2025-26 Japanese Pairs and Ice Dance

[cocteautwin]

Marin Honda posted this on her instagram today. Whatever it means. Perhaps we'll find out more tomorrow. Or not. Those two are good at teasing.


They will appear together at some livestream tomorrow. Not sure if they will perform are announce sth, maybe it has something to do with the promotion of Shoma's Ice Brave show.

 

[denise3lz]

この度、宇野昌磨と本田真凜は
アイスダンスチームを結成し、
新シーズンより競技へ挑戦することを決意いたしました。

2024年10月。
この決意をした日から、オリンピック出場という目標を掲げ、
アイスダンスと向き合い続けてきました。
日々、新たな挑戦と共に、強い覚悟を持って歩みを進めています。

難しさも、喜びも、これまでの競技生活を通して
様々な感情を経験してきました。
二人だからこそ、分かち合える想いを胸に、
自分達が納得できる日々を積み重ねていきます。

応援してくださる皆さまと、この挑戦の中で出会う
たくさんの景色を共有できたら嬉しいです。

これからのしょまりんを、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

Game on.

宇野昌磨　本田真凜

ShoMarin is official now.
They have decided to take on the challenge of competing.

 

[aerosuffly]

Full 1-hour press conference from Shoma and Marin. (YouTube auto translate work pretty well.)


They are aiming to compete together at the next Olympic.

I have never been this excited about Japanese ice dance .

And now I want Stephan to ice dance with Shoma .

 

[UmeYoSake]

Free article from Deep Edge Plus on 5 Ice Dance couples in Japan for the coming season

アイスダンスが〝戦国時代〟と呼ばれる理由　宇野昌磨の「しょまりん」ら実力者が相次いで参戦　国内の競争激化 - 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

フィギュアスケートで引退していた男子の宇野昌磨さん（28）と女子の本田真凜さん（24）が22日、ともに現役復帰してアイスダンスに挑戦し、冬季オリンピックを目指すことを発表した。オリンピックメダリストの宇野さんによるアイ […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

Google English version (with wrong names Keiko → Marin, Ikuya → Ikura, Hiroto → Yuuto)

アイスダンスが〝戦国時代〟と呼ばれる理由　宇野昌磨の「しょまりん」ら実力者が相次いで参戦　国内の競争激化 - 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

フィギュアスケートで引退していた男子の宇野昌磨さん（28）と女子の本田真凜さん（24）が22日、ともに現役復帰してアイスダンスに挑戦し、冬季オリンピックを目指すことを発表した。オリンピックメダリストの宇野さんによるアイ […]

deepedgeplus-kyodonews-jp.translate.goog

(That said, we may have more than 5 senior couples, who knows)

Most articles of Deep Edge Plus are under paywall, but those on ShoMarin's press conference seem to be free, with a "unlocked" icon for now.

(Edited to add their Instagram post for the photos)

 

[cocteautwin]

If a year ago sb would told me I'll be impatiently waiting for Japanese sectionals to watch Rika Kihira competing against Shoma Uno in ice dance I'd laugh.

 

[synesthesia]

(That said, we may have more than 5 senior couples, who knows)

At this rate there really is no way of knowing! We still haven't heard back from Ryota Kitamura, who was searching for a partner...

 

[cocteautwin]

At this rate there really is no way of knowing! We still haven't heard back from Ryota Kitamura, who was searching for a partner...

There's also Ayano Sasaki (still on icepartnersearch), I belive Atsuhiko Tamura and Chisato Urumatsu are also looking for partners.

 

[synesthesia]

There's also Ayano Sasaki (still on icepartnersearch), I belive Atsuhiko Tamura and Chisato Urumatsu are also looking for partners.

True, I'm still sad that ChiiAtsu's partnership didn't work out - they had nice chemistry. And unless even more singles skaters are recruited, the pool of potential partners for the currently partnerless dancers is, unfortunately, rather limited.

 

[elektra blue]

If a year ago sb would told me I'll be impatiently waiting for Japanese sectionals to watch Rika Kihira competing against Shoma Uno in ice dance I'd laugh.

do we know what Yuzu is up to these days?

 

[Dreamer57]

Free article from Deep Edge Plus on 5 Ice Dance couples in Japan for the coming season

アイスダンスが〝戦国時代〟と呼ばれる理由　宇野昌磨の「しょまりん」ら実力者が相次いで参戦　国内の競争激化 - 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

フィギュアスケートで引退していた男子の宇野昌磨さん（28）と女子の本田真凜さん（24）が22日、ともに現役復帰してアイスダンスに挑戦し、冬季オリンピックを目指すことを発表した。オリンピックメダリストの宇野さんによるアイ […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

Google English version (with wrong names Keiko → Marin, Ikuya → Ikura, Hiroto → Yuuto)

アイスダンスが〝戦国時代〟と呼ばれる理由　宇野昌磨の「しょまりん」ら実力者が相次いで参戦　国内の競争激化 - 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

フィギュアスケートで引退していた男子の宇野昌磨さん（28）と女子の本田真凜さん（24）が22日、ともに現役復帰してアイスダンスに挑戦し、冬季オリンピックを目指すことを発表した。オリンピックメダリストの宇野さんによるアイ […]

deepedgeplus-kyodonews-jp.translate.goog

(That said, we may have more than 5 senior couples, who knows)

Most articles of Deep Edge Plus are under paywall, but those on ShoMarin's press conference seem to be free, with a "unlocked" icon for now.

(Edited to add their Instagram post for the photos)

So it looks like we need Japan to qualify for 3 teams in 2029 worlds then!

