- Joined
- Sep 12, 2021
I’m so late with this but Happy Birthday Kazuki! 
Kazuki Tomono
- Thread starter tsuyoboogie
- Start date
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Kosho's story about the Naniwa Figure Skating Festival:
HD Flower Holding thanking everyone for the event:
HD Flower Holding thanking everyone for the event:
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Takuma Zaiki, an actor who participated in The MELT, poses with a TOMONO tote bag:
Deep Egde Plus recap of the Colantotte event:
‘Lucky Outfits’: Kohiro Shimada and Kao Miura went shopping with Kazuki Tomono—but the one who isn’t fussy is… [Colantotte Talk Event Part 1]
Deep Egde Plus recap of the Colantotte event:
‘Lucky Outfits’: Kohiro Shimada and Kao Miura went shopping with Kazuki Tomono—but the one who isn’t fussy is… [Colantotte Talk Event Part 1]
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2021
Handsome as always.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Another picture of Takuma Zaiki with his TOMONO tote:
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Kazuki participated in the Quadruple Axel hot spring gang online event, alongside Sota, Mitsuki and Taichiro:
He posted on Twitter:
It’s been three years!
It turned out to be a really fun online event!
Thank you very much!
It seems he revealed the music of his new free programme, but I couldn't find out what it is... The comments suggest it's something that suits his style and I saw a fan saying: 'I've been wanting him to skate to this music for years'
He posted on Twitter:
It’s been three years!
It turned out to be a really fun online event!
Thank you very much!
It seems he revealed the music of his new free programme, but I couldn't find out what it is... The comments suggest it's something that suits his style and I saw a fan saying: 'I've been wanting him to skate to this music for years'
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Nobu posted this cute pic from the FaOI rehearsals:
A fan kindly gifted this Colantotte event interview: https://www.nikkansports.com/premium/sports/figure/news/202605120000629.html
A fan kindly gifted this Colantotte event interview: https://www.nikkansports.com/premium/sports/figure/news/202605120000629.html
Kazuki Tomono: ‘I want to finish my career alongside my coach’—Coach Hiraike’s words that stayed with him / Exclusive interview
Men’s figure skater Kazuki Tomono (Daiichi Juken Group) gave an exclusive interview following a Colantotte event held in Tokyo on 9 May.
Having concluded the Milan-Cortina Olympic season, which he described as the ‘culmination of his career’, he announced his intention to continue competing next season. An interview covering his discussions with coach Hiraike in April and his current vision for the future will be released on 15 May, his 28th birthday.
Coach Hiraike’s words: ‘The coach is still full of passion’
—First of all, I’d like to ask you about your relationship with Coach Hiraike. Did you have the opportunity to discuss your decision to continue your competitive career with him?
After the All-Japan Championships were over, we had a chat along the lines of, ‘I can’t really quit now, can I?’ From partway through the season, I’d been thinking that if the conditions were right, I’d like to carry on. My body was still responding well, and I felt I’d developed to the point where it would be a shame to retire. It wasn’t about results; it was the feeling that, as I skated, I was getting better and better. Personally, I felt I could carry on regardless of whether I made it to the Olympics or not. My coach also said, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to end on a high note?’ I felt that even without saying much, Coach Hiraike understood how I felt, but the other day I spoke to him again and said, ‘It’s just one year at a time, but please let me carry on.’ That was about a month ago. We finally managed to get together for a proper meal after ‘Stars on Ice’ finished. We’d been far too busy to meet up, but we were finally able to have a proper chat.
—What did you talk about there?
When the conversation turned to what we should do next, I felt that if my grades dropped too much, there’d be no point in continuing, so I said, ‘I might quit if they go down.’ But the teacher replied, ‘No, it’s the other way round.’ He told me, ‘It’s fine if your grades drop; let’s just make sure you give a good performance to finish things off.’ That really gave me a boost (laughs). I still feel the fire burning inside me, and that makes me really happy. It’s for my own sake, of course, but I thought it would be lovely to finish up with a laugh together with my coach. I don’t know how long I’ll carry on for, but I’m supported by so many people, including my sponsors. The Olympic season—a major season—has ended, and it feels like a natural pause, but there are still plenty of people telling me, ‘We’ll keep cheering you on.’ With the support of Colantotte and the other companies I’m affiliated with, as well as my sponsors, I feel I have the environment to continue competing. So, as long as I have the energy to give it my all, I want to keep facing the ice with that mindset.
