Rainbow

Sota’s segment of FSTV aired Jul. 12, 2019. Translation: (A=announcer, Y=Yaginuma, S=Sota, PC= Pasquale Camerlengo) A: Sota Yamamoto made a great comeback with a victory at the Challenge Cup in February this year. We will report how he was building his new competition programs for the new season.

Translation of Mitsuki's tweet about turning senior: https://twitter.com/mitsuki130204/status/1141482720230379521 "My tweet has spread faster than I had expected… Last season I felt very frustrated and I wanted to redeem myself staying in junior circuit. But as time has gone by my desire to compete on the senior stage has grown stronger, and I’ve decided to turn senior. I have nothing to lose. I will fight with all my might at every competition. I would appreciate your support." Good luck, Mitsuki!

Part 4 of 4 Y: [responding to the staff’s request to speak Chinese] Hehe, I wonder if this is correct. It may sound like Chinese. A: Go for it with a Chinese vibe. Please go ahead! Y: Can I say this to camera? Hehe…,Okay [controls his breath] “Shān běn Cǎo tài,”Did I get it right? It goes like that. A: You only said your name [laughs]! Y: I said Yamamoto Sota. I cannot say anything else. A: [responding to the staff’s request] Okay, “Wǒ jiào Huāng chuān Jìng xiāng” Y: Wow ! A: "Dàjiā hǎo. Xiè xie." Y: Wow [clapping his hands] A: I am Arakawa Shizuka. Hello to you all. Thank you. That’s all [laughs]. That’s all I can remember. Also I remember very well that a letter in kanji （手紙）means toilet tissue in Chinese. Y: Whoa [laughs] . . . . A: I think your skating skills are amazing in that you accelerate smoothly and pick up speed before our noticing it. Do you realize that? Or does it come naturally? Y: Well, I don’t feel like that at all because I feel I push very hard to glide. A: I see. As I remember, you have been able to accelerate fluidly and much better than others since your junior days. . . . . A: Now I think you mastered the quad toe loop, but are you training anything else? Y: When it comes to quads I think I should go for salchow next. I landed it in practice when I was in first year of high school, but afterwards I could not control it. I need to work at it so that I can land it in competition. A: Have you started training it? Y: I tried it one time for the first time in a long time before going to Netherlands, but I under-rotated and fell on it [laughs]. Well, I realized I need more practice. A: Please analyze yourself. Do you feel a gap between your expressive self on ice and your usual self? Y: Let me see. On the ground I really… A: On the ground [laughs]? Y: Hehehe, on the ground I find it a little hard to have full confidence in myself…. On ice I am more self-confident and I very much want people to see me skate…. I am happy that I chose to skate. A: Right now what do you think is the attraction to skating? Y: I haven’t thought about it very much, but lots of people come to see it and I put out my skate and the audience sees it…. . . . ◇Narrator: In this interview by an Olympics gold medalist, Shizuka Arakawa, Sota Yamamoto wants to ask her some questions. Y: Arakawa-san experienced Olympics which is such a big stage and you won gold. I would like very much to hear how you reached the goal of winning Olympics gold, such as how you lived your life, what kind of practice you went through. A: …I think Yamamoto senshu would get empowered when you know where to set your goal and aim for it, so I want you to fully enjoy skating keeping that in mind. Y: Thank you very much. That was very good advice. Thank you so much [bowing deeply]. . . . . A: Now you have a future ahead of you. Where is your big goal? Y: Let me see. After all, I started skating after I watched Olympics and wanted to win a gold medal, so I want to go to the Olympics [nodding 3 times]. Since I have such a strong desire to do so, from now on I want to deliver better performances and results in order to become such a skater who deserves to be on the team. I will continue to work hard to fulfill my dream. A: Please do your best. Y: Yes, I will give it my best shot. Thank you very much.

Next page of the blog https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12450787734.html Part 3 of 4 ◇Narrator: 2018 Season short is “Air on the G String” and free is “Nobunaga Concerto.” He tells the story about the selection process. Y: Music for short is the one Olympian ice dancers skated to at Olympics long time ago. (Photo of Albertville Olympics gold medalists Marina eKlimova and Sergei Ponomarenko is shown.) Their performance was breathtaking and I wanted to skate to this music myself, so I decided on “Air on the G String.” Free is … Y: Every time I start selecting my new programs I don’t have anything in particular in mind, because I listen to many songs in different genres before I pick one. About choreographers I don’t have a burning desire to definitely be choreographed overseas…If I am given an opportunity I would like to try but it is not my absolute wish. I’ll keep talking to my senseis and decide. . . . . A: Among consumes by your designers, do you have any one that particularly impressed you? Y: Recently I skated to “Jekyll & Hyde” for the short last season, and she added short cape like flowing ruffles. It was an unusual design for me and I found it very unique and cool. (Photo of the costume is shown.) A: Is there any one you would absolutely hate? Any color, or shape? Y: Umm, No, I cannot think of any off the top of my head. Nothing in particular. A: Assuming you skate to an up-tempo tune and you are given a florescent pink costume, such as a florescent pink shirt, you might as well put in on? Y: Oh, if the costume suits the music and me, I am fine with it. But I’ve never imagined this sort of thing and I have no idea. As long as it looks fine on me it’s okay. I have no problems at all. ◇Narrator: Skating has always been the center of his life. What does he do for relaxation? Y: Hehehe…The first thing that popped into my mind is taking a walk [laughs]. Q: You walk your dog? Y: No, I don’t have a dog, so I walk myself [laughs]. Also I take a long hot bath to relax. My only relaxation activities are the ones I do in my daily life. Q: What do you want to do when you turn 20? Y: It’s just a matter of course but, hehehe, since I have never tasted alcohol I am curious to drink it a little bit. That’s all I can think of for now. ◇Narrator: Now he is a first year college student. How is his personal daily life? A: Now that you are 19 this is your last year of being a teenager. What moment are you the happiest? Y: Ummm, I don’t have any hobbies at all [laughs]. A: No hobbies! What do you do on your day off? Y: I stay home and relax [laughs]. I honestly do nothing but skating. A: You’ve been like that since you were little? You didn’t have any favorite thing? Y: When I was in elementary school I was crazy about games. A: You got over it? Y: Yes, it’s not the phone type and I loved DS Pokemon so much that I used to spend a lot of time playing the game. But these days I don’t even play video games on my phone any more. Frankly I don’t have any hobbies and I am at a loss what to do. A: I’ve never met anyone who is troubled by not having any hobby [laughs]. Okay then, what do you do when you are on the train? Y: Well…today I was watching videos on my tablet. A: That’s a hobby, a good one! Y: You think it is a good hobby? I am glad to hear that [laughs]. A: Well, what is your major? You are in what department? Y: Sports Science department…I don’t have the confidence to speak English and I struggle with it. Also I have to take a secondary foreign language and I picked Chinese. I found it very difficult and am going through a terribly hard time [laughs]. A: Me too! I chose Chinese. It was very hard. I had some opportunities to go to China for ice show and I thought I could show the audience what I had learned. But they reacted in blank looks. First of all the pronunciation of my name is tough. Y: You have to learn Pinyin (note: Pinyin is the special system created for people to learn Mandarin pronunciation.) A: It sure is hard to copy the Chinese intonation. Every time I introduced myself in Chinese no one understood my words [laughs]. I hit the wall there.