 

[Sai Bon]

True, I'm still sad that ChiiAtsu's partnership didn't work out - they had nice chemistry. And unless even more singles skaters are recruited, the pool of potential partners for the currently partnerless dancers is, unfortunately, rather limited.

The thing is, 50% (more if you count Shingo, who did both for a few seasons) of the current five teams are former senior singles skaters!

 

[Sai Bon]

Full 1-hour press conference from Shoma and Marin. (YouTube auto translate work pretty well.)


They are aiming to compete together at the next Olympic.

I have never been this excited about Japanese ice dance .

And now I want Stephan to ice dance with Shoma .

Lol I've never heard Shoma talk so much. He's really grown up in the last few years!

 

[Silevril Ilumire]

If a year ago sb would told me I'll be impatiently waiting for Japanese sectionals to watch Rika Kihira competing against Shoma Uno in ice dance I'd laugh.

You aren't alone! I need to become an expert on Japanese qualification events and rules for host slots etc. ASAP!

 

[cocteautwin]

You aren't alone! I need to become an expert on Japanese qualification events and rules for host slots etc. ASAP!

As much as I'm excited for sectionals, I wish all those team will be send to challengers, they need to compete internationally, get their 4CC mins etc. I'd like to see how international judging panels will score them, comparing to local japanese judges (I have some doubts to the latter).

 

[Silevril Ilumire]

As much as I'm excited for sectionals, I wish all those team will be send to challengers, they need to compete internationally, get their 4CC mins etc. I'd like to see how international judging panels will score them, comparing to local japanese judges (I have some doubts to the latter).

That's understandable. I have similar doubts about domestic scoring in the U.S. (and other countries). I also really hope for international assignments for all the teams, which I understand were not always supported by the JSF in the past. Is it too optimistic that the ice dance field will benefit from the excitement of Marin & Shoma entering the field and JSF will start to take cultivating ice dance more seriously? The path to Team Gold runs through ice dance . . .

 

[synesthesia]

Rika just posted a few new practice clips and announced that their choreography has been finished:

It’s been a while since my last X-post.​

We’ve recently finished the choreography and have started practising to the music.​

There’s so much new stuff to take in that every day is a real challenge, but we’re plugging away bit by bit as we gear up for the season...​

 

[UmeYoSake]

As much as I'm excited for sectionals, I wish all those team will be send to challengers, they need to compete internationally, get their 4CC mins etc. I'd like to see how international judging panels will score them, comparing to local japanese judges (I have some doubts to the latter).

I do understand that people find Japanese judges very inexperienced and many have doubts to them, but am I the only person who cannot fully trust international judges too? I'm still grouching, I felt like UtaMasa was robbed in RD at Milan Team Event.

 

[synesthesia]

I do understand that people find Japanese judges very inexperienced and many have doubts to them, but am I the only person who cannot fully trust international judges too? I'm still grouching, I felt like UtaMasa was robbed in RD at Milan Team Event.

You're not the only one. Although I would say the most obvious shenanigans happened in the FD at the Skate to Milano event in Beijing.

 

[cocteautwin]

I do understand that people find Japanese judges very inexperienced and many have doubts to them, but am I the only person who cannot fully trust international judges too? I'm still grouching, I felt like UtaMasa was robbed in RD at Milan Team Event.

I don't trust any judges at all. But I do think international judges have no agenda towards any Japanese ice dance team (although there could be some back-scratching for a team from specific training camp etc.), they simply dgf, so they will judge them more objectively and strictly for what they see technically. It will be interesting to see what score those teams get internationally versus at domestic comps. My guess is the gap between UtaMasa and other teams will be bigger from international panel, especially for technical aspects.
Although I take into account that the other teams may show some significant improvements and get closer, I love both IkuKo and RikaShin, I also see they're training hard. ShoMarin have a longer path at this point but let's see what they can show.
Domestically, I expect more favoritism towards some teams and focusing more on general impression than technical details (rewarding beatufiul lines and aura over step sequence difficulty and accuracy).
Anyway, I'm super excited for this rivaly and hope all teams will be judged fairly and push each other. They all need to get as much experience, feedback from different panels and ranking points as possible so I hope JSF won't gatekeep them.

 

[UmeYoSake]

I don't trust any judges at all. But I do think international judges have no agenda towards any Japanese ice dance team (although there could be some back-scratching for a team from specific training camp etc.), they simply dgf, so they will judge them more objectively and strictly for what they see technically. It will be interesting to see what score those teams get internationally versus at domestic comps. My guess is the gap between UtaMasa and other teams will be bigger from international panel, especially for technical aspects.
Although I take into account that the other teams may show some significant improvements and get closer, I love both IkuKo and RikaShin, I also see they're training hard. ShoMarin have a longer path at this point but let's see what they can show.
Domestically, I expect more favoritism towards some teams and focusing more on general impression than technical details (rewarding beatufiul lines and aura over step sequence difficulty and accuracy).
Anyway, I'm super excited for this rivaly and hope all teams will be judged fairly and push each other. They all need to get as much experience, feedback from different panels and ranking points as possible so I hope JSF won't gatekeep them.

What I would hate the most is, they get sent to different challengers and people start comparing the points given at different competitions. Ice Dance judges seem to give not absolute but relative evaluations, and different judges give very different evaluations. Some competitions happen to become easier to get higher points and some do not. I am hoping that they all get to do Kinoshita Cup, then I wouldn't mind people start comparing the points given at the same circumstances with the same judges.