- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Sota will continue to be part of JSF's Special Strengthening Group for the 2024-25 season, congrats! 
Sota Yamamoto
- Thread starter surimi
- Start date
Sota announced it on an Instagram Live today, his first IG live ever! Several skaters attended or intended to attend (looking at you, Kazuki), which shows how much So-chan is loved by his peers
Thanks, Kirara.
Translation of Sota's Insta-live:
Part 1
Good evening. It's not good evening, is it? It's good morning in Japan. Good morning. Thank you all for coming. This is my first time going live on Instagram. A lot of people have come to watch. It makes me nervous. Thank you very much for joining me in the early morning. Please feel free to give me your comments. It's a little difficult for me to do a free conversation, so I think I'll rely on your comments. If you have any questions or requests, please feel free to send them. I'm quite nervous even though I hold an Unlim online meeting once a month. I see all kinds of people and skaters watching. Okusa, Kinkin (Kinayu Yokoi) Howdy! Can I tap to reply? Howdy, howdy. Thank you all. What? Can't you hear my voice? Can you hear me? Oh, "I can hear you." Great (laughs). If you can't hear me, please let me know. Oh, there are 700 people here already. Surprisingly, I've never done an Insta-live before. Well, I've always wanted to do it, but I always felt like I should take a rest when I go home after practice, so I couldn't get into that kind of mood at home, but I've always wanted to do an insta-live. I'm in the U.S. right now for choreography. The choreography is done around noon or in the evening at the latest. After that I have a lot of free time. So it was really just a spur of the moment idea to finally do an insta-live. Please feel free to ask me any questions.
"Is the choreography going well?" Hmmm...well, it's been a while since I've been choreographed overseas. I was able to take a lot of time, about a week, to make sure that the choreography was done well. In Japan it usually takes three or four days at the most, but we had a whole week to do the choreography. Of course, choreography was the main focus, but I also practiced skating and jumps here. We finished the choreography up to the last part, so now I'm practicing the program with jumps in it. "I'm glad you posted the announcement in advance." Yes, I announced on my Insta-story that the show would start at 9 o'clock, but many people were wondering if it would be in the morning or at night. I had a preconceived notion that if it was at 9, it would be in the morning, and I thought I said it would be at 9:00 in the morning. It was a little confusing. I am sorry.
"Was it completed?" Surprisingly, even though I am a slow learner and always have a hard time learning choreography, it went surprisingly smoothly, even though the program is quite challenging. I was able to learn it more easily than I expected, and even on the first day I was able to get up to the steps and spins. Then, on the second or third day, we finished the last half of the program and spent the remaining half of the time brushing things up. So we spent a lot of time on it, and I'm glad I was able to get it polished in a good way. "Kohai (younger skater friend) is missing So-chan." (laughs) You mean Seigo, right? Miki-chan (Miki Ando, Seigo Tauchi's coach), hello. Thank you for watching. I'll be back soon, so I'm looking forward to seeing you again.
"I love Sota-kun's skating." Hmmm...well, people tell me that, but I don't think I'm good at skating at all. I really want to improve my skating, but it's not easy. It's like I'm growing every day. "What's your impression of the new program?" Hmm, well, hmm. How is it? It's new to me, but I feel like it fits my style of skating better than I thought it would. Last year I used a song called Chameleon for the short program and at first, I had a hard time expressing myself and I wasn't sure what to do and I struggled. But this time it was easy for me to get into it, but if I feel that it is easy to get into it, I think I will be in the status quo or I will be in that kind of mentality, so I think in a way if I feel that it is challenging at first or if I feel that it is a little difficult to do, I will work hard and the program will come out well. I will work hard as a team to make the program better.
-- to be cont'd --
Part 2
"I'm looking forward to Makuhari." Ah, Fantasy. I was able to perform at Fantasy for the first time last year, and I am happy to be invited again this year in Makuhari and Aichi for the A Tour, the first half. I am glad that there will be an Aichi show this year. Please come and see us. It has not been officially decided yet which program I will perform in Fantasy. Another ice show is Prince after I return. Prince will be in late April, and then in May, the second half of May, I will be in Fantasy Makuhari, and then the Aichi show will be in late May to early June. and then Dreams on Ice. That's my schedule for now. "I'm going to Aichi (laughs), for business." (laughs) Will I see you there? "Prince" Thank you very much. Please come to see us. "Short or free?" Right now I'm in the U.S. to choreograph the short program. As for the free skate, we are still in the preparation stage, working on various things. Maybe I will start the free program soon? We are still working on the schedules. "I'm going to see Prince." Thank you very much. This season, can I say this season? It will probably be my first ice show this year. Maybe in Prince, let me see, well, it's going to be a surprise. It's coming soon, so please come and see it. Maybe I'll do a gala program in Prince?
"Sauna Tips" (laughs) Sauna Tips. Hmmm, well, I like sauna quite a bit now, but it wasn't my favorite thing to do in the past, and even when I went to a sauna with my friends, I couldn't even stay in the sauna for 1 or 2 minutes because it was too hot for me, and I was also the kind of person who couldn't take a cold water bath. But I often went to the hot springs with Kazuki, and maybe Mitsuki was there too. Then one day, when I was with Kazuki and others, I decided to try my best to get into the sauna with everyone else. and at first I pushed myself to be in the sauna with the others, and I forced myself to stay in for about 5 minutes? Then, even though I was the kind of person who could hardly stand the cold bath, even if it was only for my feet, I took a cold bath. Then I realized that I felt pretty good after taking a cold bath. Since then I have been hooked. So if I were alone, I would have given up at some point, because it's hard for people who don't like it. I didn't like it at first. So at first people who don't like it wouldn't go. I was like that too. But if you have a chance to go with a friend, you might want to try it for 30 seconds or something. And if you go in there with your friend, who knows? you might experience relaxation. If you have a chance to go, by all means (laughs) do it. "Sauna cap." I hardly ever wear it. Does your hair get damaged if you don't wear a sauna hat? I don't care much about it, so I don't wear it at all. I often get them as gifts, but I haven't worn one, have I? Probably just out of curiosity, I tried it once.
"Have you gotten used to life without school?" Well, I took a leave of absence and went back to college and finally graduated this March after six years. It's only April now, so it hasn't really sunk in yet. Let me see. Well, for me, college was hard and I never really thought it was fun, so I'm happy that it's over. I'm just glad that I can just focus on skating (laughs). "Graduation" Thank you very much. Thanks to everyone's support, I was able to graduate. "It's hard to balance skating and school." No, I managed to graduate, but I didn't really manage to do both. "Your hair has grown long." Yes, I want to get a haircut. You know, before I jump, I go backwards right before I do the Axel, and sometimes I jump without being able to see in front of me because my hair gets in the way (laughs). I am going to get a haircut soon. "How is your fashion today?” I'm wearing normal training clothes, a jersey (laughs). It's a jersey provided by Mizuno-san. "Please tell us about the highlights of the short program.” (laughs) I wonder. How do I feel now that I've done it? Hmm, well, maybe the final steps? I mean, there are steps towards the end, and those steps are pretty hard (laughs). It's pretty demanding. I get pretty out of breath just doing the step part, so I'm terrified, terrified of what's going to happen if I put quads in. "What color is your colantotte?" Today it's silver. I like it.
-- to be cont'd --
"I'm looking forward to Makuhari." Ah, Fantasy. I was able to perform at Fantasy for the first time last year, and I am happy to be invited again this year in Makuhari and Aichi for the A Tour, the first half. I am glad that there will be an Aichi show this year. Please come and see us. It has not been officially decided yet which program I will perform in Fantasy. Another ice show is Prince after I return. Prince will be in late April, and then in May, the second half of May, I will be in Fantasy Makuhari, and then the Aichi show will be in late May to early June. and then Dreams on Ice. That's my schedule for now. "I'm going to Aichi (laughs), for business." (laughs) Will I see you there? "Prince" Thank you very much. Please come to see us. "Short or free?" Right now I'm in the U.S. to choreograph the short program. As for the free skate, we are still in the preparation stage, working on various things. Maybe I will start the free program soon? We are still working on the schedules. "I'm going to see Prince." Thank you very much. This season, can I say this season? It will probably be my first ice show this year. Maybe in Prince, let me see, well, it's going to be a surprise. It's coming soon, so please come and see it. Maybe I'll do a gala program in Prince?
"Sauna Tips" (laughs) Sauna Tips. Hmmm, well, I like sauna quite a bit now, but it wasn't my favorite thing to do in the past, and even when I went to a sauna with my friends, I couldn't even stay in the sauna for 1 or 2 minutes because it was too hot for me, and I was also the kind of person who couldn't take a cold water bath. But I often went to the hot springs with Kazuki, and maybe Mitsuki was there too. Then one day, when I was with Kazuki and others, I decided to try my best to get into the sauna with everyone else. and at first I pushed myself to be in the sauna with the others, and I forced myself to stay in for about 5 minutes? Then, even though I was the kind of person who could hardly stand the cold bath, even if it was only for my feet, I took a cold bath. Then I realized that I felt pretty good after taking a cold bath. Since then I have been hooked. So if I were alone, I would have given up at some point, because it's hard for people who don't like it. I didn't like it at first. So at first people who don't like it wouldn't go. I was like that too. But if you have a chance to go with a friend, you might want to try it for 30 seconds or something. And if you go in there with your friend, who knows? you might experience relaxation. If you have a chance to go, by all means (laughs) do it. "Sauna cap." I hardly ever wear it. Does your hair get damaged if you don't wear a sauna hat? I don't care much about it, so I don't wear it at all. I often get them as gifts, but I haven't worn one, have I? Probably just out of curiosity, I tried it once.
