Team Japan

[Gio]

I don't think Satoko is that much of a lock anymore. I think a lot will depend on the GP and how it goes, a spot/medal at the GPF would probably help a lot. Mai seems to be really consistent and it seems like after the gold medal at 4CC her pcs started rising (she receives higher PCS than Wakaba which is...questionable imho) and if Wakaba gets a decent layout (someone save her from her team y.y) she could be a threat. Marin will receive a push for sure (and while I do not like that, she is truly talented and she was underscored when it comes to pcs pretty much all season, especially if compared to the likes of Zagitova)...I don't think Kaori has much of a chance, but I would have said the same for Mai last year so...

 

Re: men, there's not much besides Yuzu and Shoma. Sota is promising, but who knows how he is these days? I wouldn't put much faith in the junior men, actually, Koshiro has even grown a lot so he might struggle with that as well.

 

If someone wants to suffer, Shun Sato is age eligible for juniors from next season. He's a little mushroom from Sendai (I think) and he looks pretty good. He's working on his 3A though...

[xeyra]

Japan needs only one more discipline to be qualified for the Team event; they then can invite the missing discipline to participate only in the Team Event. So if Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed make the qualification round at Nebelhorn, Japan will have enough points and disciplines to go to the Team Event, but then they'll have to qualify for the final, where only 5 or 6 teams will be. Not sure how that part works, though.

[PomeloPooh]

I think Satako will likely get a spot. I'm also hoping for Mai but...Marin is there (I read somewhere that she's the darling of the JFC. Why? And also is Miyu related to her?)

 

Miyu is Marin's younger sister. 4 of the 5 Honda kids are skaters, and according to Marin, the most talented among them is the youngest girl, Sara. (She's 9 and doing 3-3 now.) The family own an ice rink, so training is easier to arranged for them.

 

I think part of Marin being the fed's darling may be because her coaching team is one of Japan's skating powerhouses. But the most important thing is her star quality. After Mao came Yuzu, and after Yuzu they need someone else to shoulder the market. Shoma IMO is not up for that task. Some skating fans will love him, but he's not got the personality to draw general audience into skating. Plus he's not much younger than Yuzu to stay much longer than him (and his knees, ouch, won't help him). Marin has got the sweetest pretty-girl look, loads of performing talents, a rather likable personality, and a skater/child-star family that just fascinates people.

[Gio]

Team Hamada isn't that powerful yet. If you look at the pcs at Japanese nationals this season the girls from Nagoya still got pretty high pcs, especially considering that their overall performances were not great. Hamada is rising through the ranks cause she has many talented girls now.

 

Marin has the same agency as Miyu so probably that's part of the reason why she gets so much attention. And to be fair Japan had not had a junior world champion in a while among ladies (Kanako won in 2010 and was hailed as next Mao too)...

 

Sara looks promising indeed.

[Sombreuil]

Lol I for one would not be terribly excited if Japan actually qualified for the team event. There's a very low chance of medalling, while single skaters are whipped into skating their best out of responsibility. I'm selfish and I want Yuzu to do his best at the Singles' event, NOT Team event :cry:

 

Have to agree with you on this - dance and pairs will hold the singles back- it really doesn't seem worth the risk/distraction for the singles. I would love Satoko to come back strong- I see what everyone says about her jumps but I just love her style and her determination- as long as she's properly recovered.

[OmNom]

Totally agree that Shoma doesn't seem to possess that little something special to become a global star just yet. Figure skating fans will come to like him bc of his cute looks and dorky personality, but I dare say he won't have the same pull Yuzu has to attract casual viewers into becoming a figure skating fan. His meek demeanour is cute but he doesn't have charisma off ice. Which is what Dai had to become so popular and beloved. So idk, he might prove me wrong, but atm I stand my ground :think:

[OmNom]

Lol I for one would not be terribly excited if Japan actually qualified for the team event. There's a very low chance of medalling, while single skaters are whipped into skating their best out of responsibility. I'm selfish and I want Yuzu to do his best at the Singles' event, NOT Team event :cry:

 

Have to agree with you on this - dance and pairs will hold the singles back- it really doesn't seem worth the risk/distraction for the singles. I would love Satoko to come back strong- I see what everyone says about her jumps but I just love her style and her determination- as long as she's properly recovered.