—Did Coach Hiraike’s words—‘It’s fine if you drop down the rankings, just make sure you finish with a good performance’—change your own mindset, Tomono?
Yes, they did. When he said, ‘It would be a shame to call it a day just because you’ve dropped down the rankings’, it made me realise that rather than thinking, ‘If I can’t do it, I’ll quit’, I wanted to approach the sport with discipline so that I could bring my career to a close in the best possible way.
—Looking back on this season, I seem to recall you mentioning on several occasions that seeing Coach Hiraike’s expression after your performances really stirred your emotions. As you’re about to turn 28, has your relationship with your coach changed in any way?
It’s been 20 years now. I’ve known him longer than he’s known his own son. I feel as though I’m like a son to him, and I’m sure he feels the same way about me. The best way I can repay that is through my skating. In that sense, I think this season was one in which I was able to demonstrate my potential. Although there were aspects I couldn’t quite pull off right at the very end, I believe it was a year in which my coach saw me performing better than ever before. I’d like to somehow translate that into results. Looking at the results, I’ve been consistent and steady, achieving decent results, but I haven’t yet won any major titles. I did come second at the Four Continents, for example, but I haven’t won a Grand Prix Series event yet. The same goes for the Grand Prix Final. It’s precisely because I gave it my all—200 per cent—during this major season that I feel I can take on new challenges next season. For example, in terms of how I train, I feel I can shift to a different approach whilst retaining the foundations I’ve built up so far. As I get older, I can no longer give my all every single day, so with my second career in mind, I’d like to think of myself as a coach, use myself as a guinea pig, and try out various things – I hope I can grow as a skater through this. Within that, my first priority is to give my all in competition.
My vision for the future: ‘There’s just too much I want to do (laughs)’
—You mentioned the word ‘coach’ earlier. Do you envisage pursuing that path in the future?
No, there’s just too much I want to do (laughs). To be honest, I also feel like I want to retire from competitive skating as soon as possible. I think I’m still inexperienced as a competitor, so whilst I believe it’s best to keep competing, I also want to pursue other activities at the same time. Things like promoting skating, or appearing in lots of ice shows. With ice shows in particular, as there are no scores involved, I can experience endless opportunities for self-expression, which makes me wonder what it would be like if I became a professional. As for coaching, I’d like to be able to support my own team. I love figuring things out through trial and error myself, but I’d like to learn early on what challenges arise when trying to convey that to others. In this day and age, I don’t think it’s necessary to be too set in my ways; perhaps it’s fine to pursue things simultaneously. I suppose my goal for this year is to tackle everything I can. Not that I’ll be neglecting anything. At today’s event, Shoma (Uno) said he’d ‘do it all’, and I hope I can approach things with that same mindset. I think that will bring me back to the sport and reveal new perspectives.
—The phrase ‘using myself as a guinea pig’ really struck me.
There’s still so much I can do, so I want to take bold steps. I can still enjoy it. I think I’ll keep going as long as I feel that way.
―Is it a case of wishing there were three Kazuki Tomono?
Absolutely (laughs). There are so many things I want to do outside of skating. I’m the sort of person who’s interested in all sorts of things. It’s not just skating; I love expressing myself. There are things I’d like to try, including in other genres. I’ll focus on honing my skating first, but I hope to have the freedom to take on all sorts of challenges.
—What exactly do you mean?
I think it would be interesting to try my hand at acting in an ice show or something like that. I also find watching musicals quite enjoyable. It’s not that I want to pursue it professionally, but I’d like to experience things like that through skating. That’s something I’ve actually been able to do with ‘Hyoten’. To achieve that, I’d like to start by perfecting my expressive skills on the ice. I hope things will continue to expand in various directions.
Men’s figure skater Kazuki Tomono (Daiichi Juken Group) gave an exclusive interview following a Colantotte event held in Tokyo on 9 May.
Having concluded the Milan-Cortina Olympic season, which he described as the ‘culmination of his career’, he announced his intention to continue competing next season. An interview covering his discussions with coach Hiraike in April and his current vision for the future will be released on 15 May, his 28th birthday.