"Have you gotten used to life without school?" Well, I took a leave of absence and went back to college and finally graduated this March after six years. It's only April now, so it hasn't really sunk in yet. Let me see. Well, for me, college was hard and I never really thought it was fun, so I'm happy that it's over. I'm just glad that I can just focus on skating (laughs). "Graduation" Thank you very much. Thanks to everyone's support, I was able to graduate. "It's hard to balance skating and school." No, I managed to graduate, but I didn't really manage to do both. "Your hair has grown long." Yes, I want to get a haircut. You know, before I jump, I go backwards right before I do the Axel, and sometimes I jump without being able to see in front of me because my hair gets in the way (laughs). I am going to get a haircut soon. "How is your fashion today?” I'm wearing normal training clothes, a jersey (laughs). It's a jersey provided by Mizuno-san. "Please tell us about the highlights of the short program.” (laughs) I wonder. How do I feel now that I've done it? Hmm, well, maybe the final steps? I mean, there are steps towards the end, and those steps are pretty hard (laughs). It's pretty demanding. I get pretty out of breath just doing the step part, so I'm terrified, terrified of what's going to happen if I put quads in. "What color is your colantotte?" Today it's silver. I like it.
-- to be cont'd --
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Part 3
"Are the sakura (cherry blossoms) blooming over there?" Yes, there are cherry blossoms here. I thought cherry blossoms were only in Japan (laughs). They are blooming in the U.S. as well, and I took some pictures. They were in full bloom. Did your fans notice you in America? Hmm, it was more like some people ran into me. You know, I was at the rink to be choreographed, and there was also a public skating time, and probably people who like to skate came to practice, and they asked me to take a picture with them, and some skaters I was practicing with asked me to take a picture with them. Nothing like that happened outside the rink at all. Even in Japan, people hardly ever come up and talk to me. "If a big crowd gathers around you, they're 'sakura' (Sakura is also a Japanese word for shills hired for promotion)" (laughs).That's for sure (laughs). Indeed (laughs). "If you can even sell seeds, they are sakuran (confused)." "Please show us a picture of cherry blossoms." If I remember, I'll post it on Instagram or something. I forget things easily, so please let me know.
"The black and white video on Instastory was super cool." Thank you very much. Yes, Benoit Richaud-san is my choreographer this time, and he choreographed the short program for me. And Benoit-san filmed the video on the ice while I was skating, and Benoit-san was pretty good at filming the video too, and it looked pretty cool in black and white (laughs). So I feel like the monochrome effect helped me so much that when the filter is removed, I'll immediately realize that my skating isn't very good. "If I run into you outside the rink, can I take a picture with you?" Yes, absolutely, if I get a chance to meet you. I don't have an agency or anything like that, so no problem. "I think it would have been cool even if it wasn't in black and white.” (laughs) I don't know (laughs). But it looked a lot cooler just with the filter. It totally changed the way it looked. Yeah, he shot it to make it look nice. Yeah. "What do you want to eat when you go back to Japan?" Hmmm, I wonder what I would like to eat. Well, my mood probably changes from time to time, but I guess yakiniku. I eat yakiniku all the time, but in the end, yakiniku is the best. So, yakiniku? Or is it sushi? I would normally think that I would eat sushi back in Japan, but I ate sushi here (laughs) even though I was in the States. (laughs) I had sushi here in the U.S. Probably yakiniku? I had yakiniku the day before I left. It's yakiniku after all.
"How would you describe Richaud-san's choreography?" Hmm, he started with a very rough choreography, instead of trying to make each movement perfect and build it up step by step. In a way, the choreography as a whole was done in a very smooth way, but of course it was well choreographed. He built the choreography as a whole and then refined it. So it was easy to remember. First I learned the choreography and the courses to glide, and then he added the choreography and refined it. I usually take a long time to learn choreography, so it helped me. I never thought I would learn it so fast. It was easy to remember. Richau-san's choreography is quite unique. I had heard rumors that it would be difficult, but it went quite well, even though it is a very unique choreography. It was difficult choreography, yes, but in terms of memorizing it, I felt that it was surprisingly easy to get into my head. "The Kassouya effect" Yes, there is no doubt about it. I think about it in a lot of situations. The rehearsal for Kassouya was very difficult. It was fun, but I had to join the rehearsals after the Fur Continents ended, and I was two days late, so I had to work hard in the rehearsals to be ready for the opening of the show. I thought that if I could get through that difficult period, it would be easier to learn the choreography from then on, and indeed it became easier for me to learn the choreography surprisingly well (laughs). Thanks to the Kassouya camp (laughs). I would like to do Kassouya again.
-- to be cont'd --
"Are the sakura (cherry blossoms) blooming over there?" Yes, there are cherry blossoms here. I thought cherry blossoms were only in Japan (laughs). They are blooming in the U.S. as well, and I took some pictures. They were in full bloom. Did your fans notice you in America? Hmm, it was more like some people ran into me. You know, I was at the rink to be choreographed, and there was also a public skating time, and probably people who like to skate came to practice, and they asked me to take a picture with them, and some skaters I was practicing with asked me to take a picture with them. Nothing like that happened outside the rink at all. Even in Japan, people hardly ever come up and talk to me. "If a big crowd gathers around you, they're 'sakura' (Sakura is also a Japanese word for shills hired for promotion)" (laughs).That's for sure (laughs). Indeed (laughs). "If you can even sell seeds, they are sakuran (confused)." "Please show us a picture of cherry blossoms." If I remember, I'll post it on Instagram or something. I forget things easily, so please let me know.
"The black and white video on Instastory was super cool." Thank you very much. Yes, Benoit Richaud-san is my choreographer this time, and he choreographed the short program for me. And Benoit-san filmed the video on the ice while I was skating, and Benoit-san was pretty good at filming the video too, and it looked pretty cool in black and white (laughs). So I feel like the monochrome effect helped me so much that when the filter is removed, I'll immediately realize that my skating isn't very good. "If I run into you outside the rink, can I take a picture with you?" Yes, absolutely, if I get a chance to meet you. I don't have an agency or anything like that, so no problem. "I think it would have been cool even if it wasn't in black and white.” (laughs) I don't know (laughs). But it looked a lot cooler just with the filter. It totally changed the way it looked. Yeah, he shot it to make it look nice. Yeah. "What do you want to eat when you go back to Japan?" Hmmm, I wonder what I would like to eat. Well, my mood probably changes from time to time, but I guess yakiniku. I eat yakiniku all the time, but in the end, yakiniku is the best. So, yakiniku? Or is it sushi? I would normally think that I would eat sushi back in Japan, but I ate sushi here (laughs) even though I was in the States. (laughs) I had sushi here in the U.S. Probably yakiniku? I had yakiniku the day before I left. It's yakiniku after all.
"How would you describe Richaud-san's choreography?" Hmm, he started with a very rough choreography, instead of trying to make each movement perfect and build it up step by step. In a way, the choreography as a whole was done in a very smooth way, but of course it was well choreographed. He built the choreography as a whole and then refined it. So it was easy to remember. First I learned the choreography and the courses to glide, and then he added the choreography and refined it. I usually take a long time to learn choreography, so it helped me. I never thought I would learn it so fast. It was easy to remember. Richau-san's choreography is quite unique. I had heard rumors that it would be difficult, but it went quite well, even though it is a very unique choreography. It was difficult choreography, yes, but in terms of memorizing it, I felt that it was surprisingly easy to get into my head. "The Kassouya effect" Yes, there is no doubt about it. I think about it in a lot of situations. The rehearsal for Kassouya was very difficult. It was fun, but I had to join the rehearsals after the Fur Continents ended, and I was two days late, so I had to work hard in the rehearsals to be ready for the opening of the show. I thought that if I could get through that difficult period, it would be easier to learn the choreography from then on, and indeed it became easier for me to learn the choreography surprisingly well (laughs). Thanks to the Kassouya camp (laughs). I would like to do Kassouya again.
-- to be cont'd --
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Thanks for the news pieces, everyone, and especially @rRainbow for the translations! The long video would be way above my skills except for a few parts in the food and sauna part ^ ^
Congrats to Sota on Special funding! Well deserved.
If one doesn't want to click on IG for the black and white choreo link, it's been uploaded by someone to Youtube as well.
And here's Sota's invitation to Prince Ice World, which starts tomorrow: https://youtu.be/s09f5K1oj_I?si=txvG5g8lddqsqXKR I hope Sota has fun! We'll see what he skates to. He's just returned from the US, but now that he said the choreo was easy to remember, perhaps he'll perform his new SP after all.
Now, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the new SP. I guess I'll wait until I see the full program. I have to say the music itself that we hear in the snippet, is not my cup of tea - too vanilla, it feels like many skate to unclear tune music like this these days, and those random wild keyboard swipes don't make much sense to me both in regards to the rest of the music and to Sota's serene on-ice (competitive) personality. But hey, he picked it (and I do believe he really should start picking competitive programs from the start again, not just from a choreographer's suggestion list, unless the choreographer is someone who knows Sota well). I wish Sota the best, and the choreo definitely looks packed and ambitious. I hope the rest of the program contains a lot of the stuff people specifically love Sota's skating for (among other things) - long sweeping glides, straight posture, impressive eagles and great extension
But I'll cheer for Sota no matter what he skates to.
