- Joined
- Dec 7, 2022
Japanese skaters choosing music of Japanese origin / by Japanese composers / songwriters is not that rare. A (non-comprehensive) list in chronological order – curiously there have been more male than female Japanese skaters to do so:
- 1987/88: Midori Ito, “Yotei no Matsuri” by Yasuhiro Sakurada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg8tLyMqTpA
- [1995: Yuka Sato, “Sozo” by Kitarō (Masanori Takahashi) (she competed professionally with it)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vn3xGq5jgA]
- 1999/2000: Takeshi Honda, “Kojiki” by Kitarō (Masanori Takahashi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81egrF2YpTI
- 2001/02: Rie Arikawa & Kenji Miyamoto, “Kojiki/Orochi” by Kitarō (Masanori Takahashi) / „Sha Rion“ by Eri Kawai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTiqSK5sBWU
- 2003/04: Yamato Tamura, “Space Battleship Yamato“ by Hiroshi Miyagawa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGfSu1d8n7Q
- 2005/06: Nakako Tsuzuki & Kenji Miyamoto, „House of flying daggers*“ soundtrack by Shigeru Umebayashi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtvWfXExxhI
- 2005/06: Nobunari Oda, “Zatoichi” soundtrack by Keiichi Suzuki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHHRdtNNzS8
- 2006/07: Daisuke Murakami, “The Vision of Escaflowne” soundtrack by Yoko Kanno
- 2008/09: Takahito Mura, “Kojiki” by Kitarō (Masanori Takahashi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwgVt6hnw-0
- 2009/10: Cathy & Chris Reed, “Sakura” and “Lion” by Kodō
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcN1Z81QJyQ
- 2009/10: Daisuke Takahashi, “Eye” by Coba (Yasuhiro Kobayashi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAuNlFsrMT4
- 2010/11: Nobunari Oda, “Storm” by the Yoshida Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyZ-4t3SqJY
- 2014/15/16: Yuma Kagiyama, “Zatoichi” soundtrack by Keiichi Suzuki
- 2015/16: Daisuke Murakami, “Anniversary (Theme for the Emperor of Japan)” by Yoshiki (Hayashi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrO5p4Gyp2k
- 2015/16: Kazuki Tomono, “Japanese Doll“ by Mizuo Osawa and „Genkon” by Kaoru Wada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yaB4C-Hg8
[Great music choice and choreography incorporating kabuki movements!]
- 2015/16/17/18/20: Yuzuru Hanyu, “Seimei” soundtrack by Shigeru Umebayashi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anl49G05148
- 2016/17: Yuzuru Hanyu, “Hope and Legacy” soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY3IjHwFM54
- 2018/19: SotaYamamoto, “Nobunaga Concerto” by Masaru Yokoyama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jy_YFXCz-c
- 2018/19: Yuma Kagiyama, “Ryōmaden“ and “Kaikoku” soundtracks by Naoki Satō
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj8bRZ1el_U
- 2020/21: Rika Hongo, “Reawakening” Ghost in the shell soundtrack by Kenji Kawai
https://youtu.be/EdbOJtfCvX8?t=29
- 2020/21/22: Yuzuru Hanyu, “Ten to chi to” soundtrack by Isao Tomita
https://youtu.be/pqzRpXGmM5U?t=462
- 2021/22: Kana Muramoto & Daisuke Takahashi, “Sōran Bushi” (Japanese traditional song) performed by Maïa Barouh
https://youtu.be/WGJBQ3yDMLI?t=572
- 2021/22: Keiji Tanaka, “Shin Evangelion” soundtrack by Shirō Sagisu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RanLJLEo3B0
- 2022/23: Rinka Watanabe, “Jin” soundtrack by Yu Takami, Seiko Nagaoka and Kan Sawada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwX0Ga4-jxc
- 2022/23: Nobunari Oda, “Princess Mononoke” soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi
- 2023/24: Kao Miura, “Attack on Titan” soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano and Kohta Yamamoto
I didn’t include any of the “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” (by Ryuichi Sakamoto) programs. There are way too many!
*Chinese movie
The female skaters are even more traditional.
But in general, that's not a huge list when you consider how many of the top skaters are Asian these days, and most of these are soundtracks, some of movies that are very well known in "the west". It's not exactly music you heard at home and school and that people from other countries may not know about.