Keiji Tanaka | Page 11 | Golden Skate

Keiji Tanaka

Thank you for the explanation and Part 4! I am glad to finally hear Keiji say confidently 'I want to show who I am' instead of 'I want to change myself and show a new me'. What a relief!
Also, good luck to Keiji, although it should be an easy win for him - his regionals are in three days! ‼️💪
 
www.s-ss-s.com

『エヴァンゲリオン』 緒方恵美×田中刑事 スペシャル対談 4

季刊エス・SS公式サイトは、雑誌「季刊エス」「SS（スモールエス）」に関連する情報やコンテンツを中心とした、ストーリー＆キャラクター表現、イラストメイキング＆投稿の総合サイトです。
www.s-ss-s.com www.s-ss-s.com
Page 4, 1 of 2

Deep down I’ve been wanting to skate to the music of my choice.

--Tanaka-san, I understand you’ve left the music choice up to your choreographer so far.
K: When it comes to gala music, I’ve often picked the music as I want to skate to my favorite music, although it may be for my own self-satisfaction. On the other hand, I’ve asked my choreographer to select the music, since I wanted an objective point of view.
If I choose the music, it’s too much my style and I get comfortable right away. It’s so easy to get into it that I get tired of it. But if the music was chosen by my choreographer, it’s hard to imagine myself skating to it, so by trying to grasp what the music is about, I enjoy practice more. It’s worth working hard. By doing so I hope I will discover a new side of myself and make progress.
But, somewhere in my heart, I’ve always wanted to skate to the music I chose….
Medvedeva senshu skated to “Sailor Moon” for her gala, and I thought she beat me to it. Despite the fact that the main character is Japanese, who is in a Japanese anime, a foreign skater did it ahead of me. I felt kind of defeated. Later, I did “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.”
E: “JoJo” was good. I sound like a broken record [laughter].
K: That’s fine. I’ve been listening to “Eva” soundtracks all the time and I really like many of them. Especially after doing “JoJo” I started wanting even more to spread the attraction of anime music in the figure skating community.
Then, I listened to the soundtrack of “Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time” and I wanted to skate to it.
E: Which part?
K: The opening combat scene where Mari was fighting. It’s in the first 10 minutes of “Eva”....
E: Isn’t it too new? [laughter] They’ve only released the high definition audio version so far….
K: When I listened to that music, I was absolutely dying to skate to it. I thought “I definitely have to skate to it.”
After I listened to it, I didn’t think it was right for me to use it for a gala. I’d rather use it for a competition program to show how serious I am. What’s more, I want to do it in my competitive career.
E: Wow! You are going to do it in competition.
K: It would be meaningless, if I didn’t do it in competition. That’s my gut feeling.
Everyone: What…..!!
K: And, I already got the program put together.
Everyone: Whaaaat!!!!
K: Of course I cannot show it in public yet. I’m really determined to show it only after the movie is released.
E: We’d better hurry up and release the movie already.
K: I’m totally fine. I can wait.
In fact, when I thought about when and where, I wanted to do it in my competitive career. I would do it for no one else but myself. I happened to listen to the music while I was on the Shinkansen train, and inspiration struck me, “I’ll definitely skate to it.”
E: (to Eva staff) How about that?
[The staff was buzzing with excitement.]

- To be continued to the last part –
 
Last part:

“Eva” gave me a chance to keep challenging myself.

K: It happened in July last year. But I had already gotten a new program for that season, so I thought about doing it next season. The BGM of “Eva” made me decide to skate to that music, and now this is the season I’m ready (due to the coronavirus it is postponed to next season).
E: Thank you very much.
K: I think “Eva” gave me a chance to continue challenging myself more.