About the IG Live:
- I'm glad to read Sota has no issue with fans asking for pictures
- I can see we can fully credit Kazuki for turning Sota into a sauna fan, hehe.
- hopefully Sota remembering Richaud's choreo so well so early on, is a good sign!
- I wonder who the FS choreo person is. It must be someone very busy. Hopefully not Wilson again, TBH...
- Glad to read Sota was recognized by the general skating public in the US!
- I hope he doesn't stop expanding his list of hobbies (if time-wise possible), now that he's not a student anymore. It doesn't hurt to be distracted from focusing on skating intensely.
Congrats to Sota on Special funding! Well deserved.
If one doesn't want to click on IG for the black and white choreo link, it's been uploaded by someone to Youtube as well.
And here's Sota's invitation to Prince Ice World, which starts tomorrow: https://youtu.be/s09f5K1oj_I?si=txvG5g8lddqsqXKR I hope Sota has fun! We'll see what he skates to. He's just returned from the US, but now that he said the choreo was easy to remember, perhaps he'll perform his new SP after all.
Now, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the new SP. I guess I'll wait until I see the full program. I have to say the music itself that we hear in the snippet, is not my cup of tea - too vanilla, it feels like many skate to unclear tune music like this these days, and those random wild keyboard swipes don't make much sense to me both in regards to the rest of the music and to Sota's serene on-ice (competitive) personality. But hey, he picked it (and I do believe he really should start picking competitive programs from the start again, not just from a choreographer's suggestion list, unless the choreographer is someone who knows Sota well). I wish Sota the best, and the choreo definitely looks packed and ambitious. I hope the rest of the program contains a lot of the stuff people specifically love Sota's skating for (among other things) - long sweeping glides, straight posture, impressive eagles and great extension
But I'll cheer for Sota no matter what he skates to.About the IG Live:
- I'm glad to read Sota has no issue with fans asking for pictures
- I can see we can fully credit Kazuki for turning Sota into a sauna fan, hehe.
- hopefully Sota remembering Richaud's choreo so well so early on, is a good sign!
- I wonder who the FS choreo person is. It must be someone very busy. Hopefully not Wilson again, TBH...
- Glad to read Sota was recognized by the general skating public in the US!
- I hope he doesn't stop expanding his list of hobbies (if time-wise possible), now that he's not a student anymore. It doesn't hurt to be distracted from focusing on skating intensely.
Part 4
I think I should turn down the temperature of the air conditioner, or rather, the heater. (He gets up and disappears from the screen, and then comes back.) Let's do Insta-live in that kind of relaxed way. I don't intend to do this for a long time, but a lot of questions came up. It (Kassouya) was a hard schedule. But the members had a lot of fun, and how can I put it? There were a lot of skaters of the same generation and those who were close to me, and everyone was very nice to me, including Dai-chan and Kana-chan. It was hard work, but I think we all worked together and put on a good show. I was not a spectator, but a skater, so I could not see it objectively, but I think it was good. I want to do it again. I want them to have another one. Kassouya was great. "Did you find it difficult to skate with a long coat?” Hmmm, well, in ice shows, jumps are... of course, depending on the part, some skaters jumped, but when it comes to jumps, I think for me it's difficult, but many skaters did jumps in a long coat. I thought they were amazing. I wouldn't be able to jump. "Archive" I'm not sure how I'm going to leave the archive because it's my first time doing an Insta-live, but I'll do my best to keep the archive (laughs). Will it work if I finish this live show and choose to leave an archive of it? I don't know. (Drinks water from his glass) If I can. I'm sorry if I delete it (laughs).
"Are you enjoying Instalive?" I like this kind of thing. I've always wanted to do it, but I never had the chance. This time I had a little time to do something other than choreography, so I decided to give it a try. Thank you for this morning. Thank you all. Hey, Kusshi (Kazuki Kushida) came. Howdy! Mitsuki came to see me too. There are a lot of skaters here. Can't you see that? "I can't believe this is your first time." Actually, I'm pretty nervous. I'll do my best not to make a live blooper (laughs). I'll be careful not to make any slip-ups. Yes, insta-live makes you nervous, doesn't it? But of course it's natural to feel that way. I have an interactive online meeting with my fans once a month, where I ask them to submit questions beforehand, and I can sort of go through them. Of course I want to say what I really think at the time of the livestream, so I don't really think about the answers until then, but I read the questions before I go live. But it's quite difficult in the case of Insta-live because I get comments coming in one after the other. "Please do Insta-live again." Maybe I'll do it again if I feel like it.
"Do you have any costume ideas?" Hmmm, I always ask Orihara-san for a costume, and Benoit has a vague idea of what he wants. After telling Orihara-san what Benoit has in mind, the design starts to take shape, and that's how it always works. The choreographer, Orihara-san and I would come up with an idea together. Actually, most of the time I leave it up to Orihara-san because I know she can come up with something good if I leave it up to her. So I like to leave it to her. With the input of Benoit's idea as well, I hope she can make a good-looking costume. "All your costumes are your style and look great.” Thank you very much. It's all thanks to Orihara-san (laughs). I mean, I left it all up to Orihara-san. "Next time, a joint insta-live" Oh, some people collaborate with each other, right? I would love to do it if I could find someone to collaborate with. But you know, I've always wanted to do an insta-live since I started doing Instagram, but I've come this far without doing it (laughs). I usually want to do it, but when I go home, I don't feel like doing it at home (laughs). This time I'm here for the choreography. It felt fresh, so I decided to do it on a whim.
-- to be cont'd --
I think I should turn down the temperature of the air conditioner, or rather, the heater. (He gets up and disappears from the screen, and then comes back.) Let's do Insta-live in that kind of relaxed way. I don't intend to do this for a long time, but a lot of questions came up. It (Kassouya) was a hard schedule. But the members had a lot of fun, and how can I put it? There were a lot of skaters of the same generation and those who were close to me, and everyone was very nice to me, including Dai-chan and Kana-chan. It was hard work, but I think we all worked together and put on a good show. I was not a spectator, but a skater, so I could not see it objectively, but I think it was good. I want to do it again. I want them to have another one. Kassouya was great. "Did you find it difficult to skate with a long coat?” Hmmm, well, in ice shows, jumps are... of course, depending on the part, some skaters jumped, but when it comes to jumps, I think for me it's difficult, but many skaters did jumps in a long coat. I thought they were amazing. I wouldn't be able to jump. "Archive" I'm not sure how I'm going to leave the archive because it's my first time doing an Insta-live, but I'll do my best to keep the archive (laughs). Will it work if I finish this live show and choose to leave an archive of it? I don't know. (Drinks water from his glass) If I can. I'm sorry if I delete it (laughs).
"Are you enjoying Instalive?" I like this kind of thing. I've always wanted to do it, but I never had the chance. This time I had a little time to do something other than choreography, so I decided to give it a try. Thank you for this morning. Thank you all. Hey, Kusshi (Kazuki Kushida) came. Howdy! Mitsuki came to see me too. There are a lot of skaters here. Can't you see that? "I can't believe this is your first time." Actually, I'm pretty nervous. I'll do my best not to make a live blooper (laughs). I'll be careful not to make any slip-ups. Yes, insta-live makes you nervous, doesn't it? But of course it's natural to feel that way. I have an interactive online meeting with my fans once a month, where I ask them to submit questions beforehand, and I can sort of go through them. Of course I want to say what I really think at the time of the livestream, so I don't really think about the answers until then, but I read the questions before I go live. But it's quite difficult in the case of Insta-live because I get comments coming in one after the other. "Please do Insta-live again." Maybe I'll do it again if I feel like it.
"Do you have any costume ideas?" Hmmm, I always ask Orihara-san for a costume, and Benoit has a vague idea of what he wants. After telling Orihara-san what Benoit has in mind, the design starts to take shape, and that's how it always works. The choreographer, Orihara-san and I would come up with an idea together. Actually, most of the time I leave it up to Orihara-san because I know she can come up with something good if I leave it up to her. So I like to leave it to her. With the input of Benoit's idea as well, I hope she can make a good-looking costume. "All your costumes are your style and look great.” Thank you very much. It's all thanks to Orihara-san (laughs). I mean, I left it all up to Orihara-san. "Next time, a joint insta-live" Oh, some people collaborate with each other, right? I would love to do it if I could find someone to collaborate with. But you know, I've always wanted to do an insta-live since I started doing Instagram, but I've come this far without doing it (laughs). I usually want to do it, but when I go home, I don't feel like doing it at home (laughs). This time I'm here for the choreography. It felt fresh, so I decided to do it on a whim.
-- to be cont'd --
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Here's a video of the new EX!
Part 5
"What did you have for dinner tonight?" Ah, I just had sushi a little while ago. I had sushi for dinner tonight. Uber Eats (laughs). I didn't go out at all. I went to the supermarket once, and there's a kitchen in the hotel room with pans and stuff so you can cook, but I didn't cook at all. Hongo sensei came with me this time as a kind of manager, and she is in charge of recording videos and interpreting for me. She kindly told me that if I wanted to eat something, she would cook it for me, but I told her that I was fine with Uber (laughs). I used Uber Eats all the time. Meals by Uber and some Japanese food which I brought with me. We also went out for pizza one time between practice. Breakfast is included and it's delicious. They serve pancakes that are made fresh, and they are quite delicious. It's a very American breakfast and it's pretty good. It has eggs, sausage, and pancakes (laughs). It's delicious. "Did you bring rice cakes?" I brought rice cakes (laughs). It's right there (laughs). It's yummy. Recently there are dried rice cakes with brown sugar syrup, and they are sold as emergency food, and I love them very much. I always buy them and bring them with me when I go overseas for a competition, and lately they have dried rice cakes with black sugar syrup, and I've been into them lately. It's so delicious.
