Can someone refresh my memory on how academies vs. schools vs. sponsors work with Japanese skaters? I was looking through some ISU bios and got myself confused again.
For example, Ami Nakai and Rinka Watanabe both train at MF Academy. While both list the MF Academy coaches in their ISU bios, neither skater specifically mentions MF Academy. Is there any reason why?
Rinka attends Hosei University, which she mentions in her ISU bio. I believe Ami attends Ichikawa High School, but she doesn't mention it or any other school in her ISU bio. Is there any reason why? (Also, why is it that Japanese skaters are somewhat unique in advertising their school affiliations? You don't see this with skaters from most other countries.)
Rinka mentions SanwaKenso, which I believe is a solar company, in her ISU bio. Ami mentions Tokyo Inkarami, which I believe is a haircare company, in her ISU bio. I assume these are sponsors? Is it common for skaters at the same academy to have different sponsors?
Also, not relevant to Ami and Rinka, but with the Kinoshita skaters, why is it that some skaters mention affiliation with Kinoshita Academy, while others mention affiliation with Kinoshita Group? It seems like it's the younger and/or less established skaters who are more likely to do the former, and the older and/or more established skaters who are more likely to do the latter.
Someone more knowledgeable than me should correct this later, but to my understanding the "Club" listed in the ISU bio is usually the place where the skaters:
- "work at" , if it's a company
- "study at" , if it's an university / school
- "skate at" , if it's a skating club.
When a skater is contracted by a company as their affiliated athlete, they put the company as their "place of work" in their bio, and the company creates a "skating club" in their organization structure where the skaters belong to.
When a skater doesn't have a contract with a company as their affiliated athlete, they put their university as their "place of study" and the university usually has a skating club where they are a member of.
When a skater has graduated (no more school) and no contract with a company, they put the skating club where they "skate at" and is a member of in their affiliation, like MF Academy and Kinoshita Academy. Kinoshita Academy specifically seems to have a different arrangement with their skaters who are still in school / university, they tend to put Kinoshita Academy instead of the school / university they are studying at.
For example, the MF Academy students Club / affiliations:
Ami Nakai: Tokio Inkarami
Ami has an active affiliation contract with Tokio Inkarami, and so, belong to Tokio Inkarami's skating club launched in 2023 (currently alongside Rio Nakata).
Rinka Watanabe: SanwaKenso / Hosei University
Rinka likely has an active affiliation contract with SanwaKenso, and still studies at Hosei University and belongs to their university skating club. Rinka was reported to be 1 of the skaters with Ami and Rio to belong in Tokio Inkarami's skating club launched in 2023 back then, but I assume her contract was not renewed hence the new affiliation + university.
Yuna Aoki: MF Academy
Yuna has graduated from her university (Nihon University) in 2024 so she's not listing that as affiliation. No affiliation contract with any company, so her affiliation is her actual skating club: MF Academy.
Rio Nakata: Tokio Inkarami
Rio has an active affiliation contract with Tokio Inkarami, and so, belong to Tokio Inkarami's skating club launched in 2023 (currently alongside Ami Nakai).
Other companies that has skating clubs and active affiliation contracts with active Japanese skaters:
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OrientalBio: Yuma Kagiyama, Kao Miura, Rio Sumiyoshi (previously Azusa Tanaka/Shingo Nishiyama)
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Sysmex: Kaori Sakamoto, Mai Mihara, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Saki Miyake
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Kinoshita Group: Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara, Mao Shimada, Mone Chiba, Koshiro Shimada (previously Satoko Miyahara)
*note: Kinoshita Group is the Company (and its group companies), while Kinoshita Academy is the skating club. Only select few in the academy are contracted by Kinoshita Group.
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NOEVIR: Wakaba Higuchi
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Aim Services: Shun Sato
- Daichi Juuken Group: Kazuki Tomono
- MIXI: Sota Yamamoto
And of course you know ANA and Toyota, back when Yuzuru and Shoma are still competing. There was a case like Mao Asada, where she was said to have so many sponsor companies, that she chose to affiliate herself with her almamater Chukyo University at the end of her competitive career, instead of choosing just one company to be her affiliation.
There are also companies who officially "sponsor" the skaters but it's not where the skaters work at, like Colantotte (that magnetic necklace company). Clothing companies also tend to engage with skaters on a sponsorship basis, such as adidas, Mizuno, Puma, Under Armour.