Coach Hiraike’s words: ‘The coach is still full of passion’
—First of all, I’d like to ask you about your relationship with Coach Hiraike. Did you have the opportunity to discuss your decision to continue your competitive career with him?
After the All-Japan Championships were over, we had a chat along the lines of, ‘I can’t really quit now, can I?’ From partway through the season, I’d been thinking that if the conditions were right, I’d like to carry on. My body was still responding well, and I felt I’d developed to the point where it would be a shame to retire. It wasn’t about results; it was the feeling that, as I skated, I was getting better and better. Personally, I felt I could carry on regardless of whether I made it to the Olympics or not. My coach also said, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to end on a high note?’ I felt that even without saying much, Coach Hiraike understood how I felt, but the other day I spoke to him again and said, ‘It’s just one year at a time, but please let me carry on.’ That was about a month ago. We finally managed to get together for a proper meal after ‘Stars on Ice’ finished. We’d been far too busy to meet up, but we were finally able to have a proper chat.
—What did you talk about there?
When the conversation turned to what we should do next, I felt that if my grades dropped too much, there’d be no point in continuing, so I said, ‘I might quit if they go down.’ But the teacher replied, ‘No, it’s the other way round.’ He told me, ‘It’s fine if your grades drop; let’s just make sure you give a good performance to finish things off.’ That really gave me a boost (laughs). I still feel the fire burning inside me, and that makes me really happy. It’s for my own sake, of course, but I thought it would be lovely to finish up with a laugh together with my coach. I don’t know how long I’ll carry on for, but I’m supported by so many people, including my sponsors. The Olympic season—a major season—has ended, and it feels like a natural pause, but there are still plenty of people telling me, ‘We’ll keep cheering you on.’ With the support of Colantotte and the other companies I’m affiliated with, as well as my sponsors, I feel I have the environment to continue competing. So, as long as I have the energy to give it my all, I want to keep facing the ice with that mindset.
—Did Coach Hiraike’s words—‘It’s fine if you drop down the rankings, just make sure you finish with a good performance’—change your own mindset, Tomono?
Yes, they did. When he said, ‘It would be a shame to call it a day just because you’ve dropped down the rankings’, it made me realise that rather than thinking, ‘If I can’t do it, I’ll quit’, I wanted to approach the sport with discipline so that I could bring my career to a close in the best possible way.
—Looking back on this season, I seem to recall you mentioning on several occasions that seeing Coach Hiraike’s expression after your performances really stirred your emotions. As you’re about to turn 28, has your relationship with your coach changed in any way?
It’s been 20 years now. I’ve known him longer than he’s known his own son. I feel as though I’m like a son to him, and I’m sure he feels the same way about me. The best way I can repay that is through my skating. In that sense, I think this season was one in which I was able to demonstrate my potential. Although there were aspects I couldn’t quite pull off right at the very end, I believe it was a year in which my coach saw me performing better than ever before. I’d like to somehow translate that into results. Looking at the results, I’ve been consistent and steady, achieving decent results, but I haven’t yet won any major titles. I did come second at the Four Continents, for example, but I haven’t won a Grand Prix Series event yet. The same goes for the Grand Prix Final. It’s precisely because I gave it my all—200 per cent—during this major season that I feel I can take on new challenges next season. For example, in terms of how I train, I feel I can shift to a different approach whilst retaining the foundations I’ve built up so far. As I get older, I can no longer give my all every single day, so with my second career in mind, I’d like to think of myself as a coach, use myself as a guinea pig, and try out various things – I hope I can grow as a skater through this. Within that, my first priority is to give my all in competition.
My vision for the future: ‘There’s just too much I want to do (laughs)’
—You mentioned the word ‘coach’ earlier. Do you envisage pursuing that path in the future?