Kao, Howdy! Everybody is on the net with me. Sorry if I didn't notice anyone, because it goes fast. "I want to buy dried rice cakes, but I can't find them." Can you find them on the Internet? It's true that you can't find them in supermarkets, right? I always buy them online. "Sota-kun (laughs), you look cool today as usual." Kao is cool too. Good job at the World Championships. Really, Kao is amazing. He really inspires me. Kao, he always tells me that when we meet (laughs). And then I tell him that Kao is cool too, and we compliment each other. Surprisingly, there are already 800 people here. Wow! Is that what Insta-live is like? I'm so happy to get so many people even in the morning. Because of the time difference, it's around 8 p.m. here, which is the best time for me, but it's morning in Japan, so although I'm glad you're all watching live in the morning, I'm also sorry for your inconvenience. I wanted to do it at night in Japan, but when it's night in Japan, it's morning here, and I'm not a morning person at all. I couldn't get up in the morning (laughs), so I ended up doing it at this time after practice. I just looked down in the comments section and saw so many questions.
"Jet lag" I'm getting over the jet lag little by little. I feel like I'm just getting over it before I have to go home. I will probably suffer from the time difference from the U.S. again when I am back in Japan. I usually don't get up early in the morning, but thanks to the jet lag, I woke up early in the morning, which made it easier for me. I was able to wake up easily in the morning and feel refreshed, and that was a good thing. Then when I go home, I'm jet-lagged again. But I usually have trouble sleeping at night, even in Japan. It's like I'm chronically jet-lagged. So it's good that I'm overseas. When I come overseas, I can wake up naturally in the morning. Please tell me how to sleep well. I've tried everything, but I really can't sleep at night, no matter how tired I am. I feel like I'm lucky to be jet-lagged. I guess I'm a night person. I don't like practicing in the morning. When I was in college, sometimes I had a 9 a.m. first period, and of course it's the same for office workers, I really had a hard time dealing with it. I respect everyone for their hard work. Amazing.
-- to be cont'd --
"What did you have for dinner tonight?" Ah, I just had sushi a little while ago. I had sushi for dinner tonight. Uber Eats (laughs). I didn't go out at all. I went to the supermarket once, and there's a kitchen in the hotel room with pans and stuff so you can cook, but I didn't cook at all. Hongo sensei came with me this time as a kind of manager, and she is in charge of recording videos and interpreting for me. She kindly told me that if I wanted to eat something, she would cook it for me, but I told her that I was fine with Uber (laughs). I used Uber Eats all the time. Meals by Uber and some Japanese food which I brought with me. We also went out for pizza one time between practice. Breakfast is included and it's delicious. They serve pancakes that are made fresh, and they are quite delicious. It's a very American breakfast and it's pretty good. It has eggs, sausage, and pancakes (laughs). It's delicious. "Did you bring rice cakes?" I brought rice cakes (laughs). It's right there (laughs). It's yummy. Recently there are dried rice cakes with brown sugar syrup, and they are sold as emergency food, and I love them very much. I always buy them and bring them with me when I go overseas for a competition, and lately they have dried rice cakes with black sugar syrup, and I've been into them lately. It's so delicious.
Kao, Howdy! Everybody is on the net with me. Sorry if I didn't notice anyone, because it goes fast. "I want to buy dried rice cakes, but I can't find them." Can you find them on the Internet? It's true that you can't find them in supermarkets, right? I always buy them online. "Sota-kun (laughs), you look cool today as usual." Kao is cool too. Good job at the World Championships. Really, Kao is amazing. He really inspires me. Kao, he always tells me that when we meet (laughs). And then I tell him that Kao is cool too, and we compliment each other. Surprisingly, there are already 800 people here. Wow! Is that what Insta-live is like? I'm so happy to get so many people even in the morning. Because of the time difference, it's around 8 p.m. here, which is the best time for me, but it's morning in Japan, so although I'm glad you're all watching live in the morning, I'm also sorry for your inconvenience. I wanted to do it at night in Japan, but when it's night in Japan, it's morning here, and I'm not a morning person at all. I couldn't get up in the morning (laughs), so I ended up doing it at this time after practice. I just looked down in the comments section and saw so many questions.
"Jet lag" I'm getting over the jet lag little by little. I feel like I'm just getting over it before I have to go home. I will probably suffer from the time difference from the U.S. again when I am back in Japan. I usually don't get up early in the morning, but thanks to the jet lag, I woke up early in the morning, which made it easier for me. I was able to wake up easily in the morning and feel refreshed, and that was a good thing. Then when I go home, I'm jet-lagged again. But I usually have trouble sleeping at night, even in Japan. It's like I'm chronically jet-lagged. So it's good that I'm overseas. When I come overseas, I can wake up naturally in the morning. Please tell me how to sleep well. I've tried everything, but I really can't sleep at night, no matter how tired I am. I feel like I'm lucky to be jet-lagged. I guess I'm a night person. I don't like practicing in the morning. When I was in college, sometimes I had a 9 a.m. first period, and of course it's the same for office workers, I really had a hard time dealing with it. I respect everyone for their hard work. Amazing.
-- to be cont'd --
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Thanks, @rRainbow and @KiraraChin ! I enjoy this InstaLive a lot. My heart goes out to Sota when he says he's usually unable to sleep. I hope he just means he cannot sleep well, and that a medical professional can help him
Re. Sota's gala, I'm afraid it's another 'meh' from me. Now hoping for the FS to be something that suits Sota more than the SP and the new gala.
I can safely say I liked all of previous Sota galas more, including Teeth (which I loved, as you guys know), and You're Beautiful. He's trying, trying very hard including smiles and jacket hem lifting, tries to copy some MJ moves, probably he's also enjoying it... but I'm sorry, I'm not feeling him in this type of music at all. It's like the music washes him out; another dull-paced, run-of-the-mill gala tune, the like of which we can hear in every other gala, combined with another black and white costume that closely resembles Chameleon. Choreo that looks like one of Shoma's contemporary music programs from the first movements onward, except Shoma would be a much better fit for this suave, clubby music that's IMO a total mismatch for Sota (and a snoozefest for my ears). There.
I'm glad to have this forum where I can actually post an *honest* opinion, which just so happens to be negative on both musics he has chosen so far for the new season. I wish Sota well, and still love his skating and think he's an amazing person. But so far, I love neither the gala, nor what I've seen from the new SP. And it fills me with unease because the Chameleon SP wasn't rewarded with great PCS last year, which I don't think was just a coincidence stemming from Sota making mistakes here and there, and JSF pushing a few others. I think he would have scored higher with something more in the music styles that make him shine the most.
But hey, he's decided to broaden his range, and if he wants to pursue the dull (for him) genres more, there's nothing I can do about it but whinge here, heh.
Curious about you guys' opinions on the new gala, though!
Re. Sota's gala, I'm afraid it's another 'meh' from me. Now hoping for the FS to be something that suits Sota more than the SP and the new gala.
I can safely say I liked all of previous Sota galas more, including Teeth (which I loved, as you guys know), and You're Beautiful. He's trying, trying very hard including smiles and jacket hem lifting, tries to copy some MJ moves, probably he's also enjoying it... but I'm sorry, I'm not feeling him in this type of music at all. It's like the music washes him out; another dull-paced, run-of-the-mill gala tune, the like of which we can hear in every other gala, combined with another black and white costume that closely resembles Chameleon. Choreo that looks like one of Shoma's contemporary music programs from the first movements onward, except Shoma would be a much better fit for this suave, clubby music that's IMO a total mismatch for Sota (and a snoozefest for my ears). There.
I'm glad to have this forum where I can actually post an *honest* opinion, which just so happens to be negative on both musics he has chosen so far for the new season. I wish Sota well, and still love his skating and think he's an amazing person. But so far, I love neither the gala, nor what I've seen from the new SP. And it fills me with unease because the Chameleon SP wasn't rewarded with great PCS last year, which I don't think was just a coincidence stemming from Sota making mistakes here and there, and JSF pushing a few others. I think he would have scored higher with something more in the music styles that make him shine the most.
But hey, he's decided to broaden his range, and if he wants to pursue the dull (for him) genres more, there's nothing I can do about it but whinge here, heh.
Curious about you guys' opinions on the new gala, though!Part 6
"Drink Yakult 100" (laughs) Yeah, yeah, yeah, I drank Yakult 1000 during the season. What was I going to say? There is a drink called Yakult 1000, and it says it improves the quality of sleep, so it caught my attention, and I drank a lot of it during the season (laughs). Believing in something is important. I felt like I could certainly sleep better after drinking it. Belief is important. I will brainwash myself and work hard. "Eye mask" Yes, I put on a hot eye mask. I put it on, but while I'm wearing it I can't sleep because I'm thinking about it all the time. You wear it for 15 to 20 minutes. It feels nice and warm for 15 to 20 minutes with the mask on. But I can't sleep because I feel it (laughs). I feel like my mind is on the eye mask when I'm trying to sleep. It bothers me a little bit. I keep my room completely dark. If there's even a little light on, I can't sleep, so I make it pitch black. You know, the air conditioner, I don't like the power light when it's on, so I put a vinyl tape over it (laughs). I can't sleep unless it's that dark. I can't sleep if I don't have a good environment.
