Kazuki Tomono | Page 250 | Golden Skate

Kazuki Tomono







kazuki tomono updates 🍛

@daily_kazuki
·
1h

Kazuki's updated calendar:- Curry handover event 25 Aug
🍛
- All Osaka II championships 31 Aug-1 Sep
🏯
- One Piece on Ice 7-8 Sep
☠️
- Kinki regionals 26-29 Sep
💪
- Hyoen talk show 18 Oct
🌌
- GP France 1-3 Nov
🇫🇷
- Finlandia Trophy 15-17 Nov
🇫🇮
 
Guys, I stumbled upon this today, and thought I want something like this to be Kazuki's Olympic season program. This is exactly the laid-back style I'd say makes him shine:

Oh wow, that is the type of music he excels at! I agree, it would be amazing!

Has Kazuki confirmed he's competing at Kinki? Because that would perhaps rule out Nebelhorn for him.
Considering that he competed in both Kinoshita and Summer Cup in the depths of August just a few weeks after his programmes were choreographed; and he's also competing at All Osaka II a week before One Piece on Ice, and also considering he's well used to having an absolutely insane schedule overall, I think doing both Nebelhorn and Kinki should be a walk in the park for him 😂

His philosophy this season seems to be to compete as much as he can, so I don't see him turning down on Nebelhorn if there is a possibility... Especially if he gets to go with BFF Sota 😊
 
Today the 'Public recording and curry handover' event took place at FM Osaka, with about 70 fans present. The programme lasts 30 minutes but the talk lasted for 1h, which means the programme is recorded and then edited, rather than being live.

Shota Shimono posed next to Daiichi Juke's Kazuki support banner:


A fan wrote:
I enjoyed the open recording very much!
The warmth in Shimono-san's eyes looking straight at Tomono-kun: ☺️
The part where Tomono-kun, who was smiling all the time and was perfectly ad-libbed and resourceful, changed his eyes to a sharp and powerful look when the topic of competition came up 🌟.
His body language and the way he tilted his head were also full of Tomono-kun's character.


More fan pictures:
 
Turns out Kurasawa-san attended yesterday's event:

Kazuki Tomono: ‘My first goal this season is to make the GP Final’ - radio recording.
Kazuki Tomono (Uenoshiba Skating Club), a men's figure skater who writes a regular column in the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper entitled ‘Honestly, Smile, Happily’, appeared in a public recording of FM Osaka's special radio programme ‘Curry Naru Step’ on 25 August. He spoke about his daily routine and goals for this season in front of the gathered fans.

The programme was organised to celebrate the release of a retort curry supervised by Tomono on 20 August and broadcast five times in August. The final episode, scheduled to be broadcast at 7.30pm on 30 August, was recorded on this day.

The Kinoshita Trophy (3 and 4 August) was the first real competition of the season for Tomono, who won the Summer Cup (10-13 August) the following week. However, he made some mistakes and scored a total of 213.09 points, ‘It was not a good score. He also reflected on his jumps, saying, 'I need to fix my jumps'. Looking ahead to the season, he added: ‘I want to be a winner. It will be important from the first round of the Grand Prix (GP) series (in France). First of all, I want to work hard this season with the GP Final as my goal’, he said, looking ahead to the big stage, which will be his first if he advances.

After the open recording, he handed out curry directly to his fans.


Some of you might seen already the Nebelhorn entries, and Kazuki is not there. I can't imagine this is by choice... 🙃
 
Last edited:
I'm really disappointed Kazuki's not going to Nebelhorn. Not as much because I wanted to see him there as because it has a gala, and Nepela doesn't. Kazuki's galas are a rare treat, what are JSF thinking not assigning him to as many gala opportunities as possible? 🤷‍♀️

But Kirara, I'm not sure what your plans are, but Nepela and the city transport used to be very cheap (I was there 7 years ago, and I doubt it's changed much). If Kazuki gets sent there (and I'll be astonished and *furious* if he doesn't as both Tatsuya and Nozomu got sent), it's probably going to be more affordable than Finlandia. Just saying, not really trying to convince you one way or another. You'll do what fits your schedule and options the most. 🍀 *If* he goes to Slovakia, I'll do my best to be there. After the Nebelhorn expenses, it's clear as daylight to me I can't do Finlandia, but I might be able to squeak out Slovakia because I really really want to see Kazuki and tell him how much I admire his skating, and have put it off for far too long 🤞
 
It is, but I refuse to give up hope. He's also the only remaining skater who has a GP and was in Nationals top 6, but doesn't have a Challenger yet. I thought they were planning to send Koshiro, too, but now I read he's recovering from injury, plus it's too close to his US GP, so Kazuki is literally the only top boy they can send to Nepela. It ends 5 days before GP France, and is in the same time zone, just about two hours away by plane. Fingers crossed...
 
