Who Is The Best Male Skater In Japan Now? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Who Is The Best Male Skater In Japan Now?

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
wth? Oda was arrested? total story requested.

Prior to the season 2007-8, one night on his way home after having some alcoholic beverages, Nobu was driving his moped when the police stopped him for alcohol in blood test (idk the appropriate word in English, does this make sense to you?) He was arrested by DUI, and it was a big news in Japan back then.

Figure Skating was already a big sport business by then because of Shizuka, Miki, Mao, Dai. Nobu was such a promising and adorable skater. People in Japan may tend to require their top athletes to be good role models not only in the sport, but in every aspects of Japanese society. His family's name is hugely famous as the successor of Nobunaga Oda (old Japanese Shogun?)...
There were a couple of reasons I guess, but Japanese media a sort of 'went crazy' about his DUI incident.
As a result, Nobu and his team had no other choice but skip the whole season.
 
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Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I think Dai is Japan's best right now. He is like Lambiel, Buttle and gulp Chan. Dai can beat Chan when Dai is on and maybe if Chan makes an error but we have seen great skates from Daisuke and if he gets his quad back consistently he'll be in the running for OGM or WGM. He has perhaps the best presence on the ice including Chan. Hanyu has huge potential and Kozuka will need the quad but both could beat Dai - Dai though if on is the best skater - he has the jumps, the pcs and "it" factor. Though personally I'd like to see him once in a while in not such a mod look. I do think Oda will be off the Japanese team with Hanyu and others coming up but this could change. If Dai wins WGM this year he may decide to retire - with two years to go to OGM this is the skaters decide if they go on for two years or retire - hard to retire with one year left before Olympics.
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Takahashi has been the best in Japan for many years, except for the year when he was injured and did not compete. He has it all. Hanyu can develop in a few years, but right now he is not close to Takahashi in maturity. Kozuka is #3 in my book. He has good basics, but no personality. Again, he needs a few years to overtake Takahashi. By 2014 the three of them could be nearly equal, with Daisuke getting older, and the other two developing a more mature presentation.
 

let`s talk

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
First, I thought the title of this thread is some kind of joke. Then I discovered that some people actually seriously discuss WHO is the best male skater in Japan now when the megastar has been known for years. As well as a female megastar in Japan is also well known WHO.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Prior to the season 2007-8, one night on his way home after having some alcoholic beverages, Nobu was driving his moped when the police stopped him for alcohol in blood test (idk the appropriate word in English, does this make sense to you?) He was arrested by DUI, and it was a big news in Japan back then.

Figure Skating was already a big sport business by then because of Shizuka, Miki, Mao, Dai. Nobu was such a promising and adorable skater. People in Japan may tend to require their top athletes to be good role models not only in the sport, but in every aspects of Japanese society. His family's name is hugely famous as the successor of Nobunaga Oda (old Japanese Shogun?)...
There were a couple of reasons I guess, but Japanese media a sort of 'went crazy' about his DUI incident.
As a result, Nobu and his team had no other choice but skip the whole season.
I don't think it was a choice at wrong but a penalty imposed by the Japanese Fed. I wrote to them at the time to protest it. (They didn't answer.) He had a tiny amount of alcohol in his blood, from (IIRC) a beer drunk before a nap. He thought that after the nap he could proceed on his way. I'm still upset about the theft of one of his prime competitive seasons for such a trivial reason. No one was hurt. The penalty was excessive.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I believe that Oda voluntarily imposed a tougher penalty on himself that the Japanese Federation did. I don't remember the details, but I think the Federation held him out of several events, but Nobunari himself decided to forego the whole season as a further penance.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Mathman is correct.
JSF imposed a penalty, something like 3 months refrainment to Nobu, but they also offered Nobu chances to compete at the Regionals and the Nats in Deceember if he wanted.

However, what made me upset back then is I felt JSF did not back him up fully enough, owing to JSF's own big scandal of the illegal usage of fund the previous year.

It looked to me they did it for their own sake, rather than encouraging Nobu to think positively about competing again and helping his comeback easier; which is if Nobu could not make the team for the Worlds that season, they had to rely on Dai and Taka only, so that Japan might lose their third spot, they feared.
 

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
I am still rooting for Oda to win a Worlds medal.

Daisuke has Oda's math blunders to thank for some of his gold medals.
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
I am still rooting for Oda to win a Worlds medal.

Daisuke has Oda's math blunders to thank for some of his gold medals.

Takahashi is hardly the only one who has benefited from Oda's Zayakking habit as he has done in international competitions also.

Oda losing 2010 Skate America to Takahashi in which Oda Zayakked was not as controversial as him losing 2010 Skate Canada to Chan, who fell four times in total.
 
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Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
SkateFiguring said:
Daisuke has Oda's math blunders to thank for some of his gold medals.

What a nice way of being begrudging towards a skater - completly unneeded :rolleye:


I don't like saying that, but I don't think Oda has good chances of coming back either... by now, Japans No. 1 is Takahashi, hands down.
Kozuka is a pretty tough case for me... he passed Takahashi last year, but couldn't hold up to it this season. I'm just missing the fire about him, he doesn't seem like a real fighter (at least to me), and so I'm just not expecting him to become a real champion. I don't mind him proving me wrong - but even if he'd become Japans best again, I don't think it would be for longer than one season...
And Hanyu's development has been pretty crazy. He's got all the talent in the world, great jumps, spins, nice speed and flow, musicality... he's still not at Takahashis ranks, but if I look at how much he's grown from last year, I wouldn't even be suprised if he kicked everyone's butt (except for Chan's) already next year. If injury-free, I at least expect him to be a contender come Sochi.

And Japan still has Machida and Mura... I still think the limitation down to 3 skaters per country sucks - for Oda too, I just can't see him passing Takahashi, Kozuka or Hanyu.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Takahashi has reclaimed the title I think this year. I agree Oda though good has a tough climb. Add to his pressures that he has a family to look after it is a lot. We don't want to write him off though. You never know but Japan has such a wealth of wonderful all around skaters. It will be interesting if Dai wins WGM and will he retire - this is the big year for skaters in respect to retirements.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Daisuke is the seasoned, matured, brilliantly realized skater who's at his peak. He's da man, the art in men's figure skating. Daisuke has the warm comforting guardian fire, that warms and soothes, with controlled bursts of brilliance that simply delights and thrills. He controls the blue fire like a magician and a stuntman with imagination and craft. His Japanese Nationals was white hot, crazy amazing in the best way possible.

Hanyu is the future. Exciting, fresh, and full of potentials to be realized, hopefully by Sochi. He has already incredible artistry for his age, a deep appreciation and respect towards putting out technically challenging programs that are worthy of championships. He is certainly not the one to take it easy and rely on strategy or taking advantage of rules, or taking granted of reputation this year. He has desire to do it all. A quietly burning passionate young man, with his own sort of white fire and desire to do well. Great work ethics with infectious goodness to bravely race towards to the skating gods Parthenon, he is full of infinite possibilities! And I really want him to fully realize his potentials in the future with no injuries and health problems because these are the only things that can stop him rise to the top.

At the beginning of the year, many seemed to have had Artur = Hanyu much to my amusement (I basically thought they are barmy mad), may be due the scores/result had them closer than they should. The two are certainly no way on the same level. Hanyu is way ahead imo but did not have the momentum (newbie on the scene), the reputation building and the full backing from Japan at the time who has their own ranked skater to push for.

I have to say, I have never been really a fan of Kozuka. As amazed as I am at times by his technical wizardry, he ruined my favourite piece of OST for Nausicaä vally of the wind, which takes incredible achievement given it is one of the most haunting and lyrical piece of music around. Hisaishi even created a beautiful modernized version of the music just for him, yet Kozuka failed to make the connection from his 1st performance at Japan Open till the most recent. How can you skate to something you picked yourself, been bespoke for you and still fail to make the emotional connection to make it fly. It says alot about his deficiency as a musical skater, interpreter and in particular his lack of rhythm. His work has always been emotionally cold and detached for me to fully appreciate his performance. Which is odd, because I really enjoyed his Gala at last worlds championship where he was clearly let loose and enjoyed himself.

Oda... not my cuppa of tea, can't do maths, is he Asian?
 
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mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Takahashi has reclaimed the title I think this year. I agree Oda though good has a tough climb. Add to his pressures that he has a family to look after it is a lot. We don't want to write him off though. You never know but Japan has such a wealth of wonderful all around skaters. It will be interesting if Dai wins WGM and will he retire - this is the big year for skaters in respect to retirements.

Takahashi will not retire after this season even if he wins WGM this month. This is just the first season of his three season project aiming for Sochi. That's why he had his screw in knee removed last summer and started late this season, and went to France to re-work on his basic skating skills. He was not looking for short term results this season.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Takahashi will not retire after this season even if he wins WGM this month. This is just the first season of his three season project aiming for Sochi. That's why he had his screw in knee removed last summer and started late this season, and went to France to re-work on his basic skating skills. He was not looking for short term results this season.

Good! Then he'll be staying around for at least the next two years. What a treat to contemplate!


Os168, of course I love your description of Daisuke.
 
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Bluebonnet

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Dai will probably place highest at this years worlds, but I sort of feel like he skating at his upper limit technically. Also I think he should lose 1/2 a point everytime he slides his hand along his cheek and then rolls his head.

I think Takahashi is in his upper limit both technically and artistically. In other words, he has regained all his technical abilities which he had had before his injury. His artistry, though very full and proper in the themes he is portraying, has rather narraw limitation in range. He needs to skate his very best against the technically best in the world.

Hanyu seems ready to break out and he's at the age where he starts adding bulk instead of height. He should get stronger and with better endurance soon. I think he has a complete package of technique and presentation

I agree on this too. I think Hanyu has the best technical abilities among all Japanese skaters. We haven't seen his peak yet. He needs a bit mileage on everything. He could probably dominate Japan as eary as next season.

Oda seems done to me
Technically, I don't think Oda could do any better than before. But I hope he won't be done just now. He ought to have something before he leave this competitive ice, or it won't be right.

Mura I like a lot but haven't seen enough to understand his current trajectory

Machida is all about the jumps, don't care his programs usually, seems he'll be a 3 to 6 ranked skater usually, though we've seen skaters break out of that rut before

Are you sure the names are correct? I thought it was the opposit. I thought Mura is like a jumping bean, but Machida has a lot flare and quite artistic and also good at jumps.

I thought Takahiko was starting it (to surpass, I mean) last season, by crashing Dai at the Nationals and got the silver at Worlds, but somehow has failed to keep on doing it this season.

I thought that too last season. I guess his huge ambition in the beginning of this season has hurt his confidence greatly when it went wrong the first time at SA. Don't know if this is his technical upper limit?
 

treeloving

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I think Takahashi is in his upper limit both technically and artistically. In other words, he has regained all his technical abilities which he had had before his injury. His artistry, though very full and proper in the themes he is portraying, has rather narraw limitation in range. He needs to skate his very best against the technically best in the world.

I don't know if I get your meaning correctly; but I disagree with limitation in Daisuke artistic size. Look at his programs from recent previous season; in three years, he skate to blue, tango, Latin, New Age, Movie Soundtrack, lyrical. And all of them have different feeling. I wouldn't say that Daisuke has a narrow range of artistry at all.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
I don't know if I get your meaning correctly; but I disagree with limitation in Daisuke artistic size. Look at his programs from recent previous season; in three years, he skate to blue, tango, Latin, New Age, Movie Soundtrack, lyrical. And all of them have different feeling. I wouldn't say that Daisuke has a narrow range of artistry at all.

I totally agree with you. IMO Dai's artistic capabilities are not limited at all.
 
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