Kazuki skated to 'Don't fall in love' - love this EX so much
This program is such a great fit for Kazuki in his stage as a mature performer. I could totally see Kana choregraphing his next SP (even though, I guess it's more likely he'll go with Misha in the Olympic season) and Shae-Lynn his FS.
Finally, I would like the share the machine translation of this article:
https://the-ans.jp/column/491507/2/
It talks about Kazuki's journey with Daiichi Juken Group, and the PR person, Rieko Kobayashi. Absolutely mind-blowing the amount of work and determination to make the affiliation contract happen! It really puts Kazuki's reality into perspective, things must be so much easier for skaters with family connections or are affiliated to agencies, but he has to make all these connections himself. I'm so grateful to Kobayashi-san, too!
The fateful day when figure skater Tomono Kazuki personally appealed to the company during a presentation: the efforts of one PR person behind the successful contract signing
The story of figure skater Tomono Kazuki and the Daiichi Juken Group
The All Japan Figure Skating Championships, the big event at the end of the year, took place until the 22nd. Tomono Kazuki, who competed in the men's singles for the 12th time in 12 years, was supported like never before. The Daiichi Juken Group, with whom he signed an affiliation contract this season, formed a cheering squad and sent their support from the site at the free skate on the 21st. The company has been supporting Tomono even more since their partner contract last season, but behind the scenes was the efforts of one PR person. (Interview and text by THE ANSWER Editorial Department, Miyauchi Hiroya)
Tomono is a regular at the All Japan Championships, which brings together top skaters. At the venue, a group of people were watching his passionate performance, holding up special banners. They were a cheering squad made up of employees of the Daiichi Juken Group. Some members were watching figure skating for the first time, but despite the short notice, more than 10 people took part in the free skating on the 21st. Their bond shone through.
The company operates a full range of real estate-related businesses and lifestyle businesses. Last season, the company had a partnership agreement, but this season, at Tomono's request, he signed an affiliation contract with the company. When his affiliation was announced, Tomono commented, "I feel that we have formed a deep bond in a short period of time."
It all started with a public relations officer. Rieko Kobayashi, who had been active in the entertainment industry, moved from Tokyo and joined the company. At this point, the company began considering supporting athletes and organizations based in Osaka. When presenting to the management, Kobayashi said, "If I'm going to do it, I might as well include one sport I like," and set her sights on figure skating, which has led to where we are today.
Tomono was based in Osaka and was a silver medalist at the 2022 Four Continents Championships, so he fit the bill perfectly. Moreover, Kobayashi had previously watched Tomono compete live and had been deeply impressed by his skating, which had a world-class feel that went beyond just jumps and spins.
"I happened to watch the 2017 NHK Trophy as a spectator, and that's when I first noticed him. He caught my eye from the six minutes warm up, and I immediately knew he was a great skater. By coincidence, he was also skating to a piece of music for a video I was promoting, so that made an even bigger impression on me."
After much difficulty, she finally succeeded in meeting Tomono. They met for the first time at the Kansai Airport Ice Arena last year, and the two concluded their partnership contract. "I submitted the proposal to the meeting on a whim, and to my surprise, the CEO said, 'Maybe this kid is good?'" As this was the company's first contract with an individual athlete, it took some time to reach a decision. Tomono had been told, "I'm sorry, it might not be decided," but Kobayashi called him to report the results. She will never forget his astonished reaction, "You're kidding!" Utilizing her experience in the entertainment industry, Kobayashi often gave Tomono advice. It was in January of this year that Tomono approached her at a cafe about an affiliation contract.
Tomono's offer of an affiliation was ‘declined’.
'When I was offered an affiliation, I turned it down several times because I thought it was too good for our company. I was really honoured and honestly happy to receive Tomono's offer, but I repeatedly told him, ‘Wouldn't you prefer a company that is more accustomed to supporting athletes?’ I told him repeatedly.’
It is clear that a relationship of trust had developed between Tomono and Ms Kobayashi, who has industry knowledge and experience.
'I noticed that there was a lot of movement with our company, and he said he would love to work with us because he could relate to our corporate culture. There were several months of such exchanges, and since his will was firm and unbreakable, I also became hungry in April. I told the company, ‘This is such a good offer. I explained to the company that he is a top player, his name will be mentioned, and it is a rare honour for me to have him on board.'
Internal adjustments continued to be difficult, but Tomono, who was explained the situation, showed his manliness. He attended the company's second presentation himself, and in his own words, appealed for the need for the contract. It was a combination presentation, with Kobayashi following up on Tomono's words, and Tomono following up on Kobayashi's explanation. The management readily agreed, and the contract was finally decided in mid-August. Kobayashi quickly put together the paperwork and got it just in time for registration.