--Tanaka-san is 25-year old. This year is the 25th anniversary of “Eva” so you were born in the same year and grew up with it by odd coincidence.
E: It looks like Tanaka-san’s life was changed by “Eva.”
K: The choreography has been finished already.
But I ended up postponing the program because of the coronavirus. Even though I cannot use it this season, after one year’s hard work, it will be more polished next year. I’m thinking positively that the postponement of “Eva” gives me more time working towards perfection. I am ambitious and determined to skate to that music no matter what.
E: I’m really looking forward to seeing it.

--In the preparation meeting you also said that you had been avoiding the music of your style for competitive programs, and that’s all the more reason to try it in competition this time.
K: Another reason is trendiness. It may sound strange but in figure skating, competitive skaters, especially in competitions rather than in ice shows, get more attention. I think the Japanese Nationals held around Christmas time is the most watched competition, so I am eager to do it there. In order to do that, I have to be a competitive skater doing the competitive program.

--I suppose anime music has not been used for competitive programs……
K: Not for competition. I’ve used “Spirited Away (2016)” and “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2018)” for galas though. I’m a fan of Shiro Sagisu who composed the soundtracks to “Eva” series and I’ve wanted to skate to his music piece someday. Then, I came across the amazing piece he created, which I would absolutely love to use. It’s so fantastic.
The only thing is, that track (“11170 CH edition 0706”) has no clearly distinguishable characteristics of “Eva.” For the gala, I want to skate to “The Cruel Angel's Thesis.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6wtDPVkKqI
It is impactful and you can easily see right off the bat that it is an “Eva” song. There are some music pieces I want to use for the gala, and I want to keep them in mind but work on the competition program first. The movie ”Neon Genesis Eva” will be released and I want to skate to its soundtrack around the same time.
E: I’m so sorry it was delayed.
K: No, I can wait. No problem.

“Eva” covers a range of natural human emotions.

--You two have been given a list of questions. The question Tanaka-san found the hardest to answer was the last one, “What is the heart of an early teenage boy like?”
E: Although among us he is the closest in age to a young boy [laughter]. He is a young man, not much older than a teenage boy.
K: As soon as I saw the question, I looked it up on the net. I was trying to figure out what it is…..
E: You googled it! [laughter]
K: I googled it but I couldn’t find good answers.
In my opinion, it is “being unfettered.” Because he is honest and pure, he absorbs things easily and for better or worse, he can go in various directions. He can be easily influenced by various environments.

--He has room for growth.
K: For example, if he mingles with bad kids, he easily gets influenced. Depending on the environment he may grow up to be a great man, or go in the other direction and turn bad. I guess a middle schooler goes through a difficult stage.

** Skipping the rest of Evangelion talk
-THE END-
 
Wishing good luck to Keiji at regionals, I hope he has now recovered his jumps after the stay and home period and injury.
 
Keiji's SP at regional on Sept. 26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv84X4VqzTA
Due to the right knee injury sustained about 1 month ago, he downgraded his jump layout to avoid quads.
www.nikkansports.com

田中刑事がハプニングでバツ　ＳＰでフリー曲流れる - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ

18年ピョンチャンオリンピック（平昌五輪）五輪代表の田中刑事（25＝倉敷FSC）が、今季初戦でまさかのハプニングに見舞われた。演技が始まり、場内に流れたのはフ… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）
www.nikkansports.com www.nikkansports.com
He said that he was not straining himself and resisting the temptation to jump quads. He admitted that it was his mistake to play the wrong music at the start. The interruption of performance cost him 3 points, but he placed 1st with 66.97 and going into the FS next day.
 
I saw Keiji's program on Youtube. He can really sell them and I agree he deserves his PCS. Even his spins looked well-timed to music. I was entertained throughout the programs, and he looked like he didn't look short of energy.
But I shake my head at the judges who gave 69 points to a short program with 2A, 3S and a messed up 3-2 combination. Seriously, no matter Keiji's persuasive performance, this reeks of favoritism to me. I doubt the judges would be this lenient with most other Japanese men.
So, while I am appreciative of Keiji's performance and am no less of a fan, I think he got extremely generous scores for the technical content he put out. That said, I hope his knee gets better soon and he can skate the program to their full potential.
 