Part 2 of 4 A: Today we have asked him to bring in his skating boots that he is currently using. I’m really interested in this little guy [laughs] who is attached to the blade cover. What is this? Y: I’m not sure whether it is a mouse or squirrel [* It is a cat], anyway I suppose the cover part is its tail. A: Did you buy it? Did you pick it yourself? Y: Yes, hehehe. But it’s not because the case came with this guy but because blue is my favorite color. I like this blue so I picked it [laughs]. A: Isn’t it a little cumbersome to carry it around? Y: That’s true. Inside my backpack this guy is a little bulky [laughs while happily playing with it with his fingers]. A: After you have used it for a long time you cannot leave this baby behind. Y: Hahaha, I am not attached to him yet [laughs]. A: Can you please remove these cute blade covers and show us your blades? Y: Yes! My boots are made by Jackson. I have been wearing Jackson since I was a little kid, and I could not bring myself to switch to another manufacturer’s model. I can adjust new Jackson boots to my feet by warming them in an oven, and I like that feature now. Well, my blades are Pattern 99. A: How long have you been using your boots in this combination? Y: Ummm, since I was in elementary school. A: How often do you replace your boots? Y: That depends on how much I practice. When I was in high school I practiced so much that I replaced my boots every three months. Lately I practice less so during last season and this season my boots lasted for more than a year. A: Who takes care of your boots? Y: Oh, my coaches are so helpful that they change the blades and sharpen them as well. Currently there are five female coaches and Miho Kawaume sensei always maintains our boots. A: Well then, you get the blades attached to the position you prefer? Y: I always get my blades attached right in the center as I’m not so picky. I leave it up to my sensei. She could place them off center but we tend to end up with the center position. A: You are not particular about the blade placement? Y: I guess not. A: Are you particular about blade hollow? Do you like it deep or shallow? Y: I don’t have any preference [laughs]. I leave it up to her and after getting my blades sharpened I don’t feel the big difference, so they are probably shallow. A: How often do you get your blades sharpened? Y: Longest would be every 2 months, and shortest is 2, 3 weeks. I always get them sharpened before competition so that depends on the timing of competitions. I make sure that they get sharpened 2 to 3 days before competition. A: You have been using this Jackson and Pattern 99 for a long time and you are used to them. Is there anything you want to change now considering your current technique? Y: Well, as I am used to it since I was a kid, I have been using the same type. But from next season I may try different boots and blades. I’m not sure if I can break in my boots of different model, so if it does not work out I may go back to the current model. A: What are you trying to do by changing your boots? Y: I think Jackson boots are a little heavy. The latest model of Edea is so lightweight. I haven’t skated in Edea boots with blades attached so I don’t know for sure, but I felt they were very light when I tried them on off the ice. I would like to train taking advantage of the difference. A: Blades, too? Y: Yes, I heard that Pattern Revolution blades are very much lighter, so I would like to use them. A: After I changed my blades to the lighter ones crossovers became so easy. Y: Wow! A: Because of that it was a little easier to skate through the program. Although people told me that a feel for jumps would change, it didn’t change that much. I changed the blades only, though. Y: I see. You know one thing about Revolution? It makes a loud gliding sound. A: A sound comes from resonant hollow space. I sure am bothered by a bit scratchy sound like, crunch-crunch. Y: That bothers me, too. A: I understand. Oh well, as long as the boots makes it easy for you to skate, they are the best. You might as well try various boots as long as you don’t get lost. Y: Yes, Thank you very much.

Translation of transcript of some parts of TV interview with Sota by Shizuka in “Friends Plus”aired on in March, 2019. This Sota fan blogger transcribed some parts of the 1-hour interview. The transcript is in two pages on her blog, and the translation is in 4 parts. https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12450312169.html Part 1 of 4 ◇ Narrator: Our today’s guest is 19 years old who has just finished this season with a gold medal at an international competition. A: He is expected to make a complete comeback. Here he is. Y: (Timidly he enters the room [laughs]. He makes sure he closed the door securely.) Y: I am Sota Yamamoto. Well, I think this is my first time to talk to Arakawa-san, and I am very nervous. Pleased to meet you. A: I am surprised that you have grown up so much. Y: Well, I cannot tell myself [laughs]. . . . . A: How tall are you? Y: I am…172cm. A: Are you still growing? Y: I wish I could say yes [They burst into laughter.] After practice I shrink by 1cm. A: Shrink? Y: Yes, Probably by the impact of jumps but I’m not sure. . . . . A: I heard that there was an interesting story about the gala at Challenge Cup. Y: There was a dance battle part of gala…and when I realized I had to enter that battle I honestly hated it [laughs]. A: You hated to dance? Y: Yes, I don’t have a lot of dancing experiences. You improvise dance move to the random tune which was different every time. But I am not good at dancing [laughs], so I was thinking of getting myself eliminated at the first round [laughs]. A: You were passive [laughs]. Y: Many Japanese skaters entered that Challenge Cup and a lot of Japanese people and fans came to see the event. Although I could not dance at all [embarrassed grin] I somehow kept moving on to the next round, and I was wondering why. Then I went on to the final battle with Sara Honda-chan [laughs]. I won and they gave me a little spending money [laughs]. A: How did you do? Y: I focused on myself too much to see others. It looks like everybody else danced, but I was doing nothing but skating and some jumping. A: The audience loved it. Y: I’m glad it went fine [laughs]. A: You came to enjoy dancing a little? Y: I came to think I’d better work at it [laughs] . . . . A: Do you have siblings? Y: I am an only child. A: Me, too. I’m an only child. When did you start skating? Y: I was five… A: You were born in Osaka and now you train in Nagoya. When did you move to Nagoya? Y: It was during the summer when I was in the first year in middle school … I had not been doing well before Kinki Regionals and I skated terrible at the competition... Right after the competition I talked with my mother in a car for hours. We made up our minds and we moved to Nagoya a few days later. A: You moved! You didn’t go there to give it a try, but you moved all of a sudden? Y: Yes, the Japan Novice Nationals was just around the corner in about two weeks. Since I got into a very different environment I felt uneasy, but I ended up winning the competition and I’m able to keep skating now. So I think I made the right decision [nodding]. . . . . ◇Narrator: In August during the second season after his comeback he landed the triple axel which had caused his injury before. He got back a quad in December at Japan Nationals. At the last competition of this season he landed the quad in the short and free. . . . . A: How much confidence boost have you gained in terms of quad now? After you landed quads cleanly in competition your confidence must have gone up a lot. Y: That’s right. As I am less scared of quad than triple axel I am more confident of the quad. My current quad is the one I landed before the other one and it is easier to focus on that jump. I think I need to train more to be able to land in other places also... . . . . Y: I really love skating and I believe I have been able to continue skating because of my passion for skating. . . . .