No, there’s just too much I want to do (laughs). To be honest, I also feel like I want to retire from competitive skating as soon as possible. I think I’m still inexperienced as a competitor, so whilst I believe it’s best to keep competing, I also want to pursue other activities at the same time. Things like promoting skating, or appearing in lots of ice shows. With ice shows in particular, as there are no scores involved, I can experience endless opportunities for self-expression, which makes me wonder what it would be like if I became a professional. As for coaching, I’d like to be able to support my own team. I love figuring things out through trial and error myself, but I’d like to learn early on what challenges arise when trying to convey that to others. In this day and age, I don’t think it’s necessary to be too set in my ways; perhaps it’s fine to pursue things simultaneously. I suppose my goal for this year is to tackle everything I can. Not that I’ll be neglecting anything. At today’s event, Shoma (Uno) said he’d ‘do it all’, and I hope I can approach things with that same mindset. I think that will bring me back to the sport and reveal new perspectives.
—The phrase ‘using myself as a guinea pig’ really struck me.
There’s still so much I can do, so I want to take bold steps. I can still enjoy it. I think I’ll keep going as long as I feel that way.
―Is it a case of wishing there were three Kazuki Tomono?
Absolutely (laughs). There are so many things I want to do outside of skating. I’m the sort of person who’s interested in all sorts of things. It’s not just skating; I love expressing myself. There are things I’d like to try, including in other genres. I’ll focus on honing my skating first, but I hope to have the freedom to take on all sorts of challenges.
—What exactly do you mean?
I think it would be interesting to try my hand at acting in an ice show or something like that. I also find watching musicals quite enjoyable. It’s not that I want to pursue it professionally, but I’d like to experience things like that through skating. That’s something I’ve actually been able to do with ‘Hyoten’. To achieve that, I’d like to start by perfecting my expressive skills on the ice. I hope things will continue to expand in various directions.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Thanks for sharing the translation, Kirara! I have discovered the original was back to paywalled again, but I read the thing here ^ ^
However, that begs a question - does Kazuki still want to be a choreographer? I thought he wanted to be one?
This part makes me very happy!
This is quite interesting. I'm curious to see how Kazuki's season goes when he approaches his own skating with a coach's perspective!
However, that begs a question - does Kazuki still want to be a choreographer? I thought he wanted to be one?
He's going to be in high demand, that's for sure! If he joined a global show, Kazuki's presence would be a huge draw for me if they performed close enough to my location.
Yess! And hoping that that's in the stars for this season...
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2021
I really hope he does do international ice shows. Other Japanese skaters have. Why not? It would be fun not just for fans to see him in person but for him too to see places, try other foods, meet new people… The world is his oyster.Thanks for sharing the translation, Kirara! I have discovered the original was back to paywalled again, but I read the thing here ^ ^
This part makes me very happy!
This is quite interesting. I'm curious to see how Kazuki's season goes when he approaches his own skating with a coach's perspective!
However, that begs a question - does Kazuki still want to be a choreographer? I thought he wanted to be one?
He's going to be in high demand, that's for sure! If he joined a global show, Kazuki's presence would be a huge draw for me if they performed close enough to my location.
Yess! And hoping that that's in the stars for this season...
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
I think this interview makes it clearer that Kazuki wants to do a lot of things after he retires 
I remember an interview from many, many years ago in which he said he likes to have his fingers in different pies, meaning, he is interested in a lot of things. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being a choreographer, a coach, and a pro skater, all at once 
Meanwhile, Hiraike-sensei posted about the Naniwa Figure skating festival:
I remember an interview from many, many years ago in which he said he likes to have his fingers in different pies, meaning, he is interested in a lot of things. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being a choreographer, a coach, and a pro skater, all at once Meanwhile, Hiraike-sensei posted about the Naniwa Figure skating festival:
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Cuuute
https://worldfigureskating-web.jp/interview/25832/ Interview w Yuna and Kazuki re: La La Land
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Soo, it seems Kazuki is keeping 'That's It'? Cool! 
deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp
Paywalled as usual, but here's what's visible:
- I understand that you will not be changing your short program (SP) for next season, and that you plan to ask Shae-Lynn Bourne, who choreographed your SP this season, to create a new routine for your free skate. How are you thinking about the composition of your quadruple jumps?
- "First of all, I want to rest my body properly, and since there are quite a few ice shows coming up, I plan to start practicing jumps from there. I've been doing more basic jump practice lately, and before the season starts, I want to review my practice schedule, or rather, try out my practice for the season."
"My body has become more responsive in a good way, and I can see when I'm in good condition, when I'm not, how it reacts after eating, how it reacts after sleeping and waking up. Compared to when I was younger, the reactions are easier to understand, so I would like to make this a year of exploration, where I can face my body more experimentally. While practicing new jumps, I would like to focus on improving the quality of what I can do now."