"He is someone who really doesn't give up once he has made a decision. (Our current relationship) is not a simple management one, and although I am in charge of sponsors, because I am not part of the agency, I work behind the scenes to make Tomono's competitive life easier, such as by supporting him with burdens and introducing him to connections, at his request. I used to work in film and music promotion, so when something like the release of "TOMONO CURRY" I work on everything from advertising planning to promotion, and I have been with celebrities from various genres for interviews and attended to Hollywood stars, so I use my past experience to support him in any way I can."
Since she first received a call from Tomono, she has watched at least one video of Tomono's performance every day. She did the same thing when she was involved in film promotion in her previous job in order to understand the work.
Regarding her days since their partnership was finalized, she laughs and says, "Personally, I feel like it's like a morning drama. The story has its ups and downs." Sudden requests pop up and it's a hectic schedule, but there has also been a synergistic effect with Tomono's ideas, such as using entertainment methods to promote "TOMONO CURRY," which she himself supervised and which was released in August and was a big hit.
If Kobayashi hadn't come to Osaka and nominated Tomono as a candidate, if the company hadn't supported sports, if Tomono hadn't been active in Osaka... if just one of these conditions hadn't been met, this connection would have been fateful in a sense.
In his 12th All Japan Championships, Tomono placed 5th overall. He also made it to 3rd place in the short program. He made some mistakes in the free program and wasn't able to perform to his satisfaction, but the cheers from the supporters certainly reached him. Kobayashi said, "Tomono is a skater with rare talent who can create a worldview like a novel or a short film. I want to see him smiling and waving his hands surrounded by the Japanese flag after his performance on the big Olympic stage." She will continue to support his one-of-a-kind skating.
(THE ANSWER Editorial Department, Miyauchi Hiroya)
Just wanted to say as well, I'll be away for a couple of days, so I want to wish a Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate
Thanks for sharing this interview, it was quite eye-opening with regards to how much needed to come together for the affiliation contract to be concluded and it speaks to Kazuki's tenacity as well as his apparent ability to sell himself and build good relationships - all qualities that will bring him far in life, in and outside of skating. I wouldn't be surprised, if we see him branch out into several business fields after retiring.
_____________________________
The F-Suke/F-Skate fanclub held a fan-meeting in Tokyo on December 24, which was joined by seven of its ten members, including Kazuki (not gonna lie, I envy the Japanese fans, who are able to attend events like this
). Here is a photo of the participating members (minus Shizuka) and the three hosts (one of them being voice actress Mayumi Yoshida, who is a figure skating fan):
Machine translation:
Hosting the #Fske Fan Meeting 2024 with voice actress #Mayumi Yoshida.
#Fsuke.
@Fsuke_figure
From #Fsuke @Fsuke_figure, #Shizuka Arakawa, #Daisuke Takahashi, #Kana Muramoto, #Kazuki Tomono, #Yuto Kishina, #Kosho Oshima and #Rena Uezono appeared on the stage ^ ^.
In the talk corner, they talked about figure skating, such as their special and passionate feelings for the #All-Japan Figure Skating Championships held the other day, as well as what was the happiest Christmas present was they've ever received.
The valuable experience corner where the skaters interacted with the audience was a great success, thanks to the service spirit of the skaters and the nice characters of the fans.
It was a long event with three parts from morning till night, but the skaters and the staff were also taking breaks in between for the F-Skater customers. The skaters and staff were working without a break, taking videos and so on.
I felt the skaters' sincere attitude towards figure skating and their passion to deliver the appeal of figure skating to more and more people. I felt their sincerity towards entertainment and their love for their fans, and although the genres are different, it was a valuable day with a lot to learn.
I would also like to thank all the staff members who worked from early in the morning until late at night to take everything down!
The F-Skaters will be back in my hometown Hiroshima next March for the supreme entertainment on ice, #Kassouya!
滑走屋オフィシャルサイトです。
kassouya.jp
Please check out the ever-increasing excitement of F-Skate!
And here's a very recent interview Dai gave to promote the upcoming Kassouya shows in Hiroshima, in which he mentioned that there are 8 main skaters (again) (at 1:11), so chances should be high that Kazuki is one of them, especially because he is also a member of F-Suke/F-Skate
:
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
youtu.be
Otherwise I'm still recovering from Sota's Nationals, so it will take me a couple of days to return here, my apologies.
we need you there!!
His absence last year was pretty much felt and many people that had bought tickets ended up not attending. Besides, it's in Osaka after all.
From the messages they exchanged, it sounds like they had a blast, and I wonder if there is a collaboration on the works...