Part 3 of 3 - About the skating order at the Japanese Nationals in the third group, the first, second, and the third skaters were Ryuu Hino senshu, Yamamoto senshu and Tatsuya Tsuboi senshu respectively, and all of them belongs to Howa Sports Land. Ryuju-kun and I often skate one after another and we laughed and said “Here we go again.” The three of us were saying “It must be the hectic time for our coaches [laughs].” - When Tsuboi senshu won the Japan Junior Nationals he said “I want to give the good news to Yamamoto senshu in person.” Did he say anything to you? Ta-chan is not the type to start a conversation so I spoke to him, I guess? When I went to Chukyo I saw him and the moment he went into the changing room I said to him “Congratulations!” he beamed and said “Hooray!” - He must have been happy you celebrated his win. What do you think of his growth as his senpai? Ta-chan is very sincere and hard working. Knowing how hard he practices it’s not surprising that he won. He not only practices hard but also studies hard. I often see him study with a textbook in the changing room before the exam period, and I heard that he gets very good grades. - I understand that Yamamoto senshu has been a good example for Tsuboi senshu. What do you think of his skating? It is nice of him to say often that he has been learning from me, but he skates so well that I feel like telling him not to use someone like me as an example, and actually he is good at many things which I feel like I could learn from. But I don’t want to lose to younger ones [laughs]. I want to deliver a tangible outcome. - Next season will be your last one as a teen. What do you think are necessary for you to make further progress? From now on it is important to enjoy skating but at the same time I also need to be mentally strong not to avoid challenging training. I will move forward squarely facing myself. - What are your thoughts about quad salchow? It’s on my mind a little but I am not training it. I’ll keep the same jump content as the one for the Japanese Nationals for the time being, and I want to skate clean with the same layout. - Please go for it. We are looking forward to the day when you start training the quad salchow a week before some competition. Yes, some day [laugh]. If I try a new jump I wonder it will be that jump. Or it could be a difficult combo. - Such as? 3A-3T (triple axel-triple toe loop), for example. - When you land the quad salchow or 3A-3T in competition somewhere please let us know again how you learned. Yes [laughs]. - Please tell us about your private life a little bit. Is there anything you are into lately? Or what activities do you enjoy? [taking a little time to think] Ummm, skating is the only thing I came up with…..I kind of live to skate. - So your daily life is all about skating. Do you feel that your life revolves around skating too? I think so. I would like to have a skating related career in the future. - Coaching? Yes, I want to become a coach. Even if I cannot become a coach I would like a job where I get to take part in skating. Well, I don’t know yet if things will turn out well [laughs]. - You really love figure skating. Yes, because it’s the only thing I can do. So far I’m into anything but skating. - Do you sometimes give advice to younger skaters at Howa Sports Land? I don’t actively approach them to offer advice but there are times I teach them through my coach. For example when Ta-chan was struggling with something my coach said to him “Get advice from So-chan,” while telling me to give advice to Ta-chan [laughs]. - That’s a nice story. I’m still learning so I cannot teach anything yet, but once I get in a position to teach I would seriously coach my students. I also love watching other skaters’ performances. - You have a choice to become a choreographer. Nooo, I am not confident of my choreographic ability [laughs]. I’m fine with expressing emotions but I don’t think it is my strength. I suppose skaters who are also good dancers will make good choreographers. Coaching seems to be a more realistic choice for me, but so far it is beyond my imagination since my abilities are still limited. I would like to explorer my possibilities while striving to be a better skater. - Thank you very much. Now please give messages to your fans. Thank you very much for your support at the Japanese Nationals. I am also grateful to your cheering me on so much at Asian Open Trophy, Finlandia Trophy, and NHK Trophy. I would like to keep working hard to achieve results by turning your support into my power. Thank you for your continued support. - How do you feel the power of support? I feel really happy to be supported. It makes me fully realize that many people are watching me, and it motivates me to deliver better performances.

Part 2 of 3 - Now that you landed the quad toe loop in competition, I think you are completely back. What do you think about that? Ummm, let me see [taking a little time to ponder] In terms of program content I got it back at a minimum level, so perhaps I could say that. But I have to improve my skate quality more and more and to skate flawlessly. I want to get better results so I need to go for a higher goal. - In the mind of Yamamoto senshu has there been a change already from “a skater who has overcome injury” to “a skater who is aiming for the top”? While I was injured I was going through a hard time and it was painful, but now I have come to think that what happened belongs to the past. I gained confidence as I caught up the former level, and I hope to be able to challenge myself to reach a higher goal (than before the injury). - Going through your comments after your comeback we feel that your mentality has been getting stronger. I myself realize that my mindset has gone through changes. What I need now is to get results [laughs]. From now on it is essential that I keep working hard to achieve good results. - At Japanese Nationals you frankly expressed your desire to be stronger and to get results. At last season’s Japanese Nationals my goal was to enjoy myself. When I had thought about what goal I should set for this season I came up with “achieve results” and I have been chasing that goal. When I get good results I am satisfied and enjoy myself, so my current goal is to be stronger and get better results. - How do you feel about the result (9th) at Japan Nationals? It reflects my current real ability. I think it shows what my level is. Because of that I want to improve myself to deliver good results. - How did you feel when you were chosen to be an alternate for the Worlds and the Four Continent Championships? - Although there is a possibility that I will have a chance to go there, I don’t feel happy like, "Yay, I was chosen as an alternate!" After all I want to be selected to be on the team and I have to be stronger to reach the goal. I may be aiming too high [laughs]. - You are going for the spot on the national team next season. Yes, I want to be the kind of skater who deserves the spot. - It may be too soon now but what do you think about Beijing Olympics? Many people around me are kindly telling me that I may have a shot at Beijing Olympics, but I feel too embarrassed to comment on the possibility considering my current standing because there are eight skaters above me after the Japanese Nationals. I have to deliver good skate and results first to be able to comment on that. - What do you think are good results? I would think my ideal performances. It’s the kind of skate that everyone considers fantastic, so to speak? - Now that you have shown your technical improvement don’t you feel the road to Beijing Olympics has become shorter? Only just a little bit shorter than before, I guess. But I haven’t reached the level to be on that road since I haven’t achieved results at international competitions yet. That’s why I want to become the skater who can express himself confidently. But if I reach that level I will set a new goal, so I’ll see what will happen. - At the Japanese Nationals you were with Kazuki Tomono senshu and Taichiro Yamakuma senshu who used to practice alongside at the Rinkai Sports Center. Yes, we also skated one after another in the short. After the skating order was drawn we said “Great!” and encouraged each other by saying “Let’s do our best.” After the competition Taichiro must have felt he got good results and I and perhaps Kazuki as well left with the feeling that we should have pushed ourselves a little harder. Anyway for the first time in a long time I felt that everyone was working hard to reach his own goal, and I had a good time feeling nostalgia. - Did you hang out with them off the ice? I always go back to Osaka after the Japanese Nationals so we all got together there. Last time we went to a spa after eating okonomi-yaki. This time we ate BBQ meat, went to the same spa and then went to eat ramen noodle. - Guided by Tomono senshu? Yes, “Let’s finish with ramen!” While soaking in a hot bath we talked about many things such as our childhood days. These are fond memories. Each one of us is one year apart in terms of school grades, I guess? - Tomono senshu is like a big brother and Yamamoto senshu and Yamakuma senshu have been rivals since childhood. - Yes, I have been thinking of him as my rival for a long time. Off-ice we had been best buddies and I think we still are. Yesterday, for example, we went out to eat mazesoba noodle after practice at Chukyo [laughs]. … To be continued to the last part