- Instead of incorporating the quadruple loop that you are landing in practice, would you rather focus on quality?
友野一希、フィギュアスケートの楽しさ伝えるために必要な成長 最大の目標は普及活動 - フィギュアスケート専門情報サイトDeep Edge Plus 最新ニュース・充実のコラムをお届け
目次 CLOSE 実験的に自分の体と向き合う 失敗しても成功してもめちゃくちゃ良い経験 地に足をつける ルールの変更、楽しみな部分も セカンドキャリアに向け、新しい発見どんどんしたい 実験的に自分の体と向き合う 友野選 […]
deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp
Paywalled as usual, but here's what's visible:
- I understand that you will not be changing your short program (SP) for next season, and that you plan to ask Shae-Lynn Bourne, who choreographed your SP this season, to create a new routine for your free skate. How are you thinking about the composition of your quadruple jumps?
- "First of all, I want to rest my body properly, and since there are quite a few ice shows coming up, I plan to start practicing jumps from there. I've been doing more basic jump practice lately, and before the season starts, I want to review my practice schedule, or rather, try out my practice for the season."
"My body has become more responsive in a good way, and I can see when I'm in good condition, when I'm not, how it reacts after eating, how it reacts after sleeping and waking up. Compared to when I was younger, the reactions are easier to understand, so I would like to make this a year of exploration, where I can face my body more experimentally. While practicing new jumps, I would like to focus on improving the quality of what I can do now."
- Instead of incorporating the quadruple loop that you are landing in practice, would you rather focus on quality?
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Yesss, he's been saying that for a while actually, but it's good to get confirmation. I'm curious about his free programme, which he will probably debut at Dreams on IceSoo, it seems Kazuki is keeping 'That's It'? Cool!
The actual main revelation is the line about landing 4lo in practice, like, hello mister, you're 28!?
A couple of cute updates from yesterday:
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2019
Maybe you've become an adult, Mr Tomono? (At least, this is what comes to my mind as an explanation when I read this, and we know that he's rather a late bloomer.)Soo, it seems Kazuki is keeping 'That's It'? Cool!
友野一希、フィギュアスケートの楽しさ伝えるために必要な成長 最大の目標は普及活動 - フィギュアスケート専門情報サイトDeep Edge Plus 最新ニュース・充実のコラムをお届け
目次 CLOSE 実験的に自分の体と向き合う 失敗しても成功してもめちゃくちゃ良い経験 地に足をつける ルールの変更、楽しみな部分も セカンドキャリアに向け、新しい発見どんどんしたい 実験的に自分の体と向き合う 友野選 […]
Paywalled as usual, but here's what's visible:
- I understand that you will not be changing your short program (SP) for next season, and that you plan to ask Shae-Lynn Bourne, who choreographed your SP this season, to create a new routine for your free skate. How are you thinking about the composition of your quadruple jumps?
- "First of all, I want to rest my body properly, and since there are quite a few ice shows coming up, I plan to start practicing jumps from there. I've been doing more basic jump practice lately, and before the season starts, I want to review my practice schedule, or rather, try out my practice for the season."
"My body has become more responsive in a good way, and I can see when I'm in good condition, when I'm not, how it reacts after eating, how it reacts after sleeping and waking up. Compared to when I was younger, the reactions are easier to understand, so I would like to make this a year of exploration, where I can face my body more experimentally. While practicing new jumps, I would like to focus on improving the quality of what I can do now."
- Instead of incorporating the quadruple loop that you are landing in practice, would you rather focus on quality?
I really have the impression that Shae-Lynn Bourne loves to choreograph programs for those who can "pull it off", so I have great expectations!
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
For real, I was sceptic at the beginning when he first started working with her, but her style suits him like a glove!
Meanwhile, he'll be participating in another online talk, this time with his besties Sota and Koshiro!
and there was another article published yesterday, about the Naniwa Figure Skating Festival:
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2024
I want to see it so badly
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Wow, this picture!
They were having fun with Yuna's La La Land yesterday at rehearsals:
A message to fans today - it seems he mention a self-choreographed EX? But I'm not sure
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