 

Well if somehow Yuzu would need a breather to let all his struggles out, I'd be okay with the team event as an acceptable place for them to show up :tongue: Like 4CC before Worlds this season :tongue: And then he could come on charging at full force in the Singles'

[xeyra]

It's not surprising most of the talk about the Japanese Team revolves around the ladies, because they have so much talent there and coming in from juniors as well. However, the men seem to have reached a void; after Yuzu and Shoma, there doesn't seem to be any major contenders to take over the mantle after them. Sota Yamamoto was apparently the hope for the future of men but he's been off the radar due to injuries (he was at the JOC camp, though, so good news!?) but if due to his injury troubles he doesn't recover to the condition he was in before, is there any other hopeful young juniors/novices in the men's discipline? Any the JSF might throw their main support at in the future?

 

This is the list of men being supported by the JSF for the coming season, by the way:

 

MEN

 

Special

Yuzuru Hanyu

Shoma Uno

Keiji Tanaka

Takahito Mura

 

A

Ryuju Hino

Kazuki Tomono

Shu Nakamura

Koshiro Shimada

Hiroaki Sato

Mitsuki Sumoto

 

B

Sena Miyake

Tatsuya Tsuboi

Sei Kawahara

Taichi Honda

Yuto Kishina

Kazuki Hasegawa

Taichiro Yamakuma

Sota Yamamoto

Daisuke Murakami

 

(Source)

[cherry]

I can feel the push for Marin from across the ocean, which put me off at first. But I like her. I guess she's considered ideally cute in Japan? I don't totally get it, because by my standards the other girls are cute too.

 

Here I'm generalising. But by Chinese (and possibly Asian) standard, I would say she is the prettiest out of all active Japanese ladies (that I am aware of) right now.

[Gio]

It's not surprising most of the talk about the Japanese Team revolves around the ladies, because they have so much talent there and coming in from juniors as well. However, the men seem to have reached a void; after Yuzu and Shoma, there doesn't seem to be any major contenders to take over the mantle after them. Sota Yamamoto was apparently the hope for the future of men but he's been off the radar due to injuries (he was at the JOC camp, though, so good news!?) but if due to his injury troubles he doesn't recover to the condition he was in before, is there any other hopeful young juniors/novices in the men's discipline? Any the JSF might throw their main support at in the future?

 

This is the list of men being supported by the JSF for the coming season, by the way:

 

MEN

 

Special

Yuzuru Hanyu

Shoma Uno

Keiji Tanaka

Takahito Mura

 

A

Ryuju Hino

Kazuki Tomono

Shu Nakamura

Koshiro Shimada

Hiroaki Sato

Mitsuki Sumoto

 

B

Sena Miyake

Tatsuya Tsuboi

Sei Kawahara

Taichi Honda

Yuto Kishina

Kazuki Hasegawa

Taichiro Yamakuma

Sota Yamamoto

Daisuke Murakami

 

(Source)

 

Sota and Daisuke lower than Ryuju then? I get that they stayed out for injury but... :nah:

[Katt]

I think Mai got a little love from JSF after Worlds. I like her, but she should behind Wakaba at WTT, especially in LP when her jumps were smaller than usual. She's very consistent so I hope she has better package next season.

 

Kaori is quite similar to Mai, good jumps, good speed, quite consistent but she need better programs.

 

Wakaba could be a real threat if she get that 3A. Her 3F is still problem so I hope she replace it with 3Lo in SP. And of course, better LP next season. Her Scheherazade is not bad, its actually ok for a senior debut, but I love her Mask of zorro LP more.