Translation of Sota interview on Quadruple Axel 2019 in January before Challenge Cup. The magazine has many interviews with Japanese male skaters with beautiful photos. Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4635924939/ Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJJGMVH/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Part 1 of 3 - You turned 19 on January 10. There were a lot of birthday wishes to you on SNS. Did you read them? Yes, I haven’t updated my account for a long time but I read all of them [laughs]. I was really happy to get so many messages and I was very grateful. - Did you get many messages from your skating friends? Yes, some of them said happy birthday to me in person at the rink, and others sent me messages by LINE or Email. - You have the same birthday as Yuna Aoki senshu. Yes, I have known that but haven’t been able to bring myself to send a happy birthday message to her [laughs], and even when she came to Chukyo to practice I missed the chance to greet her. Although I’ve had some opportunities to greet her or chat with her, so far I never could get around saying happy birthday to her [laughs]. - It shows you how reserved you are. Next birthday please exchange happy birthday messages between you! Yes [embarrassed grin]. - Let’s look back at the Japanese National Championships. First of all, we were surprised at your successful landing of a quad toe loop jump. In our previous interview you said that you wanted to start training the quad toe loop. Since that time it took you just a short time to successfully execute that jump in competition. Please tell us how you progressed from the time you started training till you achieved success. After I made a comeback and got my triple axel back I had wanted to jump a quad for a long time. But I did not have enough confidence and I was only saying that I would like to start training the quad soon, and at practice for many days I did not have the guts to try the quad toe loop. But about one week before the Japan Nationals I finally built up courage to try one quad jump thinking “I’ve got to give my all.” I could somehow rotate but fell after two-foot landing. When I got my triple axel back, I was able to land it on the first attempt after practicing double axel jumps many times, but the quad jump fought back [laughs]. But even though I fell on the jump I got a good feel for it. Afterwards I went to Chukyo National Training Center (*reserved for JSF supported skaters) over the weekend and saw many skaters jumping quads right and left and I realized I had to buckle down too. Then I concentrated more than usual on jumping the quad and I was able to land it super clean. - So you landed it three days after you challenged it. It had been a long time since you jumped the quad toe loop the last time after your injury? When I was in the second year of high school I came back on ice first time around after my injury (May-July 2016), I was training it to some extent. However, even though I could land the triple axel I was nowhere near ready to land the quad. I lost my grip on quad as I could not regain my senses. The quad I am jumping now is not the one I used to jump. The difference is so big that I feel as if I could finally master a new quad toe loop. - Is it difficult to put in words how you feel differently between the previous quad and the current quad? Well, it is difficult to explain. [He took a little time to think it over] I think the previous quad was higher. However the desire to cleanly land it is definitely more intense now. Back then I had fear of jumping itself, but now I am scared of falls, so I when I jump I’m hell-bent on clean landing no matter what. People around me often say to me “How can you land jumps with so little practice time?” but that’s because I am determined to prevent a fall. - With a strong will never to fall again! But the thing is that more I try to avoid falling on a jump the more I tend to pop it. When I sense that my jump is a bit risky I let it pop. I don’t get points for a popped jump so I think it is the worst mistake. - Triple jumps, triple axel, and a quad jump. You have been getting your technique back at every major competition. We get the impression that one week before competition you start to get down to business. Does Yamamoto senshu have a unique timer? A-ha-ha [laughing loudly] about one week before competition I feel “It’s about time I did my best to get ready.” I think so far the plan that works best for me is that one week before the event I get to land solo jumps and after that I focus on making the jumps connect with the music. - At Japanese Nationals you successfully landed a quad toe loop. Did you feel that you made a big progress? I would think so. Now I feel it went well. But to be honest before the competition I had not have much confidence of making it. When I nailed the quad I was too focused on the rest of the performance it did not feel real at that moment. - When you landed it cleanly the audience erupted in applause. Did you hear that? Yes, I heard the voices “WOW!” very clearly. *Note: The ice arena at Chukyo University is designated as the only one National Training Center (NTC) for figure skating. The ice arena is marked No. 8 on the map below. https://sps.chukyo-u.ac.jp/map/ This rink is used solely for figure skating and during the weekend it is reserved for JSF supported figure skaters for training. …. To be continued

Sankei Shimbun English version on Rika Kihira dated Dec. 10, 2018: Rika Kihira: Japanese Prodigy Wins Figure Skating Grand Prix Final in Debut Season https://japan-forward.com/rika-kihira-japanese-prodigy-wins-figure-skating-grand-prix-final-in-debut-season/

Congratulations Rika! Rika’s interview after winning the GPF https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20181209-00414512-nksports-spo - About today’s free program I failed the first 3A but I adjusted the layout right away. I was nervous but turned that feeling of tension into concentration and I am glad I was able to jump cleanly afterwards. - How do you feel about winning GPF? Did you imagine winning it before the GPS started? The reason why I am doing well this season was I failed so many times the last season and I learned from the mistakes. I went in for all of the competitions with the determination that I would not want to repeat these mistakes. I had all my previous mistakes in my mind and kept telling myself that these failures should be absolutely avoided. That helped me focus in the competitions. When this season started I was not thinking of GPF at all, and I was only hoping to achieve good results at GPS. I was doing well through practice and I wanted to show what I’ve got. I have never expected this result at all, but I have been putting every effort in practice and I’m glad that my hard work paid off. - How about from now? After this season started I was able to get very good scores at NHK Trophy, so I thought I could podium if I skate clean SP and FS. I managed to achieve my goal which is clean SP and FS, although I made one mistake. Now it is important to achieve good results consistently at every competition. The Japanese Nationals is coming up and I keep doing the best I can. I want to continue working hard the next season as well. After all I have a dream of winning the Beijing Olympics and I am fully motivated. Until that time I want to skate well consistently. I’ve never even thought of winning the GPF. This season I have been able to control my mental state no matter how big the event was. Today I got to do what I was capable of. Winning GPF is not the pressure on me at all and motivates me more from now on. It has given me confidence instead of pressure

I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and feelings. I wish I could post more but I am timid and English is not my language. I hope @micaelis keeps expressing his thoughts which I find interesting. Everyone has different views and should feel free to share his/her thoughts, because that makes this forum fascinating, at least to me. Just my humble opinion.