"Sleep app" I don't use a sleep app, but a fan told me about a video that counts shiitake mushrooms, well, it's like counting sheep, simply put. There is a YouTube video that has the audio of counting shiitake mushrooms, and I looked it up and tried it, but I couldn't sleep because my mind started to wander and focus on that video. I am also not a fan of counting sheep. I cannot do it well. I am seeking your ideas on how to have a restful sleep. I tried different things and I was into aromatherapy for a while. Well, I still do it and it smells pretty good. I try to make my bedroom smell nice and it relaxes me a little bit. I recommend aromatherapy. It might be effective for me, too, who can't sleep. Nice smell, nice smell. It might help me. "Read a boring story." People who can read books are great. I used to read for a while, and I think I still should, but I can't get started. I can concentrate on watching a movie in the theater, but when I'm relaxing at home, watching a 2-hour movie is something I can't concentrate on for long. I want to go see a movie, but I can't get to it. If I don't watch a movie with concentration, I can't watch it for two hours.
"Your Blood type” I'm type O. I'm a super stereotypical type O person. Anyway, I recently watched a Netflix drama called ‘Crash Landing on You.’ It's not a movie. I watched ‘Crash Landing on You.’ It came out a couple of years ago and everyone recommended it to me. I always wanted to see it, and this was the first time I saw it. I also watch ‘Airplane.’ I enjoy them a lot. It's hot, isn't it? Now I know why! (gets up and disappears from the screen) I have to turn the temperature down, the heater was on. No wonder it's hot. I'll turn down the temperature of the air conditioner. Yeah. I turned the temperature down before, but it was on the heater mode (laughs). (He comes back) I guess what I did before didn't help, right? Ah, did Taichiro also recommend ‘Crash Landing on You’? Everyone was talking about it when it was on. Yeah, I'm finally watching it. I'm on episode 6 or 7 now. I'm halfway through. Please watch it. I'm sure everybody's seen it. It's good. "An actor who looks like Sota-kun is in this drama." Do we look alike? Maybe we are in the same face category, right? I don't think I look like him at all. He looks much better. Wow, Benoit-san just came to see this live event. He says, “Yoo-Hoo! Yoo-Hoo!”
I can't speak English, but Hongo Sensei has been so helpful to me. Benoit-san is very kind to me with the Google translator. He translated every single thing for me with the translation tool. And he talks to me in simple words. He is very friendly and kind. "Hongo-san is here to see you." (laughs) Hongo sensei is doing fine. She is always so cheerful, and she always gives me energy, too. My impression of her is that she is always smiling, no matter what happens, and she is a really, really nice person. She always gives me an aura of happiness. "Your voice seems higher than usual." Is it? Compared to when I am being interviewed? I think my normal voice is on the high side, usually. Maybe in interviews, maybe after a competition, my voice is usually low, not high like this time when I'm in high spirits, so maybe it sounds low in interviews? I think I probably have a higher pitch, although it's hard to hit a high pitch when singing karaoke. Yeah. My voice is a little higher than you might expect. Maybe that's because I'm usually interviewed when I'm not excited. Wait. Howdy! I'm glad so many skaters came to see the show.
-- to be cont'd --
"Drink Yakult 100" (laughs) Yeah, yeah, yeah, I drank Yakult 1000 during the season. What was I going to say? There is a drink called Yakult 1000, and it says it improves the quality of sleep, so it caught my attention, and I drank a lot of it during the season (laughs). Believing in something is important. I felt like I could certainly sleep better after drinking it. Belief is important. I will brainwash myself and work hard. "Eye mask" Yes, I put on a hot eye mask. I put it on, but while I'm wearing it I can't sleep because I'm thinking about it all the time. You wear it for 15 to 20 minutes. It feels nice and warm for 15 to 20 minutes with the mask on. But I can't sleep because I feel it (laughs). I feel like my mind is on the eye mask when I'm trying to sleep. It bothers me a little bit. I keep my room completely dark. If there's even a little light on, I can't sleep, so I make it pitch black. You know, the air conditioner, I don't like the power light when it's on, so I put a vinyl tape over it (laughs). I can't sleep unless it's that dark. I can't sleep if I don't have a good environment.
"Sleep app" I don't use a sleep app, but a fan told me about a video that counts shiitake mushrooms, well, it's like counting sheep, simply put. There is a YouTube video that has the audio of counting shiitake mushrooms, and I looked it up and tried it, but I couldn't sleep because my mind started to wander and focus on that video. I am also not a fan of counting sheep. I cannot do it well. I am seeking your ideas on how to have a restful sleep. I tried different things and I was into aromatherapy for a while. Well, I still do it and it smells pretty good. I try to make my bedroom smell nice and it relaxes me a little bit. I recommend aromatherapy. It might be effective for me, too, who can't sleep. Nice smell, nice smell. It might help me. "Read a boring story." People who can read books are great. I used to read for a while, and I think I still should, but I can't get started. I can concentrate on watching a movie in the theater, but when I'm relaxing at home, watching a 2-hour movie is something I can't concentrate on for long. I want to go see a movie, but I can't get to it. If I don't watch a movie with concentration, I can't watch it for two hours.
"Your Blood type” I'm type O. I'm a super stereotypical type O person. Anyway, I recently watched a Netflix drama called ‘Crash Landing on You.’ It's not a movie. I watched ‘Crash Landing on You.’ It came out a couple of years ago and everyone recommended it to me. I always wanted to see it, and this was the first time I saw it. I also watch ‘Airplane.’ I enjoy them a lot. It's hot, isn't it? Now I know why! (gets up and disappears from the screen) I have to turn the temperature down, the heater was on. No wonder it's hot. I'll turn down the temperature of the air conditioner. Yeah. I turned the temperature down before, but it was on the heater mode (laughs). (He comes back) I guess what I did before didn't help, right? Ah, did Taichiro also recommend ‘Crash Landing on You’? Everyone was talking about it when it was on. Yeah, I'm finally watching it. I'm on episode 6 or 7 now. I'm halfway through. Please watch it. I'm sure everybody's seen it. It's good. "An actor who looks like Sota-kun is in this drama." Do we look alike? Maybe we are in the same face category, right? I don't think I look like him at all. He looks much better. Wow, Benoit-san just came to see this live event. He says, “Yoo-Hoo! Yoo-Hoo!”
I can't speak English, but Hongo Sensei has been so helpful to me. Benoit-san is very kind to me with the Google translator. He translated every single thing for me with the translation tool. And he talks to me in simple words. He is very friendly and kind. "Hongo-san is here to see you." (laughs) Hongo sensei is doing fine. She is always so cheerful, and she always gives me energy, too. My impression of her is that she is always smiling, no matter what happens, and she is a really, really nice person. She always gives me an aura of happiness. "Your voice seems higher than usual." Is it? Compared to when I am being interviewed? I think my normal voice is on the high side, usually. Maybe in interviews, maybe after a competition, my voice is usually low, not high like this time when I'm in high spirits, so maybe it sounds low in interviews? I think I probably have a higher pitch, although it's hard to hit a high pitch when singing karaoke. Yeah. My voice is a little higher than you might expect. Maybe that's because I'm usually interviewed when I'm not excited. Wait. Howdy! I'm glad so many skaters came to see the show.
-- to be cont'd --
Part 7
"What do you sing at karaoke?" What do I sing? Something easy to sing, like Masaki Suda-san's Sayonara Elegy. Also, Back Number-san's, what is it? Takamine no Hanako-san is also easy to sing, maybe because of my voice. Anyway, I think the songs I can sing are easy to sing, but I'm not good at singing. Even though I am not a good singer, I am often invited to karaoke, and I go with my friends. But I can't carry a tune. I'm terrible at singing. "I want to hear you sing." (laughs) No, I cannot. If you hear my Gian voice, you'll freak out. (t/n: Gian is a character in Doraemon, a popular anime and manga series. His terrible singing voice makes people feel sick or dizzy, breaks window glass, and even scares away cockroaches and rats). "I'm not a good singer myself, but I like to sing." (laughs) Yuhana, don't you sing all the time? That's my impression of you. That's how I picture you, and I don't mean karaoke. Do you go to karaoke?
Over 900 viewers! Oooh! Thank you, everyone. Everybody is starting to wake up. Thank you all so much. It's a long show, so feel free to leave if you want. I'll save the archive if I can. If I don't accidentally delete it, I'll probably save it. "Let's aim for 1,000 viewers." (laughs) 1,000 is a lot of people, isn't it? Even 900 people is a lot, so it's hard to get 1,000 viewers. A hundred is a big number. I'm happy just to have 800 people watching my show. "How do you talk to your choreographer?" I'm not good at English. So Google translator helps me a lot. Also, Hongo sensei helps me with video recording and speaks some English as an interpreter, so in that sense, Hongo sensei, Benoit-san and I always talk together, and Benoit-san uses Google translator, so Google translation tool-san helps me a lot (laughs). "Translation tool-san" (laughs). It certainly sounds funny–translation tool-san (laughs). I was saying Benoit-san and so on, and I got them mixed up. "Does Richaud-san speak English?" Yes, he does. But French seems to be easier for him to speak, so when he uses the translation tool, he speaks in French. But Benoit-san also speaks English, so he usually speaks in English.