I agree, Keiji definitely benefited from 'reputation score' at regionals!
It'll be interesting to see what happens at sectionals, because the field with be a lot more competitive: Kazuki and Sota with quads, and other guys with 3A + all the triples, like Ryuju and Mitsuki. He'll need to recover his other triples + 3A if he wants to podium, I think...

On the other hand, he does seem and sound fairly injured still, so he shouldn't push himself too much otherwise he can make the injury worse and jeopardise his chances at nationals. I wish good luck to Keiji, because it's a tricky balance...
 
Keiji's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ijMHU-C2c
Music is missing most of the part.

山下真瑚が中部選手権、田中刑事が中四国九州選手権で優勝【フィギュアスケート】

フィギュアスケートの国内ブロック大会、中部選手権と中四国九州選手権が9月25日に開幕。27日に最終日を迎えた。有力選手が出場した中部選手権の女子シングルは山下真瑚（愛知県・中京大中京高校）、中四国九州選手権の男子シングルは田中刑事（倉敷FSC）が、それぞれ優勝した。
www.olympicchannel.com www.olympicchannel.com
www.nikkansports.com

田中刑事が完全Ｖ“２日連続”フリー曲を無難に滑る - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ

18年平昌オリンピック（五輪）代表の田中刑事（25＝倉敷FSC）が、フリーはアクシデントなく滑り切った。総合192・18点で優勝した。今季初戦となった前日のシ… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）
www.nikkansports.com www.nikkansports.com
Gist:
Keiji won Chubu with 192.18 overall, 125.21 for FS. Again, he didn't put in quads due to his knee injury and skated cleanish.
 
Excerpts from "Figure Skating 2020 Fanbook" sold by Amazon Japan and Amazon USA (Kindle edition available):

--Last time I interviewed you during the stay-at-home period. Later you restarted on-ice practice. How did it go?
K: At the beginning, I felt it was hard to skate and my skating was rusty. I had worked out while I self-isolated, so my muscle strength wasn’t down much, but I felt weird because my sense of gliding on the edges got a little dull, or I lost my sense of balance a bit.
--What caused you to feel that way the most?
K: Stroking. When I stroked backward I felt uncomfortable noticing how poorly my body reacted after a long period of training interruption, and I was really surprised at first.
--Have you ever felt such a feeling of misalignment regarding skating?
K: No. In the past during the off-season I used to perform in ice shows and that helped me stay in good shape. I was encouraged by the atmosphere of the shows and I got more motivated. I was psyched up and at times it helped me jump more easily. Up until the last season, I spent great off-season time every year, so I am feeling the big impact of show cancellations this year.
--How do you get your intuition back?
K: To keep practicing is the only way. I’ve restarted regular training, so I think I am slowly getting back in shape, and I am hoping to shake the rust off my intuition by on-ice practice as soon as possible
--Have you started training the 4S and 4T?
K: Yes, I have. 4T is missing though [laughter]. Rather than being gone, it got lost on its way back home.
--How good were your quads right after you resumed practice?
K: They were somewhat in disarray. In fact, I tend to stiffen up my muscles when jumping a quad, and I feel my body doesn’t move efficiently. But the way I move my body is not so bad, so I just need to get back the feel of each jump. For now I try to be patient and do the well-rounded practice paying attention to the details including skating skills and perfecting the programs.
--Now I would like to go back to the topic of jumps, at present who coaches you?
K: Currently, I am coached by (Utako) Nagamitsu sensei and (Sayaka) Yodo sensei. Since Nagamitsu sensei sees skating skills as important, besides jumps she coaches me skating from a different perspective. Various things (absence of Hayashi coach, etc.) happened, but I was able to reset myself by receiving new guidance and I am grateful to my coaches.
--I see your practice helps you keep yourself mentally fresh.
K: That’s right. She coaches me carefully and goes over my skating skills. I see this as a new opportunity to grow and I stay positive and keep practicing.
--What are your jump layouts this season?
K: Basically they are the same as last season.
--Your free has 3 quads including 4S and 4T and one of the quads is in the last half.
K: I don’t want to downgrade my layouts. I would like to keep my aim high and to raise the level of perfection by the time this season’s competition starts.
...To be continued
 