I think through practice Mitsuki overcame his motion sickness during his spin. Here’s the discussion about motion sickness and spins. https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Spinning_without_getting_sick_-_advice_from_pro-skaters_2010-02-26_003111 Motion sickness drugs tend to make people drowsy so probably Mitsuki is not on motion sickness drug while skating, while he still often gets motion sickness of other type. By the way, I tried to multi-quote by clicking the +sign for multi-quote but I could only quote one post this time, while I was able to multi-quote before. ETA: I do not know why my post was merged into my own post like below.

I wish him for a speedy recovery. I felt sad when I heard that he cried his head off at JNats K&C. About his six-month long struggle while his home rink was closed, one of the reasons why Nagoya has become a powerful figure skating hotspot is the availability of ice rinks. Aichi prefecture including Nagoya has several ice skating rinks. Big ice rinks such as Osu, Howa and Gaishi are in Nagoya. I heard that unlike other prefecture Aichi skaters can freely practice in other rinks, as Howa is the only rink where skating club belongs to the rink. It is not unusual for skaters to go to other rinks after practicing in their home rink during the same day. Coaches go with them as well. As the skaters practice alongside they inspire each other. Also Nagoya people historically love cultural activities and many parents let their kids join after-school activities such as traditional Japanese dance, tea ceremony, music lessons and sports. As many top skaters are from Nagoya, people in Nagoya particularly love and support figure skating. I guess these are some of the reasons why Sota moved from Osaka, another powerhouse, to Nagoya.

Page 7 (last page) Mitsuki: And, this is the amulet from Seimei Shrine my chiropractor gave me. He heard that Hanyu-kun had bought this type [laughter]. He gave it to me. That’s all. - I bet you have something more interesting? Mitsuki: Inside this (a bag containing amulets) I have … Latvia medal [laughter]. - Wow, you are carrying around such a thing. Mitsuki: As my good luck charm. - Ah, I get it. This is the first time that I’ve seen a person who always carries around a medal. SP/FS for this Season - Okay, how are this season’s short and free programs coming along? How about short? Mitsuki: My short is “Tosca.” - Ah, Seems like it is a good fit for you! Why did you pick “Tosca?” Mitsuki: I told my choreography sensei that I wanted to use the music sung by Josh Groban and she agreed to use his song for my short or free. She sent me two of his songs to choose from for the short; “Tosca” , and the short version of the song that ended up being the one for my free. I felt like the short version of my free program piece did not do itself justice. I felt that it’s too short for the buildup, so I decided on “Tosca” for my short. It seems that my coach was having a hard time choosing the music for my free. - What did you finally decided on for the free? Mitsuki: “Mi Mancherai” by Josh Groban - Wow, I totally get it. Did you feel that it was a great song after listening to it? Mitsuki: At first I wanted to use “Per Te” but I found out that a Russian skater is using it this season so we decided to pick a different song. Then she sent me “Mi Mancherai” - You were sold on it? Mitsuki: At that time I knew that Junhwan senshu of Korea used it before and I recognized the music. The first image I had was Junhwan, and it was easy for me to feel what’s going on in the music. I was already very excited when I went to see my choreographer. (t/n: His current choreographer is Nanami Abe who is a former coach/choreographer of Yuzuru Hanyu.) - I see. Mitsuki: I love my costume for this season’s free program. - The greenish one? Mitsuki: White and bluish with color gradation. - Gradation! Mitsuki: I had ones with color gradation before, but I really love my new costume this time. - What part do you like it? Mitsuki: The feel when I wear it. Before this I felt something was a little off. - Did you feel a little bit restricted? Mitsuki: That feeling is completely gone now. - Then you love it so much. That means you can skate better at competitions? Mitsuki: That depends on how much I improve through practice. - You are absolutely right [laughter]. You cannot rely on your costume. About your short, “Tosca” and the free, “Mi Mancherai” by Josh Groban, is there any particular point that you want to draw the audience’s attention to? Mitsuki: Throughout my skating career this is the first time that I will skate to opera pieces. I feel my short program “Tosca”has a melancholic undertone. - I see you want the audience to feel the depth of your feelings. You want to be expressive. Mitsuki: I’ll give my best shot to do a good job. - What about the free? Mitsuki: The free has a climax in the last half and I do a long Ina Bauer and a spread eagle there. Immediately after these moves I jump, so I’m working hard on transitions these days. THE END

Page 6 Mitsuki: Next, medicine. Umm…motion sickness medication? I tend to get motion sickness. I get sick walking in a crowd, in a moving car and everything. Motion sickness drugs. Then, game. - Huh, you play games. Mitsuki: Yes but rarely. Next, my gloves, Hanyu-kun's—the ones sold at “Irene shop.” And my wallet. - Made of ostrich leather. Mitsuki: And then…a spoon [laughter]. - Yeah, spoon [laughter] Mitsuki: Next, charger. Looks like I only have ordinary things. - Okay, okay. I’m going to see lots of interesting stuff soon? Mitsuki: No, no, no, no. Headphone. - Tada! Headphone! Is this your favorite headphone? Mitsuki: No I got it as present. Next, earphone. - I wonder, can’t you just carry either one? Everybody is carrying both? Mitsuki: Because it (headphone) flattens my hair. - Aha, that makes sense. Mitsuki: Yes, this is also the present I received. Next…sweets [laughter]. - You just told me that food does not make you feel happy? [laughter] Mitsuki: I like sweets. I don’t enjoy eating meals, but I like to snack on sweets. - Don’t snack on sweets. Eat your meals! Ah, how classic! (looking at his traditional Japanese sweets such as hard candies and dried plum) Mitsuki: I like dried plums. Dried plums and green tea flavored sweets are my avorites. - Dried plums and green tea sweets, huh. You also like gummies. Mitsuki: Yes I like gummies too. Dagashi 駄菓子are my favorites. (t/n: Dagashi are Japanese traditional cheap candies and snacks) I don’t eat snacks like potato chips very much. I like dagashi sold at dagashi shops. - The white yogurt flavor thingy in a tiny white cup, do you like it? Mitsuki: I eat it often. - You eat that thingy a lot? Mitsuki: Not a whole lot but I eat it if available. - How about kinako sticks? (t/n: semi-soft chewy candies that are covered with roasted soy flour) Mitsuki: Yes, I do. I do. Well then, the rest are amulets. I have in a bag the amulets my fans have given me although they are not all of them. - You have so many amulets, huh. Great.