I gotta say, I am upset about Kazuki not doing Nebelhorn. For me, this would be the Challenger that would make most sense - yes it'd be tough to compete two weeks after OPOI and a week after Kinki, but at least if he's tired at Kinki and underperforms, it shouldn't get in the way of his qualification for Nationals. Whereas if he does Nepela just before France, there's a risk he'd be tired and underperforms at France which means no GP Final which he said it's his first objective of the season.

Besides, I got a strong feeling JSF deliberately left him out of the Challengers as yet another way to show he is not part of their ✨strategy✨

So we shall see. It sucks that the distribution of Challengers is so awkward this year, and it sucks even more that JSF is so bloody stupid 😩

An interesting article was published yesterday about why so many Japanese skaters decided to work with Lori this season, and they interviewed Kazuki, Rinka Watanabe, Mone Chiba, Hana Yoshida and Mao Shimada. Kazuki's bit:

At 26, he is the oldest active male competitor. He is a veteran of the World Championships, but surprisingly this season is the first time he has tag-teamed with Lori. Until now, ‘I didn't have the confidence to simply ask her’, the master choreographer who has teamed up with many famous skaters, including Ms Asada, to create difficult programmes.

But now, he is proud that ‘I have developed my own skating, and if I perform well, I can get good scores’. With a full heart, he visited ‘the choreographer of his dreams, the choreographer he had wanted to work with one day’.

What he particularly wanted to learn was ‘the original way of skating’. Unique exercises such as ‘compulsory’, in which he slides out on one foot on the ice and draws shapes, are one of Ms Lori's specialities. It led to the creation of beautiful skating, which Ms Asada also performed during her working days. He thought, ‘There must be something to connect to me’. It was with this feeling that he worked on the choreography.

 
The free skate he was given was an arrangement of three pieces of music, three different acts performed in four minutes, as if to project various expressions on the ice. If I can overcome this, it will definitely lead me to the Olympics’.

At the end of the interview, Tomono spoke sincerely and we will never forget what he said. ‘I'm glad I went to Lori because it was one of the best things in my life’. We look forward to his breakthrough this season as he tackles a difficult programme that will bring out his limits and new charms.

At first, Tomono thought ‘I've done it’ when so many athletes skated Lori's work this season. On the other hand, as it is the pre-season for the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, ‘I think everyone is the same. They want to learn.’ It is too late for the 25-26 season, when the Olympics will be held, so the athletes aiming for the Olympics must have passed through Lori's door in order to improve their expressive and artistic skills in the 24-25 season.

Of these, Tomono says: ‘Even the same choreographer can bring out your personality. I feel that I've grown in the way that I've been able to bring out the best in the choreography. There are some choreographies that are really like Lori, and I feel like I've grown in the way I've been able to bring that out’.


The article also has great pics of Kazuki, which inspired this super cute clip by Paoz:

 
Couple of updates from yesterday:


Kazuki's latest Mainichi column was published yesterday, ending their 'my memorable programmes' series. As usual, it's a paid article, but he talks about La La Land ☀️


Today, Asahi Winter published another interview (or, rather, it seems they are publishing separate parts of the same interview: https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASS8W2410S8WUTQP01NM.html?ptoken=01J6BQ8M92PZVDQ1PD7F1MH1QW

What was "Machida-kun" doing 10 years ago? Tomono Kazuki's memories that keep hope alive
Even during the off-season, top figure skaters keep busy with ice shows and training camps.

We asked Tomono Kazuki (26) of Uenoshiba Skating Club about how he spends his time off.

The conversation turned to the influence of Takahashi Daisuke (38), with whom he performed together in an ice show, and Machida Tatsuki (34), with whom he trained at the same skating rink.

--What kind of training do you do during your off-season?

I use the time between various training camps and ice shows to improve my level for the next year. It's more like detailed work that can't be done during the season. For example, I practice a lot on things like my jumping habits and my weaknesses. To put it simply, the way I train during my off-season is to do an awful lot of 'basics training.'