"Is there anything you want to do in the offseason?" You know, this insta-live, I've wanted to do it for a long time. Before, I had said or thought that I would definitely do an Insta-live in the off-season, but I ended up not doing it when the off-season came. I always wanted to do an off-season Insta-live, so I'm happy to be able to do it for the first time this off-season. What else? What else do I want to do? Well, sauna. Actually, all I do is practice. Well, I want to go to the sauna. What do I usually do? Well, I just want to eat good food, take a sauna and skate (laughs). Hmm, I want to watch a lot of movies, like 'Crash Landing on You'. I want to read books, but I can't seem to get around to it. That's about it. These are the ones that just came to mind.
"Please do more Insta-lives from now on." Yes, I like that kind of thing. I'm not a talker, but surprisingly I like it. But the opportunities didn't come, so I didn't do it. If I get a chance, I'll do it again, so please watch. "When you talk to Tomono-kun, do you talk in Kansai dialect?" Yes, I do. I talk to Kazuki with a heavy, unadulterated Kansai dialect (laughs). Not only with Kazuki, but also with other people from Kansai, including my family, because I was born in Osaka and lived there until I was in the first year of junior high school. So I usually speak in Kansai dialect. Well, not really. In Aichi, I usually talk to people who speak standard Japanese, so I speak in a kind of fake standard Japanese, but when I talk to my family or people from Kansai, I speak in Kansai dialect. I switch between the two. It just happens. I wonder why, but I can't speak in Kansai dialect with people who speak standard Japanese. "I want to hear you speak in a heavy Kansai dialect." (laughs) If you find a scene somewhere where I talk to Kazuki, please watch it. "Sota-kun, Insta-live suits you." (laughs) Really? Thank you very much. It's thanks to all of you. It's thanks to your questions (laughs). It wouldn't be possible without your questions. If it was just me, I wouldn't be able to talk about anything.
-- to be cont'd --
"What do you sing at karaoke?" What do I sing? Something easy to sing, like Masaki Suda-san's Sayonara Elegy. Also, Back Number-san's, what is it? Takamine no Hanako-san is also easy to sing, maybe because of my voice. Anyway, I think the songs I can sing are easy to sing, but I'm not good at singing. Even though I am not a good singer, I am often invited to karaoke, and I go with my friends. But I can't carry a tune. I'm terrible at singing. "I want to hear you sing." (laughs) No, I cannot. If you hear my Gian voice, you'll freak out. (t/n: Gian is a character in Doraemon, a popular anime and manga series. His terrible singing voice makes people feel sick or dizzy, breaks window glass, and even scares away cockroaches and rats). "I'm not a good singer myself, but I like to sing." (laughs) Yuhana, don't you sing all the time? That's my impression of you. That's how I picture you, and I don't mean karaoke. Do you go to karaoke?
Over 900 viewers! Oooh! Thank you, everyone. Everybody is starting to wake up. Thank you all so much. It's a long show, so feel free to leave if you want. I'll save the archive if I can. If I don't accidentally delete it, I'll probably save it. "Let's aim for 1,000 viewers." (laughs) 1,000 is a lot of people, isn't it? Even 900 people is a lot, so it's hard to get 1,000 viewers. A hundred is a big number. I'm happy just to have 800 people watching my show. "How do you talk to your choreographer?" I'm not good at English. So Google translator helps me a lot. Also, Hongo sensei helps me with video recording and speaks some English as an interpreter, so in that sense, Hongo sensei, Benoit-san and I always talk together, and Benoit-san uses Google translator, so Google translation tool-san helps me a lot (laughs). "Translation tool-san" (laughs). It certainly sounds funny–translation tool-san (laughs). I was saying Benoit-san and so on, and I got them mixed up. "Does Richaud-san speak English?" Yes, he does. But French seems to be easier for him to speak, so when he uses the translation tool, he speaks in French. But Benoit-san also speaks English, so he usually speaks in English.
"Is there anything you want to do in the offseason?" You know, this insta-live, I've wanted to do it for a long time. Before, I had said or thought that I would definitely do an Insta-live in the off-season, but I ended up not doing it when the off-season came. I always wanted to do an off-season Insta-live, so I'm happy to be able to do it for the first time this off-season. What else? What else do I want to do? Well, sauna. Actually, all I do is practice. Well, I want to go to the sauna. What do I usually do? Well, I just want to eat good food, take a sauna and skate (laughs). Hmm, I want to watch a lot of movies, like 'Crash Landing on You'. I want to read books, but I can't seem to get around to it. That's about it. These are the ones that just came to mind.
"Please do more Insta-lives from now on." Yes, I like that kind of thing. I'm not a talker, but surprisingly I like it. But the opportunities didn't come, so I didn't do it. If I get a chance, I'll do it again, so please watch. "When you talk to Tomono-kun, do you talk in Kansai dialect?" Yes, I do. I talk to Kazuki with a heavy, unadulterated Kansai dialect (laughs). Not only with Kazuki, but also with other people from Kansai, including my family, because I was born in Osaka and lived there until I was in the first year of junior high school. So I usually speak in Kansai dialect. Well, not really. In Aichi, I usually talk to people who speak standard Japanese, so I speak in a kind of fake standard Japanese, but when I talk to my family or people from Kansai, I speak in Kansai dialect. I switch between the two. It just happens. I wonder why, but I can't speak in Kansai dialect with people who speak standard Japanese. "I want to hear you speak in a heavy Kansai dialect." (laughs) If you find a scene somewhere where I talk to Kazuki, please watch it. "Sota-kun, Insta-live suits you." (laughs) Really? Thank you very much. It's thanks to all of you. It's thanks to your questions (laughs). It wouldn't be possible without your questions. If it was just me, I wouldn't be able to talk about anything.
-- to be cont'd --
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Same for me, it doesn't hit the same as 'Teeth'. For me the issue is that the choreography doesn't seem to match the music. It's almost like this gala was choreographed for the original 'Beat it', which is faster and sharper, and then they had to change to a cover version due to copyright issues. I liked the part without the voice, though, because that's when the tempo gets a bit faster and matches the choreography better.
Something funny: apparently in the FS Life costumes roundtable, Kazuki praised Sota's collarbones (!), so everyone is now speculating that maybe the shirt-ography in Sota's gala is a direct result of that
Part 8
"Please speak in Kishiwada dialect." I'm from Kishiwada. I'm from Kishiwada City, although I don't look like it (laughs). What is it like? It's pretty strong. I think it is a unique dialect that is quite peculiar and distinctive among Kansai dialects. But the people of Kishiwada are very friendly, and yes, they are all very nice. Sometimes when I go back to my hometown for occasions like the 20-year-old graduation ceremony I attended in Osaka, and when I go to my family's house, which I haven't been to lately, they sometimes invite me for dinner. Everyone is really very nice. I went to Kishiwada Elementary and Junior High School until I was in the first year, so I still see my friends from elementary school even after we grew up. "Please do Insta-live with Kazuki-kun." (laughs) Yeah, if we get the chance (laughs). But our schedules are tight with a lot of things. Kazuki is super busy right now. Kazuki has so many shows coming up one after the other. "What are you going to skate in Prince Ice World?" I'm planning to do a gala performance now. I am planning to show a new gala program, so please look forward to it. Where can I show my new short program for the first time? I'm not sure yet, but I hope to debut it somewhere.
I can't speak English. But I want to be able to speak English. I've been saying that I want to be able to speak English since I was in junior high school, when I started going to overseas competitions, but I'm 24 years old now and I haven't made any progress. I want to learn English, but I graduated from college, and those who really want to learn English must have studied hard in college. It's hard to get started. Actually, when you practice abroad for a long time like this time, you will naturally speak English more often, and you will get used to it a little. Even if it's just for a week, I can put words together and talk to Benoit-san. I think studying abroad and living in a foreign country is a big advantage. It's the same with practice. "The photo of you with Richaud-san" Ah, the one on Instagram with Benoit-san this time. I wonder if Benoit-san is usually based in France? I'm not sure where he's based, but he choreographs a lot of skaters at the rink in the U.S., and there are a lot of skaters from different places, and he choreographs them from morning to night every day, and I don't know how he can do that without getting everyone's choreography mixed up. When he does my choreography, he remembers the choreography for me and it is incredible. Usually it takes a choreographer about three days to choreograph one skater, but he choreographed 3 to 4 skaters a day. Amazing! A new method.
"Do you want to move your training base overseas?" Hmm, I graduated from Chukyo University, but I can skate at the Chukyo University rink while I am still active in the sport. In fact, the Chukyo University rink provides a very good environment, so I am sure that I will continue to be there. I am a member of the Grand Prix Tokai Club, under the guidance of Machiko sensei, and currently have no plans to move to another club. I can practice in a calm and relaxed way because Chukyo University has a great environment. Students can practice in the rink on the university campus and practice between classes. They can go back to class and after the 4th period, they can go back to the rink to practice. There is also a gym, trainers, and I think there are very few places in Japan that have such a well-equipped environment. We are really blessed.