Page 5 - Meat? Pudding, jello, yogurt, and meat? I thought your dinner would be harusame (gelatin noodles) instead of meat, for the food consistency sake? [laughter]. Mitsuki: I like meat but I cannot eat very much. I like gyutan (beef tongue) the best. (t/n: Gyutan originated in Sendai and spread throughout Japan.) Info - Oh, you have your favorite! Beef tongue? Mitsuki: You know, the slices are served on a plate like this. Six slices per serving but it’s too much for me. Even only six slices. - Three slices is enough? Mitsuki: About four [laughter]. - Four slices [laughter]. What about the food you dislike the most? Mitsuki: Vegetables and fish. - Veggies and fish? Are you a little kid? [laughter] Mitsuki: I cannot eat them at all. I don’t have any food allergies but I simply don’t want to eat them. When my mother put them on the table at home I have no choice. But she only gives me lettuce or cabbage so I can still manage. Except for that occasion I absolutely don’t eat them on my own. - You should eat them on my own [laughter]. Mitsuki: …I cannot eat them at all [laughter]. - I understand [laughter]. Inside the Bag - Sorry for no advance notice but can I take a look at what you have in your bag? Mitsuki: Yes. This is the one we just talked about, custard pudding [laughter]. - Melon flavor pudding. Oh, that’s exactly the ‘Smooth Pudding.’ Mitsuki: Ball. I use it for warm-up and I carry it all the time for training purposes. - The ball you always use for training.

Page 4 Ritual before Competition - By the way, do you have any ritual before competition that you always do? Mitsuki: I used to have one. - What did you do before? Mitsuki: I ate custard pudding before the start of 6 minutes practice time. - You ate custard pudding? [laughter] Mitsuki: Between the warm-up and 6 minutes (practice) I used to eat custard pudding. - What kind of pudding? Mitsuki: ‘Smooth Pudding’ - How come you don’t do that anymore? Mitsuki: One time I didn’t skate well. So I stopped doing that. Next time I ate jello. - So you got your energy back right away [laughter]. - Pudding, jello, and next choice might be ankake (thick starchy sauce) [laughter]. Mitsuki: Is ankake rice dish? [laughter] - I guess so, yes that’s true [laughter]. Mitsuki: So it’s rice dish? I don’t enjoy eating rice very much. I don’t care for main dish either. Basically food does not make me feel happy. - Oh, boy! [laughter] Mitsuki: I feel like it’s a waste of time to eat foods [laughter]. Rather than meals, I like finger foods. I eat bread too but I like the one cut into bite size pieces so that I can eat while going around. I don’t enjoy eating at places like this, and as a matter of fact I’ve been a small eater since I was very little. Although I eat very little I’m still alive [laughter]. - Gee, how shall I say this? Mitsuki: A lot of people have been saying to me like “How can you be so active while you eat little or nothing,” but I have been this way all my life. - Your body seems to have adjusted to it. What is your most favorite food? Mitsuki: Yogurt in the morning. - For lunch? Mitsuki: I don’t usually eat lunch. - Dinner? Mitsuki: When I eat dinner, meat.

Page3 Mitsuki: Yes. There are many other good skaters, but if I have to pick one his name popped up in my mind. When Did You Land 2A/3A the first time? - This is my usual question to ask. When did you land a double axel jump for the first time? Mitsuki: I guess it was when I was in the second year of middle school. - Was it soon after you started training for it? Mitsuki: It took probably a few months. - I guess it’s normal. How did you get the hang of it? Mitsuki: At that time I and a rival skater had been competing for landing the double axel in the same rink, and he had landed it before I could. After that I got so mad at myself because that was when I was skating seriously. I was so driven by regret that I landed it perhaps the next day. - Wow, that was awesome. Then, how about triple axel? Mitsuki: It’s the similar story. I came across the video of Yuto Kishina-kun practicing triple axel jumps with Mura-kun, and although at that moment I was unable to land it, I landed it the next day. - When was that? How old were you? Mitsuki: May of last year. - May of last year. Then, in April you were unable to land it. Mitsuki: Well, I was training for it, but was ending with three rotation two-foot landing and things like that. Actually I was not putting everything I had into learning triple axel at that time. Then for six months Ryuju (Hino)-kun happened to be in Rinkai Rink and he was a good example to follow, and that also helped me land the jump I suppose. - Does that mean that you got the knack of landing jumps by watching someone else jump? There must be a difference with one more rotation, right? Mitsuki: Before I knew it I landed it [laughter]. - Before you knew it you landed! It’s kind of…that thing… Mitsuki: I didn’t realize at all that I landed it. When I landed the first time I didn’t know that until my coach said to me “You landed it just now.” - Here you are…another jump genius [laughter]. Now, how about quads? Mitsuki: I haven’t landed a quad but during last year’s junior camp Stephane sensei spent a little time with me and showed me his quads. I tried that quad jump after watching his, and although I stepped out I managed to land on one foot. But I haven’t been able to do the clean landing yet. - I tell you what, one day you should go around the world. Visit the skater with a great technique and you can land a jump the next day after watching him jump? [laughter] It will go like, “This guy is a great loop jumper, so I’ll pay him a visit.” You will come home after mastering the loop jump. Mitsuki: The loop and salchow jumps are the hardest one for me. I have trouble with edge jumps--completely. As long as salchow jump is concerned I’m so bad that I cannot even land a solo triple salchow. - Is that right? I don't get that impression from you. Mitsuki: I don’t have salchow in my program layout [laughter]. - Ah, I get it. That’s why I don’t remember. That makes sense.

Page 2 - SpoCha has various activities, doesn’t? Mitsuki: Yes. - What do you do? Mitsuki: Usual things. - Usual things? Mitsuki: When my friends say “Let’s Go,” I go along and have fun. - Ah, Wait a minute. The one you get yourself inside a balloon and play soccer, do you play that game? Mitsuki: That thing, last time we were there we could not play because it was raining [laughter]. - So you would have done that it the weather had been fine [laughter]. Mitsuki: Yes, we would have played that game if it had been sunny [laughter]. - What about tennis? Mitsuki: Yes I can play tennis a little. - You did ‘Air Kei’ (t/n: Kei Nishikori’s signature move of leaping forehand)? Mitsuki: No, No, No, No [laughter]. - Which sport did you play the best? Mitsuki: It’s not that I’m skillful at it but I like ping pong the best. - Are you a good player? Mitsuki: I am not sure whether I’m good at it, but I enjoy playing it. Somehow I can play smashes, and one time I played against a player who was a member of the school ping pong team and I held my own more or less. Skaters/Rivals in the Same Age Group - Well, then, who are the skaters in the same age group? Mitsuki: It’s not that we train skating together, but Taichiro Yamakuma - Taichiro-kun. His name is mentioned a lot. Mitsuki: I guess I’ve seen him around the longest time? In terms of the time we spent together. - Ah, I see. Any rivals? Mitsuki: Among juniors Shimada senshu. - Koshiro-kun.