--What about your jumping habits?

I think I have a good amount of physical reaction, reflexes, and explosive power. But I still lack stability in my feet. I'm mainly practicing to improve the shaking of my feet when I jump.

If you place each foot properly, you can transmit the power of your body without shaking. If your feet are stable, your body will have more room, so I think you'll be able to jump quadruple jumps with more control.

--At the practice that we observed before the interview, you were giving advice to younger players while also practicing your own.

I just teach because I like it (laughs). When I put things into words, I discover something new, so it's a big benefit for me. I sometimes realize, 'Oh, I forgot about this,'. I think that by properly understanding the things you do unconsciously, you can add depth to your skills.

--For example, is there anything you've noticed during this off-season?

I mentioned earlier that my feet were shaky, and I discovered something about that during the off-season. There's a really basic exercise called compulsories (skating by drawing precise shapes on the ice). Because it's so simple, if you're not on the skates properly, your feet will be shaky. If your base is solid, your power will be transmitted properly."

Until now, I've been focusing on things like jump height and rotational power when I practice, but I realized that I still hadn't mastered the basics.

--You placed sixth at last year's All Japan Championships. Have you calculated how many quadruple jumps you're missing as you're working on your jumps?

Rather than the number, I think it's all about quality and accuracy. First of all, I need to hone what I can do now at a high level. After all, (Kagiyama) Yuma also put up such high scores with that kind of fighting style. If I do include one more, I hope I can include a quadruple loop or something like that.

--This off-season you also performed together in an ice show with Takahashi Daisuke.

My generation watched the Turin Olympics (in 2006) and the Vancouver Olympics (in 2010), so naturally he was one of our idols. I've been involved in more shows recently, and he seems even cooler. I've been thinking more and more, 'I want to be a skater like him.' He has such a great personality, and is loved by everyone. I think the way he shows off his back when he's skating is incredibly cool.

-- Takahashi-san has been an active skater for a long time. Has he influenced you in any way?

Of course. But Dai-chan is a world champion, and I think he made that choice (to return to ice dancing) because he has achieved so much.

I haven't reached the top in singles. So I think it's best to pursue what I have and what I'm aiming for while I'm still active. Dai-chan also told me, 'Just do your best with what's in front of you.' I really think he's right.

--I've heard that you also admire Machida Tatsuki.

As for Machida, we practiced together for a long time, and I saw him change the most during the season when he made the biggest leap. When he went to the Olympics (in Sochi in 2014), it was like a giant killing. Seeing Machida do that made me feel like I could do it too.

Machida's performances and the efforts that I remember always motivate me. I think that's one of the reasons why I can keep on working hard and not give up hope.

--What kind of changes did you notice in Machida during the Olympic season?

My impression was that he was calmly doing what he had to do, one by one. Really calmly. He started with the compulsory in the morning. From there, I think he probably skated in the afternoon and at night. It was really clear that he was putting his life on the line.

When Machida was active, especially towards the end, he was a man of his word, and I think he made it a point to first speak of big goals and then work towards them. I think that became a habit for me, and I learned it from watching Machida. There's no doubt that Machida has influenced my approach to competition.

--Were there any words of wisdom that he gave you around that time?

I was still a junior and wasn't really thinking about skating seriously, so I just watched him blankly, thinking, 'Wow, that's amazing.' Of course he gave me advice and words of wisdom during practice, but I think what influenced me the most was his actions and the way he approached skating.

--What was the atmosphere like during practice?

Really focused. I have the image that he is concentrating on himself.

--Do you feel like he doesn't talk to you much?

It depends on the time and the situation. Sometimes he talks to me.

Dai-chan also has amazing concentration. I competed with him towards the end when he returned to active competition, and I thought it was amazing how he was so focused on himself, not interested in what was going on around him. I could sense that he had put a lot of effort into it. When I'm doing well, I'm also completely focused on myself, and I think that's the ultimate goal.

--Do you feel that you haven't reached the level of your two seniors yet and are able to stay in a focused state all the time?

There have been quite a few matches recently where I've been able to see that, and I think I've become able to show it through a lot of matches.