Last part

--I would like to ask you about this season’s programs. You said at the senior camp that you will keep the short “Hip Hip Chin Chin” and the free "Sherlock Holmes." When did you decide to keep them?
K: Early June. The new program was already choreographed by Kenji (Miyamoto) sensei and Massimo (Scali) was going to get me a new free program but it became impossible (due to the pandemic). In my mind last season’s short and free are one set, so I didn’t want to get only one new program at all. Considering that and also the fact that I’ve used them for only one season, I decided to improve one set of the existing programs. I want to skillfully portray different characters in these programs, one by Kenji sensei and the other by Massimo.
--This season how do you want to perform each program?
K: Since I do both programs for the second season, I want to pay more attention to details. I want to polish my skate so that I can show my improvement over last season. Both are the ones I could not bring to the last competition (due to the cancellation of the World), so I feel like I was given a second chance to perform them for one more season, and I want to play different characters very well.
--About competitions without spectators, how do you feel about performing without an audience?
K: Oh, it’s going to be really tough. I feel strongly that it’s going to be a serious matter. Especially my short is the program which shares an upbeat vibe and joys with the audience, and I myself feel uplifted by the audience response. I cannot imagine myself performing my short without their support, and I think it’s going to be a difficult situation.
K: You won’t be able to totally get into it?
K: I am absolutely sure. No matter how well my performance will be, I don’t think I’ll feel elated as much as I would when I skate with spectators. No one has experienced competing without an audience, therefore, in a way it is fair to everybody. We just have to do it and see how we compete in that situation.
--We cannot see how the situation will pan out, but what is your goal this season? In the previous interview you said that you would set your goal after the season starts. Have you come up with a goal?
K: First of all, I want to bring my physical strength and technical skills up to the satisfactory level. As I am not sure what will happen to the upcoming competitions, I stay calm mentally, but physically, I try to be always ready to switch gears up to be in good form.
--The End --
 
Thanks for your translations!
Now that Keiji mentions skating Hip Hip without an audience, I really feel for him. It's got to be hard for skaters who have picked crowd-pleasing programs. I hope the organizers of West Japan can come up with something like Skate America had, but I am not too hopeful.
I am also surprised Hayashi isn't back yet. I somehow expected him to guide Keiji privately and just stop appearing in competitions for a while, but it appears his punishment is longer-term.
 
I hope Keiji will be able to deal with performing without spectators. At the last regionals he had to restart his SP after replacing the wrong CD with the correct one, "Hip Hip Chin Chin." After the SP he said that he had been upset by his own mistake and forgotten that he was skating without an audience. Besides, at that time he skated with an injured knee and had to downgrade his jump layout by replacing his quads with triples. Therefore the lack of audience support would have been the least of his concerns. As long as he can skate as planned, he will be fine, with or without an audience.

About Hayashi's absence, since this interview with Keiji was done about two months ago, we don't know how the coaching situation is now. Hayashi is still officially listed as one of the coaches for his students, so he is supposed to be back on ice at some point, although he may not be seen in public for a while.
 