Part 2 of 2 of Mitsuki interview aired 11/7/18 https://www.jsports.co.jp/press/article/N2018110712352006.html Page 1 School Life as a 3rd Year High School Student - Do you do well in your studies? Mitsuki: I loathe studies [laughter]. - You hate it a lot? [laughter] Do you have any subject you are good at? Mitsuki: I’m not sure if I can say that I’m good at it, but the only subjects that I can get decent exam scores are memorization oriented, such as history and chemistry. I like the subjects that I learn by memorization. - I see. Then what about the one you find difficult? Mitsuki: English - English? But English is …. Mitsuki: I can handle the listening comprehension part, but I cannot spell. So I have trouble writing English on exam. I am really poor at writing and rearranging words in correct order. - Grammar, hmm. You struggle with it, huh. Then don’t you have problems talking with foreign skaters? Mitsuki: I can somehow understand what they say. I respond in broken English when I can manage [laughter]. - Well, I think you are doing fine. If you are busy these days then do you still have time to hang out with your friends? Mitsuki: Recently I learned to be a player [laughter]. - Aw, that doesn’t sound quite right. I’m getting concerned [laughter]. You learned how to be a player, huh. Mitsuki: I used to hang out often with my skating buddies, but the guys at school… I have a hard time getting to know people around me. I didn’t have many friends who understand me as I have to skip classes because of my skating schedule. But it started to change after the Finals since more people came to understand my situation. Little by little I got more friends in addition of my old close friends. Lately, although it’s not very often, I hang out with them during off time. - When you hang out with your buddies what do you do to have fun? Mitsuki: Ummm, Eat out, or go to Round One (t/n: amusement center offering a variety of games and sports activities) - So you go to Round One [laughter]. What do you do there? Mitsuki: I follow my friends [laughter]. - You follow them [laughter]. Mitsuki: I tag along and I agree to do things they suggest. - Then if they say “Let’s go bowling.” You will do it. Mitsuki: I would reject bowling [laughter]. - You’ll reuse to bowl? [laughter] For me bowling is the first thing come to my mind when I hear the name Round One. Mitsuki: SpoCha (t/n: Sports Challenge area that offers indoor/outdoor sports activities)

Page 6 Mitsuki: Um, Aura. Their aura at the competitions is completely different from juniors’. - Sumoto-kun also has a unique aura [laughter]. Well then, on the last day of the Earth, you talk with people you do not know! Mitsuki: With people I know but who I've never talked with. - Oh, I'm sorry. If you speak to a stranger, “Who the heck are you?” would be the reaction [laughter]. Mitsuki: "What would you spend your money on if you got 100 million yen?" Umm. I have been skating and it costs a lot of money. So I guess I will give it to my mother. - Great! Mitsuki: I don’t usually go out to have fun for many years. I buy sweets but I do not buy such expensive sweets. I like cheap sweets. - I see. Well, you will give the money to your mother. Next Mitsuki: "What would you do if you became invisible?" If it means doing things that are not possible for me now, I would sleep like a log without being disturbed by anyone. - Oh, I get it. If people see you … Mitsuki: If they see me sleep they’ll talk things about me. I want to sleep well until I feel good. - If you become an invisible human, you will sleep!? I think it’s a great idea [laughter]. OK, then last question. Mitsuki: Oops ~! "What period do you want to go with a time machine?" I don’t like to combat with the enemy much, so Sengoku (Warring States) Period is out of the question [laughter]. - No way will you go to Sengoku Period [laughter] Mitsuki: If I could visit one time, Yayoi Period (t/n: ancient era when Japanese started to grow rice using iron tools) and such. --Yayoi Period! It’s the era people cultivated fields. Mitsuki: I want to go back to really ancient times, such as Jomon Period. - In Jomon Period you have to hunt, don’t you? Are you okay with hunting? Mitsuki: I don’t mind it. - You don’t mind hunting [laughter] Mitsuki: Well, How shall I put it? [laughter] It’s not hunting, but my grandma has a farm and I enjoy harvesting. - No, I hate to tell you this, but as far as my imagination goes, my image of hunting has been hunting animals. Mitsuki: Oh, in that case, no way. I cannot handle animals at all. I really hate insects. - Do you hate insects? Oh, now I know. You shouldn’t have told me that [laughter].

Page 5 - Well, at the Junior Worlds, you competed with Sena (Miyake)-kun? At that time, you guys skated to the same music ‘Les Miserables’, didn’t you? [laughter] How was that? Did you feel "It’s rather difficult to do" or "Oh we are in this together." Mitsuki: I thought it was more difficult until I saw Sena’s program, then when I was working on my program I realized that each program had a totally different character. Afterwards I did not really feel that way. Rather, the same music was on twice during practice, and I could practice twice as we practically share the music [laughter]. - That's right [laughter]. Usually about ten skaters have to line up and wait for their turn. Mitsuki: Fortunately most of the time we were in the same group in competitions too. Other than the Japanese Nationals I was never immediately ahead or behind him in queue having at least one person between us most of time. - Well then, it worked out fine [laughter]. Mitsuki: If I was before him, I finished mine and I took a break for a while and jumped at the same timing when Sena’s music was on [laughter]. - Didn’t you get any complaints from Sena-kun?[laughter] Such as “Now I’m the one skating to it.” Mitsuki: I told him what I was doing. After that, probably since around Inter-High School Championships, Sena also began doing the same thing [laughter]. - Well then, he did not complain to you? Like, "It’s my music." Mitsuki: Not at all. Since our paths of movement on ice were different from each other, we did not get in each other’s way. The beginning and end (of the music) were completely identical, so I was able to practice jumps there, so I think it was fun and good. Q&A - So, I would like you to do the KENJI's Room drawing from the question box. Mitsuki: (Looking at the question card) Hahaha [laughter]. "What type of girl do you like?" A person who gets on well with me. And someone who isn’t two-faced. Also I’m not very talkative although I enjoy chatting, so I cannot interact well with a quiet girl. I prefer a cheerful type. - You do not like it if a girl (aggressively) approaches you, but welcome a sunny one... Mitsuki: I cannot deal with a quiet girl because my conversation skills are not good. - Well, I can imagine Sumoto-kun being next to a quiet girl. It will go on like this for a long time... Mitsuki: I would not speak. - I see. You like a cheerful girl. What else? What about appearance? Mitsuki: I like a cute girl, but good personality is most important of all. I like a girl who doesn’t change her attitude depending on who she is with. - Let's find such a girl! Yes, next! Mitsuki: I have a bad feeling about this [laughter]. "What would you do on the last day of the Earth?" I'd like to talk with people I know but never had a chance to talk to before. Because I am shy it’s hard for me to break the ice. Once the conversation starts I can talk just fine. - Oh, You do not approach people to speak to. Do you have anyone you’ve never talked with among Japanese Nationals skaters? Mitsuki: Well, I do not get to meet skaters in eastern Japan, so there are a lot of people who I have never talked with. - Try talking to them more and more from now on? Even if it is not the last day of Earth. Mitsuki: I am a little scared of the senior skaters. - Seniors? Are you scared?