But what happens when it's a big match? What happens when there's a medal on the line? What I need to do to achieve that is to set high goals and continue practicing at a high level. I think I need to keep working at it. (Written by Uchida Kai)
 
Last edited:
I gotta say, I am upset about Kazuki not doing Nebelhorn. For me, this would be the Challenger that would make most sense - yes it'd be tough to compete two weeks after OPOI and a week after Kinki, but at least if he's tired at Kinki and underperforms, it shouldn't get in the way of his qualification for Nationals. Whereas if he does Nepela just before France, there's a risk he'd be tired and underperforms at France which means no GP Final which he said it's his first objective of the season.

Besides, I got a strong feeling JSF deliberately left him out of the Challengers as yet another way to show he is not part of their ✨strategy✨

I would also have preferred for Kazuki and Sota to travel together to Nebelhorn. If Sota doesn't show up for any scheduled morning practice, now I'll know he'd overslept because Kazuki wasn't there to wake him up on time ;) (for those raising their eyebrows at this, Sota does have a tendency to oversleep, and his fans joke about it; when Kazuki is around, he wakes him up at times)

Okay, joking aside, a Nepela assignment may not be so bad for Kazuki, @KiraraChin . Consider this: the later in the season, the better for Kazuki, generally. His October results should therefore surpass his September ones. And also, remember his fantastic result at 2018 WC? That was a mere week after his Coupe du Printemps assignment. It could be similar here - Kazuki using Nepela as a warmup, and subsequently rising to the occasion when it matters. Fingers crossed for him, and I hope to see him listed for Nepela! (the deadline's Sept 27... that's a long wait, if JSF acts all mysterious like they did with Nebelhorn -_- )
 
@surimi you make good points re: Nepela! I'm still a bit sceptical he'll get an assignment but we shall see. I really can't understand why JSF hasn't released a list of assignments in advance, like they did in previous years.

Not Kazuki turning up at Daiichi Juken Group's corporate summer party yesterday 😂



Meanwhile, the company that produced the Tomono curry spoons, Yamazaki Metal Industry Corporation (YAMACO) posted about it on their Facebook and Instagram:
I had a look into their website and their stuff seems super nice (and expensive 🤑), it was a good choice by Daiichi Juken to partner with them!
 
Last edited:
Kazuki warmed everyone's hearts yesterday but retweeting an announcement of Kao getting a new sponsor (PepperLunch). Such a sweet gesture, and PepperLunch's reaction was pretty cute:
If I'm not mistaken, Tomono-san is RPing...!? (fainting)


Meanwhile, non-no announced they are publishing another One Piece on Ice article today, and Paoz posted this gorgeous illustration based on non-no OPOI practice report:
 
LOTS of content to post today, so I will split it into two posts.

First, let's talk about One Piece on Ice! Non-no's interview with Kazuki, Kohei Yoshino and Seiya Hashimoto about Koza, Pell and Chaka was a treat for me especially because ever since I first read the Alabasta arc many moons ago, I absolutely love these characters :love2:
They also talk a bit about the new finale, in which Kazuki appears so much that even Shoma was jealous hheudjdfjefir


Check out this cute illustration *fangirling*


Also, it was announced yesterday that there will be a livestream of OPOI (+archive) and it's also available internationally: https://one-piece.com/news/68424/index.html

It's crazy for me to see Kazuki's name listed just after Shoma's on the OPOI official materials... That, and the extra time in the finale, really show how much his profile has risen over the past year - despite, or perhaps, because of JSF's sabotage...
 
Now, let's talk about TOMONO curry 🍛
Both Kazuki and Shota Shimono tweeted about how they were sad that the Curry Naru Step show was ending. Shimono-san said that he was 'in a state of kiss and cry' 😂

It's really amazing to see how much Shimono-san seems to like Kazuki after working together for just a few weeks. It's also cute that Kurasawa-san re-tweeted Shimono's tweets - from one media man 'in love' with Kazuki to another lol




Speaking of Kurosawa-san, yesterday he and Haga-san did the Bluepost podcast and they spoke about the curry handover event on Sunday:

They also held an 'opening ceremony' for their own curry and here are the impressions:

Kurosawa: These are the cards that came out at the Tomono Curry opening ceremony. I found out that if you add too much of the included spices, it will be extremely spicy lol Personally, I like about half sweetness and spiciness

Haga: I had it. I'm not a fan of very spicy so I went with the no extra spice version. It was delicious! I was so impressed with this curry from the Tomono family. Thank you very much!

The craziest thing of it all is that Daiichi Juken confirmed they had manufactured six times the amount of curry Kazuki thought they should make. SIX TIMES! and still, it sold out in ten minutes... 🤯
 
Back
Top