Last edited:
It's Keiji's birthday today! Happy Birthday! He turns 26, and is one of the oldest Japanese singles skaters who still compete.
I admit I have not been happy about his scores this fall, but I still like Keiji, and I hope he has a nice rest of the season, and that his knee is already better. He's been through a lot this year: He was fourth at Nats, dropping from Special funding into A funding for the first time in years. Then Covid happened, and like many others he couldn't practice - maybe that's why he got injured when he returned to the ice; he's not the youngest after all. Then he lost all shows and as a result, probably a lot of money he'd make by participating. Then his long-time coach was criminally charged, and Keiji had to be trained by Utako Nagamitsu; AFAIK, Hayashi still doesn't appear publically at competitions. And lastly, Keiji lost sectionals to two younger skaters. Well, let's hope he has a more cheerful end of the year!
Here's Keiji's Twitter post, thanking everyone for messages and flowers: https://twitter.com/deka_1122/status/1330510469782663168 That's one delicious-looking cake, and lovely decorations! I hope he had a fun day with his family and friends.
 
Congrats Keiji for the second place in the Kokutai senior men event, and first place for Okayama in general!

Here are a few pics from the event:
mainichi.jp

フィギュア冬季国体 田中刑事 成年男子首位 ［写真特集1/15］ | 毎日新聞

成年男子ＳＰで演技する田中刑事＝名古屋市南区の日本ガイシアリーで２０２１年１月２８日（代表撮影）
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp
mainichi.jp

フィギュア冬季国体 田中刑事 成年男子首位 ［写真特集2/15］ | 毎日新聞

フィギュア成年男子ＳＰ　演技する岡山・田中刑事＝名古屋市南区の日本ガイシアリーで２０２１年１月２８日（代表撮影）
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp
mainichi.jp

フィギュア冬季国体 田中刑事 成年男子首位 ［写真特集3/15］ | 毎日新聞

成年男子ＳＰで演技する田中刑事＝名古屋市南区の日本ガイシアリーで２０２１年１月２８日（代表撮影）
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp
mainichi.jp

愛知国体フィギュアスケート　成年男子フリーは友野一希が優勝 ［写真特集4/11］ | 毎日新聞

フィギュア成年男子で２位となった田中刑事のフリー＝日本ガイシアリーナで２０２１年１月２９日（代表撮影）
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp
mainichi.jp

愛知国体フィギュアスケート　成年男子フリーは友野一希が優勝 ［写真特集5/11］ | 毎日新聞

フィギュア成年男子で２位となった田中刑事のフリー＝日本ガイシアリーナで２０２１年１月２９日（代表撮影）
mainichi.jp mainichi.jp

Also, some translations from his post-competition interviews:

It seems despite his disappointing performance in the free, he's still positive and motivated, which is good!
 
Interview with Keiji and Satoko is featured in Quadruple Axel 2021 (Mar. 13, 2021) sold by Amazon USA and Amazon Japan (digital download is available). It appears Interview was done in January.

Excerpts from and translations of the article:

--You two started to have small talk in junior days when you were often in the same competitions?
K: But Satton was still quiet even after turning junior, and talked less than now. Right?
S: Yeah.
K: But you got your teeth into card games.
S: Ahaha [laughter]
K: I remember Fey (Ryuju Hino) and Satton playing Concentration without saying a word. When I saw them like that, I thought, “These two are crazy concentrated . [laughter].” They were so serious I couldn’t keep up [laughter]. Usually, she didn’t talk much, but she was dead serious when playing a card game.
S: Back then, I was still very shy.
K: I was shy too. I normally didn’t start a conversation. I would say Fey seemed comfortable talking to anyone.
--About skating, both of you place importance on how you bring the program to completion and also on how you showcase it. How do you feel about each other’s performance?
K: Satton’s fluid and expressive movements have been improving every year. I think she is the most expressive skater among Japanese ladies.
S: Thank you for your compliment. What I like the most about Keiji-kun’s skate is his combo jumps and the speed he carries into these jumps. Also, I get drawn into his performance, regardless of whether he dances his way through the music or he skates to the quiet music. I love the way he skates.
--Among each other’s programs, which one is your favorite?
K: That’s the question I knew you would ask me, so I’ve been thinking about it. I would say her last season’s SP. What is the title of the music?
S: I guess it’s “Egyptian Disco.”
K: Right on! When I saw her skate to it, I realized again that she was able to move her body very well and that she showed varied expressions. Such mysterious music is really difficult to interpret and you often end up looking “forced.” But Satton made such difficult movements look effortless and made the program her own. Actually, the program didn’t look weird at all. Of course she is good at skating to soft music, but it’s great that she took complete control of such a difficult program.
S: Last season I wanted to do a completely different type of program, and asked (Benoît) Richaud for suggestions, and picked the one which made me feel like, “You’ve got to be kidding [laughter].”
K: Ahaha [laughter]
S: My favorite program of Keiji-kun is “Hip Hip Chin Chin.” I like the music itself and I enjoy the choreography which is fun to watch. Especially the opening 30 seconds is exciting.
K: When Massimo (ScaliI) suggested it, I, too, thought, “You’ve got to be kidding,” and wanted to reject it [laughter].”
S: I didn’t know that [laughter].
K: Then I thought, “I’d better trust Massimo,” and decided on it. Now I am glad I carried it out.