 

Marin is very good, great SS and her glide is to die for. I find her a bit overrate at this point, both of her program this season is a bit genetic, but she's still young and has plenty of time to improve. I worry about the hype around her and her agency is affiliated with the media won't help it either. I mean at JOC there're more article with Marin in the titles than Yuzuru :wtf: . It won't be easy for her next season.

 

Satoko is big question. We don't know how her hip injury will affect to her jump, which are not good to begin with. She really lost alot momentum by missing 2nd half of season. I heard she will get new programs in June/July. i hope she stick with Tom Dickson.

 

Its really a shame that there's only 2 spot for Japanese ladies. Next National will be very heartbreaking :cry:

[ralucutzagy]

I think the most consistent 2 ladies along the season will go to the Oly. It's heartbreaking I know, and I hope that JFed will not interfere much for one lady or another! It's dramatic enough that they had only 2 spots for OLY... :cry:

[Gio]

I think Mai got a little love from JSF after Worlds. I like her, but she should behind Wakaba at WTT, especially in LP when her jumps were smaller than usual. She's very consistent so I hope she has better package next season.

 

Kaori is quite similar to Mai, good jumps, good speed, quite consistent but she need better programs.

 

Wakaba could be a real threat if she get that 3A. Her 3F is still problem so I hope she replace it with 3Lo in SP. And of course, better LP next season. Her Scheherazade is not bad, its actually ok for a senior debut, but I love her Mask of zorro LP more.

 

Marin is very good, great SS and her glide is to die for. I find her a bit overrate at this point, both of her program this season is a bit genetic, but she's still young and has plenty of time to improve. I worry about the hype around her and her agency is affiliated with the media won't help it either. I mean at JOC there're more article with Marin in the titles than Yuzuru :wtf: . It won't be easy for her next season.

 

Satoko is big question. We don't know how her hip injury will affect to her jump, which are not good to begin with. She really lost alot momentum by missing 2nd half of season. I heard she will get new programs in June/July. i hope she stick with Tom Dickson.

 

Its really a shame that there's only 2 spot for Japanese ladies. Next National will be very heartbreaking :cry:

 

Totally agree about Wakaba. She doesn't get the pcs she deserves :cry:

I think she mentioned in an interview that she will likely keep the same choreographers, hopefully she'll have great programs. But mostly, it's her layout that needs to change.

 

I think Kaori and Mai need to be polished a bit more, but they have wonderful jumps.

 

Satoko is at risk imo.

[sweetwater]

I’m curious about how Daisuke Murakami and Sota Yamamoto will come back. They were both doing very well in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons so I missed them a lot in 2016-2017. Daisuke seems to have resumed jumping quads, so if he can get good results in earlier competitions I think it’s possible to for him to rival Mura and Keiji.

 

I saw Sota’s performance for the first time in Japanese Nationals 2013 and became his fan on the spot. He had beautiful spins and the way he gliding on the ice was so pleasant to watch. He was like a good colored pencil which drew a beautiful trace on the ice with no stress. I don’t know how he’s recovered from injury but I hope he comes back strong.

 

As for the ladies there are so many good skaters so no matter how things will come out it will be bittersweet for me. Satoko, Marin, Mai are my favorites but Wakaba and Kaori are also exciting when they are clean.

[Killaa]

Even thinking about team japan ladies make me nervous :sick: . The top girls all have their strength and flaws, but they are all strong and wonderful ahaha, that's the thing. Since I'm rooting for all of them, I'm just hoping for the best, and I hope the one who will perform best under pressure will go to olympic. Because we all know olympic is just a game of who can handle pressure better :cry: and they all deserve to medal. :crybaby:

 

As for the third japanese man... It's just a matter of who'll perform best in nats, since some of them were down for injury this season... Who knows they may have a suddenly rising star :grin: