2024-25 Japanese Women's Figure Skating

[RafaelAstro]

I seriously worried about Mai, didn't look good at all, her program feel rushed for now, she had problems with her jumps and spins, even attempt a salchow combination, rare from her. I like her music selection thou

 

[FlossieH]

Not sure about Kaori's programme at the moment, but I remember being equally unconvinced early on last season.

I'm normally a bit 'meh' about moonlight sonata because it is so overdone, but Rinka has managed a bit of an original take on it.

Really like Hanna's programme. It has originality and character.

Mona's programme suits her. Think she'll be able to pull that programme off in a way which some others couldn't.

Mai's programme fits her lyrical style. It's kind of merging into her previous programmes, though, rather than standing out from them.

Ikura Koshida's programme will need to be clean for it to work. There's a lot going on in the choreography, which means it could easily end up looking quite messy and laboured. When/if she gets everything, it will be amazing.

Rena Uezono is getting dwarfed by her music. There needs to be a more powerful emotional engagement with the music for it to work. Perhaps that will come later, once the season gets going.

Mao Shimada wasn't as 'effortless' as normal. She has plenty of time before the JGP starts, though.

 

[rabidline]

I think Kaori's program has a lot of choreography. Now whether that choreography is good or well-executed is another matter. There is a lot of arm flailing right now, but I think she's due for a tango competitive program and it's a good vehicle for her to continue widen her range and polishing her presentation. No notes on the packaging- she looks like a million bucks and no women comes close to her star power right now.

Mone's program is pleasant. It seems to be a lot less stressful than her SP last season, which I like. She deserves a less stressful season.

This is probably the most engaged I have ever seen Mai throughout an entire program, since Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. She barely dropped her performance even when setting up her jumps, which used to be so noticeable and always takes me out of her programs. She is not reinventing her image at all with this music, but maybe she doesn't need to. Jumps look terrible, I assume she is still on the road of recovery after her injury last season. Hopefully that doesn't get worse.

They butchered the f*ck out of the third movement of Moonlight Sonata in Rinka's SP that I barely recognize it, which is saying something since everyone and their mothers skate to Moonlight Sonata. I do like this choice for Rinka, she is also due for a completely classic, elegant warhorse. The first half is a good vehicle for her to continue widen her range... the second half I will reserve judgement on. Love the backspiral entry flowing right into the spin. Her SS is the weakest out of the top Japanese women, a training camp for basic skating would do her good.

 

[apgold]

Mao Shimada (Jr.)
SP: Defying Gravity (Iide Menzel)

Adele Dezeem? Lol. I think you mean Idina Menzel. I actually like this choice for Mao, better than the Lady Gaga from last season.

 

[cohkaix]

Adele Dezeem? Lol. I think you mean Idina Menzel. I actually like this choice for Mao, better than the Lady Gaga from last season.

Typo? Correction made in the original post.

 

[soccerjc77]

Really like the SP of Mone Chiba, it was my favorite program of the DOI. It suit her very well !

 

[cohkaix]

The annual summer training camp for JPN skaters (participants of GP/JGP) is on-going at the moment starts today. Actually, for this camp, it's open to the public via the 'hometown tax' plan by the Japanese government (basically, local residents pay for certain amount of fee to participate in events/buy local products to get tax deduction for the next year). So there should be some reports about the camp later on, and of course for the media coverage.

 

[cohkaix]

This is not about current competitive skaters, but former Japanese figure skater, Haruka Imai, announced her marriage with former Japanese FS skater, Shu Nakamura on Jul. 7th. The couple made the announcement on their social media accounts:

Haruka
Shu

They skated together recently in Mao Asada's ice show tours. Haruka has skated in all three of Mao's tours (Thanks tour, Beyond tour, and the recent Everlasting33). Shu joined Mao's tours starting from the Beyond tour. That's how they got to know each other.

And I've seen the couple skating live recently in Mao's Everlasting33. It happened that they skated to Romeo and Juliet, and it was a perfect match .

Congratulations to Haruka and Shu.

 

[RafaelAstro]

Mao Shimada and Ikura Kushida are scheduled to compete at first junior grand prix in Riga Latvia, it appears we are gonna see Rena Uezono, Ami Nakai, Kaoruko Wada, Yo Takagi, Riria Kono and Mei Okada at jgp this season as they appear as substitutes, no Ayumi Shibayama sadly

 

[lileychristie]

Mao Shimada and Ikura Kushida are scheduled to compete at first junior grand prix in Riga Latvia, it appears we are gonna see Rena Uezono, Ami Nakai, Kaoruko Wada, Yo Takagi, Riria Kono and Mei Okada at jgp this season as they appear as substitutes, no Ayumi Shibayama sadly

Not sure if you saw the news, but Ayumi has teamed up with Tomoki Kimura for ice dance - so maybe they'll enter JGP in ID instead?

The instagram post did indicate that Ayumi is doing both singles & ID this season. But maybe she's doing singles domestically and not the JGP - which makes sense I think. No need to put international comp pressure while switching discipline, while also opening up a space for another junior more focused on singles

 

[cohkaix]

Not sure if you saw the news, but Ayumi has teamed up with Tomoki Kimura for ice dance - so maybe they'll enter JGP in ID instead?

The instagram post did indicate that Ayumi is doing both singles & ID this season. But maybe she's doing singles domestically and not the JGP - which makes sense I think. No need to put international comp pressure while switching discipline, while also opening up a space for another junior more focused on singles

I made the post re. Ayumi's switching to ID in the discussion of Japanese pair & ID. Although in IG the post indicated that Ayumi is doing both single & ID this season, so far she's not entering either Kinoshita Trophy, nor Gensan's Summer Cup for the local summer competitions. Hence most likely she's concentrating on ID at the moment. For her single skating, I guess we'll have to wait and see if she enters regional competitions when the season starts.

As for her & Tomoki's ID, I think it may be too early to tell. After all, neither of them has the ID experience before (though in good hand and training environment, working at Kinoshita Academy...assuming their coach will be Cathy?). And if anyone's interested in Ayumi's progress with ID, she and Tomoki will perform in the Kinoshita Trophy: not officially in competition (there's no ID category), but for an EX by the end of the whole competition.

 

[RafaelAstro]

Oh I didn't know, I will miss her single skating at jgp , I don't follow a lot ice dance but I wish her the best for her career

 

[RatedPG]

Mao Shimada and Ikura Kushida are scheduled to compete at first junior grand prix in Riga Latvia, it appears we are gonna see Rena Uezono, Ami Nakai, Kaoruko Wada, Yo Takagi, Riria Kono and Mei Okada at jgp this season as they appear as substitutes, no Ayumi Shibayama sadly

Good list. I think those are the top 8. Doesn’t usually one of the top 8 get nothing? Wasn’t Wada on list and got nothing last season.
No Haruna this season

 

[RafaelAstro]

Good list. I think those are the top 8. Doesn’t usually one of the top 8 get nothing? Wasn’t Wada on list and got nothing last season.
No Haruna this season

Actually Kaoruko withdraw last season of her junior grand prix, she got just one thou

No Haruna Murakami, Ayumi Nakao, Kei Yamada, Yurina Okuno, Mayuko Oka, wow there are so many great junior ladies this season but only the best will have the chance to compete internationally

 

[cohkaix]

Actually Kaoruko withdraw last season of her junior grand prix, she got just one thou

No Haruna Murakami, Ayumi Nakao, Kei Yamada, Yurina Okuno, Mayuko Oka, wow there are so many great junior ladies this season but only the best will have the chance to compete internationally

Yurina Okuno is moving up to the Sr. level, I think. She's in the Sr. women's category in Gensan's summer cup.

 

[RafaelAstro]

Rena Uezono and Kaoruko Wada will compete at jgp Ostrava

 

[RafaelAstro]

Mei Okada and Yo Takagi will be at jgp Thailand

 

[rabidline]

Yuna Aoki looked strong at Gensan Summer Cup both in terms of jump content and early season programs presentation, fingers crossed that she stays healthy and does well at NHK Trophy selection- this should be at the end of September, right? The SP - Adios Nonino, is currently my favorite new SP of the season. Just so neat and calm throughout, the right amount of attack.

Rino's new FS from Lori Nichol suits her very well. Her physical conditioning still makes me nervous, the first half of the program looks so smooth but once she fell, it really fell apart jump-wise for her. I'm ok with her returning to her previous SP, but it is a bit funny that both Yamada students have Moulin Rouge SP but very different vibes, lol.

Mana seems... to look put together, for the most part? Both programs don't seem to be too groundbreaking, but last season she had a really discouraging and downer ending at Japanese Nationals, so seeing her fight in both programs is reassuring.

Hindi Sad Diamonds is a guilty pleasure FS music for me, so I don't mind Mako's SP at all, lol. The right kind of dynamic for her skills right now. FS is still touch and go... I think it's not easy for a previously non-National team member to have consistent physical conditioning level compared to those who are consistently in the National team, so I just hope she peaks at Nationals (again).

 

[cohkaix]

I also like Yuna's SP. Her new FS is okay....it's just like what she said in the interview that the music is in her comfort zone. But in general Yuna gets good programs from Misha.

(I thought the NHK selection was by the end of July? Couldn't locate the JSF calendar now).

I also like Rino's FS. A Lori program works well for Rino. The good news is that now Yamada students/team has a new jump coach: Soshi Tanaka. So hopefully that's going to help with Rino and Mako techinical-wise.

But I'm less sure about Mana...just about lacking of a jump coach at LYS in general.

 

[cohkaix]

Entries to the 1st CS competitions of the season, Lombardia Trophy, are announced as: https://results.isu.org/events/csita2024_Women.htm

So Kaori and Rinka will be there.

Without Japanese Open this season, hopefully the Japanese skaters will get more assignments for CS spots...