Oh, Ryuju-kun, right? Thank you for your time. "The overseas skaters who are friends of yours" Uh, I can't speak English, so it's really just greetings and stuff like that these days. In the past, when I was a junior skater, I used to hang out with them even though I couldn't speak English, and we used to interact with each other during competitions. So I get along with those skaters of the same generation who competed together as juniors, like Junghwan, and also Canada's Roman Sadovsky, Roman-kun, and so on. We get along well because we have been competing together since we were juniors. Oh, Koshiro, howdy! So I feel very emotional and happy that we are still skating together on the senior stage. So, Junghwan, Roman-kun, who I competed with in the junior level, and there are many others, and I still feel emotional when I meet them in the senior level competitions.
Hey Shunsuke, howdy! Today's the day, right? You have an exhibition, right? Bloom on Ice, right? Good luck, Shunsuke. "I love you, Sota-kun." (laughs) Lucas, I love you too (laughs). We love each other. Let's declare our love, Koshiro. I love you all (laughs). "I love you, too." You guys only say stuff like that. Any questions? Any questions? I love everybody. They're all good boys, the Kinoshita team (laughs). Lucas and Shunsuke, I'm sure you're watching this together. Good luck with the Bloom. I wish I could see it, but it's far away, even if I'm in Japan, a little bit. Kyoto, right? I want to see it. I want to see Koshiro too. When was the last time? I can't wait to see him. Oh! Koshiro, too? I wonder if you're in the Bloom. Yeah, you're in the show. Koshiro's watching with everyone else? (laughs) I get it. Good luck, everyone. I see you're in Japan now, Koshiro. Good luck, guys.
-- to be cont'd --
"Please speak in Kishiwada dialect." I'm from Kishiwada. I'm from Kishiwada City, although I don't look like it (laughs). What is it like? It's pretty strong. I think it is a unique dialect that is quite peculiar and distinctive among Kansai dialects. But the people of Kishiwada are very friendly, and yes, they are all very nice. Sometimes when I go back to my hometown for occasions like the 20-year-old graduation ceremony I attended in Osaka, and when I go to my family's house, which I haven't been to lately, they sometimes invite me for dinner. Everyone is really very nice. I went to Kishiwada Elementary and Junior High School until I was in the first year, so I still see my friends from elementary school even after we grew up. "Please do Insta-live with Kazuki-kun." (laughs) Yeah, if we get the chance (laughs). But our schedules are tight with a lot of things. Kazuki is super busy right now. Kazuki has so many shows coming up one after the other. "What are you going to skate in Prince Ice World?" I'm planning to do a gala performance now. I am planning to show a new gala program, so please look forward to it. Where can I show my new short program for the first time? I'm not sure yet, but I hope to debut it somewhere.
I can't speak English. But I want to be able to speak English. I've been saying that I want to be able to speak English since I was in junior high school, when I started going to overseas competitions, but I'm 24 years old now and I haven't made any progress. I want to learn English, but I graduated from college, and those who really want to learn English must have studied hard in college. It's hard to get started. Actually, when you practice abroad for a long time like this time, you will naturally speak English more often, and you will get used to it a little. Even if it's just for a week, I can put words together and talk to Benoit-san. I think studying abroad and living in a foreign country is a big advantage. It's the same with practice. "The photo of you with Richaud-san" Ah, the one on Instagram with Benoit-san this time. I wonder if Benoit-san is usually based in France? I'm not sure where he's based, but he choreographs a lot of skaters at the rink in the U.S., and there are a lot of skaters from different places, and he choreographs them from morning to night every day, and I don't know how he can do that without getting everyone's choreography mixed up. When he does my choreography, he remembers the choreography for me and it is incredible. Usually it takes a choreographer about three days to choreograph one skater, but he choreographed 3 to 4 skaters a day. Amazing! A new method.
"Do you want to move your training base overseas?" Hmm, I graduated from Chukyo University, but I can skate at the Chukyo University rink while I am still active in the sport. In fact, the Chukyo University rink provides a very good environment, so I am sure that I will continue to be there. I am a member of the Grand Prix Tokai Club, under the guidance of Machiko sensei, and currently have no plans to move to another club. I can practice in a calm and relaxed way because Chukyo University has a great environment. Students can practice in the rink on the university campus and practice between classes. They can go back to class and after the 4th period, they can go back to the rink to practice. There is also a gym, trainers, and I think there are very few places in Japan that have such a well-equipped environment. We are really blessed.
Oh, Ryuju-kun, right? Thank you for your time. "The overseas skaters who are friends of yours" Uh, I can't speak English, so it's really just greetings and stuff like that these days. In the past, when I was a junior skater, I used to hang out with them even though I couldn't speak English, and we used to interact with each other during competitions. So I get along with those skaters of the same generation who competed together as juniors, like Junghwan, and also Canada's Roman Sadovsky, Roman-kun, and so on. We get along well because we have been competing together since we were juniors. Oh, Koshiro, howdy! So I feel very emotional and happy that we are still skating together on the senior stage. So, Junghwan, Roman-kun, who I competed with in the junior level, and there are many others, and I still feel emotional when I meet them in the senior level competitions.
Hey Shunsuke, howdy! Today's the day, right? You have an exhibition, right? Bloom on Ice, right? Good luck, Shunsuke. "I love you, Sota-kun." (laughs) Lucas, I love you too (laughs). We love each other. Let's declare our love, Koshiro. I love you all (laughs). "I love you, too." You guys only say stuff like that. Any questions? Any questions? I love everybody. They're all good boys, the Kinoshita team (laughs). Lucas and Shunsuke, I'm sure you're watching this together. Good luck with the Bloom. I wish I could see it, but it's far away, even if I'm in Japan, a little bit. Kyoto, right? I want to see it. I want to see Koshiro too. When was the last time? I can't wait to see him. Oh! Koshiro, too? I wonder if you're in the Bloom. Yeah, you're in the show. Koshiro's watching with everyone else? (laughs) I get it. Good luck, everyone. I see you're in Japan now, Koshiro. Good luck, guys.
-- to be cont'd --
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Thank you!! 
- what does Sota mean he doesn't 'look like he's from Kishiwada'? Are the Kishiwada folk especially merry-looking or something?
- he plans to stay at Chukyo and Tokai - good. I'm glad. If he's happy there, there's no reason to switch.
- English progress - that's because he doesn't speak Even if one doesn't fully learn the right eigo pronunciation (yes, I knew a person like that), it does wonders for one's speaking ability and remembering words and grammar. Replies to foreign skaters in English on social media, and talking to them beyond the basic phrases, perhaps about their programs or experiences in Japan, is a good way to start. It will get better, no matter how hard the beginnings. But excessive Google Translate use kills it, so that's one thing to use as a last resort, when one really really cannot remember. (though I sometimes wish I could use Google Translate in my classes, if only sensei wasn't looking directly at me, hehe!)
Now, some fan photos from PIW - there were many on Twitter so it's a shame I can only post two at a time:
- Sota trying on his seductive pose (while looking like he's about to burst out giggling, lol):
- some wholesome Shoma & Sota content:
- what does Sota mean he doesn't 'look like he's from Kishiwada'? Are the Kishiwada folk especially merry-looking or something?
- he plans to stay at Chukyo and Tokai - good. I'm glad. If he's happy there, there's no reason to switch.
- English progress - that's because he doesn't speak
Even if one doesn't fully learn the right eigo pronunciation (yes, I knew a person like that), it does wonders for one's speaking ability and remembering words and grammar. Replies to foreign skaters in English on social media, and talking to them beyond the basic phrases, perhaps about their programs or experiences in Japan, is a good way to start. It will get better, no matter how hard the beginnings. But excessive Google Translate use kills it, so that's one thing to use as a last resort, when one really really cannot remember. (though I sometimes wish I could use Google Translate in my classes, if only sensei wasn't looking directly at me, hehe!)Now, some fan photos from PIW - there were many on Twitter so it's a shame I can only post two at a time:
- Sota trying on his seductive pose (while looking like he's about to burst out giggling, lol):
- some wholesome Shoma & Sota content:
Last Part
"Are you doing Insta-live on a smartphone?" Smartphone. Oh no, it's draining the battery. It's like 40% right now. It was like 80% (laughs) before, but I should have charged it to the max before I started the insta-live. It started at 80 and now it's down to 47 after doing this show so far. Well, I have a portable charger ready just in case. Ah, my college friends are here too. My college friends, I mean my friends from when I was in college, they are watching this too. Ah, “Fantasy on Ice”, Deniss-kun, yeah, Deniss-kun, he is from the same generation. Deniss-kun, Roman-kun, Junghwan-kun, and also an Israeli skater, we often say hello to each other, and we are still friendly with each other. I'm very impressed that everyone has continued to skate and work hard.
"Insta-live is fun." What time is it now? The clock in my room is an hour or two behind. Oh, are the minutes accurate? It's 53 minutes. I can probably see it on my phone if I swipe to the side. What does that mean, 13 minutes left? What time did I start? (laughs) It looks like it's 9:53 in Japan. (laughs) But have I been talking that long? It's before 10 o'clock? Have I been talking that long? Wow, it's already been an hour. It went by so fast. The clock in my room is about two hours behind. An hour behind? Sometimes the hotel clocks can be five or ten minutes behind, but this one is an hour behind (laughs). I'm going to read a few more questions and then I'm going to wrap it up. Please give me your questions one last time.