- to be cont'd -
 
Part 2

--So, both of you broke new ground with the music you first thought preposterous.
K: I want to skate to various genres of music, and I enjoyed reinventing myself. Tackling such a curveball was worth challenging, so I was never bored of doing it throughout the two seasons. He made a great choice. That’s Massimo for you.
S: When I take up a new genre of music, I get to learn a lot of movements that I have never done before, so I think it’s worth trying. At first, it was very difficult for me, but during the year I skated to that music, I learned brand new movements and honed my sense of rhythm. So I’m glad I did it.
--What are the things you feel you improved by skating to that music?
S: I had often skated to soft music and elegant music. By skating to a different type of music, I learned how to add intensity and softness, and how to control my body for quick change of movement..
K: I went through the same process. Powerful music calls for expressions of not only vigor but also subdued softness, so I tried new expressions and things like that, as I became very eager to make the program better and better.
--It seems your hard work paid off at this season’s Nationals. Looking back on the event, what are your thoughts?
S: This season there were no competitions at all, and my first outing was the Nationals, It was so out of the ordinary that I was very nervous. I gained a valuable experience by coming up with a game plan to peak at the Nationals.
--Was the pressure you felt different from usual?
S: For one thing, I competed for the first time in a long time. For another, I was to bring my program before the public for the first time, so I did not know what to expect when it’s time to be evaluated. I've never felt stress like that in a competition before. Then I thought, after all, I had no choice but to give my best shot, and I’m glad it worked and I was able to overcome anxiety.
--Did Tanaka senshu see Miyahara senshu’s performance live?
K: I saw her free. It’s nerve wracking enough to debut your program, but it’s at the Nationals, of all places. It would be way beyond my capacity [laughter]. Considering this, Satton performed with nerves of steel and held herself together. It was amazing that she was able to reset herself after the short and before the free.
S: I placed 6th in the short, as I made such an unbelievable mistake. So I went out there to skate the free thinking, “Forget the short. I have to do what I can do now.” Looking back, I was able to regroup myself.
--Tanaka senshu, what are your thoughts about the Nationals?
K: To me, it was a battle against injury. The level of pain went down a lot, but I felt a little discomfort from time to time. The National came too soon for me when I was still unable to brush off my concern that I was not prepared as well as usual.
--Even in such a situation, Tanaka senshu showed his determination.
K: When I was injured in August, I was hoping that by the Regionals or Sectionals I would be fully recovered, and that in two months I would be back in shape. However, it turned out I was not back in good shape at all, so I quickly reset my mind and aimed to get ready for the Nationals physically and mentally. I think it worked out well. Although I was feeling uneasy because of my injury, I was hell bent on competing at events, and I made it to the Nationals. It was a good experience for me.

- to be cont'd -
 
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