Page 4 Mitsuki: Then, I could not fix it after all. My eyes met with my coach during my step sequence. He screamed like "Goooo Ooon", so I kept skating and power through it, and I managed to receive good scores. - At that time, everyone was watching you nervously. Mitsuki: I heard later that a referee was standing by with a whistle. - He was like “Don’t blame me if I stop him!” Mitsuki: It came to my mind afterwards that if I had stopped, the strap would have touched the ice. But I kept skating keeping it in the air, so I think that saved me. - But if you had stepped on it.... If a skater steps on something, it's over for him. No, that was scary. Mitsuki: I was scared to death. - But, I am glad to hear that you tried to fix it while spinning then, because some people were wondering whether you noticed it or not. Of course you noticed right away. Mitsuki: I think probably it came off after the third jump. - It was rather an early part of the program, isn’t it? [laughter] Mitsuki: Then, after spin, steps and spin, I noticed something was wrong in the middle of the spin. I checked and saw the Velcro tape and the other pant leg were stuck together. So, thinking "Huh? They are stuck", I quickly pulled the left foot and they came apart. I was sure something was definitely wrong and looked down and saw the strap was loose. I was debating whether I should tear it off or leave it as it was, and I left it and it came off. I was hoping to fix it during the spin after step sequence, but I could not fix it. - But well, it turned out okay [laughter] Looking back on 2017/18 season - Afterwards you competed at the Junior Grand Prix and the Finals, and finished third. How did you feel? Mitsuki: I was super happy. - Oh, You were happy. Mitsuki: Yes, it raised my confidence. For the first time I became confident of myself. When my short goes well, I tend to make mistakes in my free because I get too nervous about the result. After finishing third in the short I was walking on the street with my mother and came across the Grand Prix Finals replica medals exhibit at Nagoya station. It came to my mind for the first time “I want this medal.” Even with lower ranking I wanted to get on the podium. I was not half-hearted anymore and I was able to win a medal as I aimed for it giving it my best shot. I was very happy. - After that, you placed 6th at Japanese Nationals Championship. This is also amazing considering who other skaters were. Mitsuki: I did not feel quite real about the result, but I became very confident of landing Axel jumps. Until that time I had never been able to land the Axel in both the short and the free at the same competition. But at that time I landed twice in short as well as free. - Somehow you look nonchalant, but you really go straight towards your goal. Mitsuki: Yes recently. Since Latvia's free skate I thought I’d better set a concrete goal. - Something like “I’d better toughen up.” So, at your first Junior Worlds, you were third after the short, and you finished ninth overall. How did you feel? Mitsuki: After finishing my performance I did not know how many spots Japan got, so it came to my mind first rather than my results. I had been doing fine but I injured myself about a month before the event and I could not walk for a week. My foot got swollen really badly. I might have pulled a ligament? So I was unable to practice. - I see. Mitsuki: I was fired up and pulled through the short program, but my body felt weak during the free. After the first jump, although I landed the first one, my body felt heavy. My stamina ran out and my legs were very tired. My heart rate probably did not go up so high, but I almost had my feet tangled up... - You felt like you couldn’t keep up? Mitsuki: I got a cramp after the performance. My feet did not move (the way I wanted) at all during the second half of the free.

Page 3 Mitsuki: His entire performance on ice. Jumps, spins, steps, everything is great. I'd like to become a skater like him. - When you actually met Hanyu-kun, how did it go? Mitsuki: It was like "There he is - the person I have been watching on TV" [laughter]. It was at the Japanese Nationals when I saw him for the first time. I couldn’t do anything ... I could not take photos and I was just looking at him, like "The person I admire is right there" [laughter]. Memories of Novice and Junior Years - During your careers so far, do you have any memories when you were a novice skater? Mitsuki: Not at all. - None at all? Mitsuki: Although I somehow managed to compete at the Japanese Novice Championships for four years, I always finished in the middle; 10th, 10th, 12th and 8th place. I did not achieve good results till after my first junior year. I did not make it to the Japanese Junior Nationals because I missed the cut at the Western Sectionals. So I do not have any memories when I made my junior debut. One thing I remember most clearly is that I was eliminated at the Western Sectionals. - What about the following season? Mitsuki: The following season I was lucky to be able to compete at the Japanese Nationals. There some skaters in the same group made some mistakes and I got the Grand Prix assignment as well. Then I finished 6th at Japanese Junior Nationals. - 6th, wow. Next, you placed the 3rd at the Japanese Junior Nationals in the 2016 season. At that time, how did you do? Did you have confidence? Mitsuki: Not at all. - Not at all? Mitsuki: At the Western Sectionals although I made a cut I did not skate very well. I was maybe ninth? Shimada senshu did not do well either at the same Western Sectionals. So we talked about redeeming ourselves at the Junior Nationals. We were able to skate very well. About one week before the competition I had a pulled muscle in the back of my thigh. So, I competed on painkillers and I did not think about anything while fighting through pain. It was over before I knew it, and the result was good. - Well then, you know, you competed at the Junior Grand Prix, international event, won gold at Latvia for the first time. How did you feel about winning the international championship? Mitsuki: I was stunned. At that time, I had confidence that I could land an axel jump entering from anywhere. I was doing well. So I did not get nervous at all going into the short. I was in a lighthearted mode and made two mistakes. At that moment my goal was to qualify for the Finals and I thought, "If I don’t podium now my only chance left will be to win the next event." During my free I really wanted to win a medal, and I won gold. - Amazing. This happened because you had not only good technique but also commitment... Mitsuki: Because I had been practicing the free more than the short so much that I was able to do clean run-through of free program two times one after another. So I guess I had confidence too. - You competed at many championships. You finished first in both short and free at the Japanese Junior Nationals, and achieved total victory. Mitsuki: I had various problems during the Japanese junior Nationals that year. I had trouble controlling axel jumps in short and I finished first but by a narrow margin. During the free, my foot cover strap came off [laughter]. See photos - I know. I saw it. I was watching you nervously. Mitsuki: So, I thought I'd fix it while spinning. - Huh? during the spin? [laughter] Mitsuki: Um, I was sit spinning and thought I could put it back on. But I had my gloves on, and then, the Velcro tape and my glove got stuck together ... [laughter]. - I didn’t know any of these [laughter].