"What do you talk about with Shoma-kun?" Hmm, well, we practice often at Chukyo, and we always talk about skating and many other things. So I'm really grateful to be able to train at Chukyo where Shoma-kun and Yuma-kun also train, and I always get a lot of inspiration from them. I learn from watching his jumps and programs up close. As for video games, I play games too, but I can't really talk about games with Shoma-kun now because I don't really play that seriously, but we used to play games together, like Tsum Tsum, and also Clash of Clans. There was a time when all the skaters were into those games, and we were all into them for a while. We played Tsum Tsum together and Taiko Drum Master on the iPad (laughs). But lately we just talk about skating, like how he jumps. It's fun to talk about such things.
"You've become a good big brother." (laughs) Really? Our big sister Nitaya-san (Rin Nitaya) says so. Honestly, I really have huge respect for those who have found jobs and are working. Ryuju-kun says, "Please tell me how not to oversleep. I should have come to this live show in time.” (laughs) Right, I told Ryuju-kun about the event and he said he would watch it. But surprisingly, Ryuju-kun joined us in the middle of the show (laughs). I thought he was watching from the beginning and left at one point. Well, it started early, at 9 o'clock. I'm just happy to see so many people watching this show.
"Do you talk about 4F?" Ah, with Shoma-kun? Well, 4F, um, I started training it seriously about 2 years ago, in the off-season, well, I couldn't include it in my program during the season, so I trained the flip and the lutz in the off-season, and he gave me some tips back then. Or rather, I asked Shoma-kun roughly how he jumped, and I still train the 4F in the off-season, but, well, I lost it now (laughs). I jumped it last year in the off-season, but now it's gone. I'm going to do my best this year. I want to do the flip. But, you know, just one more quad in FS, it's already hard to put in or jump a flip, plus it's even harder to do other elements after that, it's super hard. Even though it's just one more quad, or so it seems, it's a big challenge, and it affects not only my mental aspect of jumping the flip, but the other elements as well. It drains my physical strength as well. So, you know, the quad jumpers like Manilin, it's hard enough for me to concentrate on the quads in the first half, but landing the quad Lutz combination in the second half is ridiculous. I feel like, 'What in the world?!' (laughs). Or the triple Axel on the last jump sequence! I'm not good at the Axel. If I land it in the second half, I'm like, 'Hooray!' (laughs) I'm still working hard on the Axel in the off-season, and I'm still working hard on it. I'm in a period of strengthening my Axel (laughs). I am working hard on Axel and 4F. I will do my best.
What, this is an hour? Instalive. It says ‘1 minute and 50 seconds remaining’. Is the Instalive up to an hour? What, is it almost over? That was fast. It says ‘1 minute and 30 seconds to go’ on the screen. Wow, that was fast. I feel like I've only been talking for about 30 minutes, but is it going to be over already? Will it disappear by itself? Well, I'd like to say a few closing words. Thank you all again for today. Thank you for coming to my Insta-live this morning. It was a lot of fun, thanks to all of you. If I have a chance to do it again, I will definitely do it again, please come and watch it if I have another opportunity. What else is there to say? Ah, Prince...Prince's ice show is coming up at the end of April, so please come and see it. Okay. "Archive" I'll keep the archive if I don't make a mistake. Thank you all for coming to see me early in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone, including many skaters, came to watch. Yeah, it was fun. I want to do it again. When will the next one be? I feel like I'm satisfied just doing it this time (laughs). Well then, thank you very much for today's insta-live, even though it was early in the morning. I think I will do it again when I have a chance. Is Prince the next event? I will do my best. Well, let's meet again somewhere. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.
-- Phew, the end --
"Are you doing Insta-live on a smartphone?" Smartphone. Oh no, it's draining the battery. It's like 40% right now. It was like 80% (laughs) before, but I should have charged it to the max before I started the insta-live. It started at 80 and now it's down to 47 after doing this show so far. Well, I have a portable charger ready just in case. Ah, my college friends are here too. My college friends, I mean my friends from when I was in college, they are watching this too. Ah, “Fantasy on Ice”, Deniss-kun, yeah, Deniss-kun, he is from the same generation. Deniss-kun, Roman-kun, Junghwan-kun, and also an Israeli skater, we often say hello to each other, and we are still friendly with each other. I'm very impressed that everyone has continued to skate and work hard.
"Insta-live is fun." What time is it now? The clock in my room is an hour or two behind. Oh, are the minutes accurate? It's 53 minutes. I can probably see it on my phone if I swipe to the side. What does that mean, 13 minutes left? What time did I start? (laughs) It looks like it's 9:53 in Japan. (laughs) But have I been talking that long? It's before 10 o'clock? Have I been talking that long? Wow, it's already been an hour. It went by so fast. The clock in my room is about two hours behind. An hour behind? Sometimes the hotel clocks can be five or ten minutes behind, but this one is an hour behind (laughs). I'm going to read a few more questions and then I'm going to wrap it up. Please give me your questions one last time.
"What do you talk about with Shoma-kun?" Hmm, well, we practice often at Chukyo, and we always talk about skating and many other things. So I'm really grateful to be able to train at Chukyo where Shoma-kun and Yuma-kun also train, and I always get a lot of inspiration from them. I learn from watching his jumps and programs up close. As for video games, I play games too, but I can't really talk about games with Shoma-kun now because I don't really play that seriously, but we used to play games together, like Tsum Tsum, and also Clash of Clans. There was a time when all the skaters were into those games, and we were all into them for a while. We played Tsum Tsum together and Taiko Drum Master on the iPad (laughs). But lately we just talk about skating, like how he jumps. It's fun to talk about such things.
"You've become a good big brother." (laughs) Really? Our big sister Nitaya-san (Rin Nitaya) says so. Honestly, I really have huge respect for those who have found jobs and are working. Ryuju-kun says, "Please tell me how not to oversleep. I should have come to this live show in time.” (laughs) Right, I told Ryuju-kun about the event and he said he would watch it. But surprisingly, Ryuju-kun joined us in the middle of the show (laughs). I thought he was watching from the beginning and left at one point. Well, it started early, at 9 o'clock. I'm just happy to see so many people watching this show.
"Do you talk about 4F?" Ah, with Shoma-kun? Well, 4F, um, I started training it seriously about 2 years ago, in the off-season, well, I couldn't include it in my program during the season, so I trained the flip and the lutz in the off-season, and he gave me some tips back then. Or rather, I asked Shoma-kun roughly how he jumped, and I still train the 4F in the off-season, but, well, I lost it now (laughs). I jumped it last year in the off-season, but now it's gone. I'm going to do my best this year. I want to do the flip. But, you know, just one more quad in FS, it's already hard to put in or jump a flip, plus it's even harder to do other elements after that, it's super hard. Even though it's just one more quad, or so it seems, it's a big challenge, and it affects not only my mental aspect of jumping the flip, but the other elements as well. It drains my physical strength as well. So, you know, the quad jumpers like Manilin, it's hard enough for me to concentrate on the quads in the first half, but landing the quad Lutz combination in the second half is ridiculous. I feel like, 'What in the world?!' (laughs). Or the triple Axel on the last jump sequence! I'm not good at the Axel. If I land it in the second half, I'm like, 'Hooray!' (laughs) I'm still working hard on the Axel in the off-season, and I'm still working hard on it. I'm in a period of strengthening my Axel (laughs). I am working hard on Axel and 4F. I will do my best.
What, this is an hour? Instalive. It says ‘1 minute and 50 seconds remaining’. Is the Instalive up to an hour? What, is it almost over? That was fast. It says ‘1 minute and 30 seconds to go’ on the screen. Wow, that was fast. I feel like I've only been talking for about 30 minutes, but is it going to be over already? Will it disappear by itself? Well, I'd like to say a few closing words. Thank you all again for today. Thank you for coming to my Insta-live this morning. It was a lot of fun, thanks to all of you. If I have a chance to do it again, I will definitely do it again, please come and watch it if I have another opportunity. What else is there to say? Ah, Prince...Prince's ice show is coming up at the end of April, so please come and see it. Okay. "Archive" I'll keep the archive if I don't make a mistake. Thank you all for coming to see me early in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone, including many skaters, came to watch. Yeah, it was fun. I want to do it again. When will the next one be? I feel like I'm satisfied just doing it this time (laughs). Well then, thank you very much for today's insta-live, even though it was early in the morning. I think I will do it again when I have a chance. Is Prince the next event? I will do my best. Well, let's meet again somewhere. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.
-- Phew, the end --
Scroll down this and you'll see the image of 岸和田男子 (Kishiwada man).- what does Sota mean he doesn't 'look like he's from Kishiwada'? Are the Kishiwada folk especially merry-looking or something?
Below the drawing are the characteristics of Kishiwada men:
・I love my hometown, my family and friends are very important, and festivals are even more important.
・I have been naughty in my life and I am still a bit naughty (grinning).
・I have a loud voice and I sound rough, so people tend to think I'm scary (sweating).
・Actually, I am a gentle and compassionate person who takes my duties very seriously.
・I like to put things in black and white.
・When I get angry, I'm really scary.
Scroll down further and you'll see the video of Danjiri Festival performed by Kishiwada men. This famous festival attracts crowds from all over Japan and overseas.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Sota had his monthly Unlim meeting yesterday (due to GS's media photo limits, I'll share pics tomorrow) :] Among other things, he revealed new stickers with his name to match his fan banner/towel, showed his gala costume close up, and talked about his new gala choreo creation. A wee snippet of it on Sota's Twitter (from PIW):
Here's another one from PIW (I hope Sota's tape on his skates is just to hold his boot laces in place):
Here's another one from PIW (I hope Sota's tape on his skates is just to hold his boot laces in place):
