. Jumping is one of the skills in figure skating, and I think a true figure skater is one who can attract with a single back cross or a single turn, not by adding them up. That's what everyone is aiming for. Nowadays, the rules are getting more and more complicated, and everyone is busy trying to adapt to them, and when I watch skating in the past, skating has changed so much that I'm a completely different person now. But the skating I like the most, the ideal skating, I think figure skating is the one that can attract with such simple movements, one camel spin, one sit spin, one turn... I think that's the foundation of figure skating. I think it would be good if there was a wider range. I think figure skating is a sport with unlimited possibilities that can expand in any direction as the rules change. I think it could be more dynamic. But I think it's a simple thing, the technical skills of today's skaters are completely different from those of the old skaters. The standard of what makes a skater good has changed, but I hope that they don't forget to skate.
-Who is the most ideal player from the past?
It's difficult... this is a difficult one. I like a lot of different strains of athletes. Even nowadays... I'm not criticising current skating, I like a lot of current skaters too, so it's difficult. I don't know who they are... it's not a faction, but I think there are quite a lot of different genres of skating. Even Canadian skating is a bit different, American skating is different, British skating is different. I really like Kurt Browning. But he's more of a tap dancer, the type who shows a lot of charm with his feet. As an art form, I've been watching John Currie a lot recently. I also like Stephane and Machida. I'd say I'm in that vein. I'm just thinking about it, but people like Dai-chan, Hanyu and Shobon are also like that. Or Patrick Chan. I guess I'm more in the lineage of Kurt, who is more charming with his feet. Skating changes depending on what you value, so I kind of want to see more of that kind of simplicity and focus in skating. You still have your individuality shining through, but I think it was simpler before.
-Shoma Uno retired this season. How do you see the current Japanese men's team?
I'd like to say the top five in the world ranking, but right now, I'm in the position of ‘4+1’. I'm a bit behind, while everyone else is catching up, like Tatsuya Tsuboi and Koshiro Shimada. After all, everyone has potential. Everyone has the potential to go higher, but I think it's about who is stable, and it's important in figure skating to be able to give a stable performance with high potential. I think I have potential, but I'm a skater who can only skate on a limited number of occasions, so it's important to improve the stability of my foundation. I think if I can get that, I'll be the strongest, and that's what everyone thinks, so to be honest, I don't know what the level is for the men. Everyone thinks there is potential, but at the moment I have the impression that Yuma (Kagiyama), Kao, Shun (Sato) and Sota (Yamamoto) are leading the way, so I'm not sure how much I can cut into that. But I don't intend to lose yet.
As last year's calendar, it can be bought by international fans using WorldShopping.
What a difference from the practices!
