#sota yamamoto

[raininyourblackeyes]

On today's episode of what figure skating is actually about:

[rabidline]

2024 Japanese Nationals Competitor List: The MEN

One of the most, if not the most competitive nationals in the figure skating world, the Japanese Nationals never fails to bring incredible stress every year. WHAT'S AT STAKE? The 2024 Japanese Nationals will decide the assignments for the following skaters: - 2025 World Championships - 2025 Four Continents Championships (4CC) - 2025 World Junior Championships. The National Champion automatically goes to Worlds. The 2025 World Championships will decide how many spots the Japanese Men will have at the 2026 Olympic Games, with 3 maximum spots available. Considering the level of internal competition between the men, they would/should do everything to send a Worlds Team that can keep those spots. Also at stake is the Skater's Development Level (read: receiving financial funding) for the 2025-2026 season: highest placements at Nationals will be listed as Special Development Players, and the placements below them will be listed as Development A and B. But no worries - should a skater receive Grand Prix invitations or qualify for the NHK Trophy host spot in 2025-2026 season, they can be moved up so they can get the funding necessary for travel and entry to attend the GP.

THE SEEDS: 2 SKATERS The silver and bronze medalists of last year's Japanese Nationals, Yuma Kagiyama and Sota Yamamoto received automatic qualification for Japanese Nationals and did not have to compete in the qualifying rounds (Regionals and Sectionals). Yuma is bidding for his first senior National title, having previously won 3 National bronze medals and 1 National silver medal.

EASTERN JAPAN: 9 SKATERS From this region, only Koshiro Shimada has medaled at senior Nationals with his silver in 2022. Kao Miura and Shun Sato are both bidding for their first senior Nationals podium. Kosho Oshima, Nozomu Yoshioka, Ryota Kitamura, Haruto Toda, Ryushin Yamada and Ryusei Kikuchi will also compete.

WESTERN JAPAN: 11 SKATERS From this region, the 2008 National Champion (?!?!?!?!) Nobunari Oda will compete at his final Japanese Nationals. The last time Nobu competed here was ELEVEN YEARS AGO. He also beat a bunch of kids to qualify as the 2024 Western Japan Regional Champion. Only Tatsuya Tsuboi and Kazuki Tomono have beaten Nobu this year. Takeru Amine Kataise, Shunsuke Nakamura, Takumi Sugiyama, Yuto Kishina, Sena Miyake, Shun Kobayashi, Haruki Honda and Shunya Matsuoka will also compete.

THE JUNIORS: 8 SKATERS JSF gives recommendations every year for the top finishers at the Japanese Junior Nationals to participate at the senior Nationals. Rio Nakata was just crowned as the new Junior National Champion, and the runner-up and his fellow JGP Finalist Sena Takahashi will want to join him in the Junior Worlds team. There is one more spot in the Junior Worlds team that will be decided here. Taiga Nishino, Shun Uemura, Shuntaro Asaga, Haru Kakiuchi, Ryoto Mori and Daiya Ebihara will also compete.

[jennibeultimate]

Team Japan's fashion show press conference for the new season 2024 - 2025 ✨

Women: Mai Mihara, Rinka Watanabe, Hana Yoshida, Mone Chiba and Kaori Sakamoto

Men: Shun Sato, Yuma Kagiyama, Kao Miura, Sota Yamamoto and Kazuki Tomono

Hosts/Moderators: Shuzo Matsuoka and Shoma Uno

They all look so fabulous ✨✨✨

[sirenthatmakesyouwantcake]

There is a Japanese jewelry brand that makes magnetic necklaces and they sponsored a few skaters after shoma uno wore them. The pictures of the skaters look like there is something going on, and this is what I think happened to each

shoma uno always looks serious, as normal, so not much is happening here

ilia malinin looks concerned, my mom said he's about to shit him self

Yuma kagiyama and kao miura saw a butterfly, as in the animal, though this is how I look when I see a good skating butterfly

koshiro shamada is unimpressed

rio nakata is thinking really hard, about what? Who knows, but he has nice hair

Sota yamamoto just watched something fall, but it wasn't anything important, just made a loud noise

Kazuki tomono is just a happy little guy, and by little, I mean 5'3

this is the website if you want to look: https://www.colantotte.jp/special/figure-stars

[skate-the-onion]

The men have performed the Penance Ritual and have been forgiven

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Shoma and Sota at Shoma's Special Days Event 2024

(From Mizuno's X)

[edgecallskating]

Somebody give the camera crew a raise this is SUPERB.

[lilfishiefigureskates]

Japanese National Championships Preview

Men - My Predicted Top 6 (in no particular order)

Kao Miura—He's had a lot of ups and downs this season, and he's also been dealing with his leg injury. If he puts everything together, he could finally make the podium here and make the World's team again. He is my fav so I really hope he does well here. #FuecocoTrioForever.

Kazuki Tomono - He's had a little trouble with consistency with his quads, but I really like his programs and he has good performance skills. I do think Kao, Shun, Sota, and Yuma will be fighting for the podium spots. Kazuki and Koshiro will be rounding out the top 6.

Koshiro Shimada - He's had a little trouble with the 3A this season and he's been stepping out of his combo, but he is a skilled performer and made a pretty big improvement from his first grind prix to his second.

Shun Sato - I'm still so happy that he made the podium at the Grand Prix Final. If he does well here I think it's pretty safe to say that he will finally make the World's team. He's been pretty solid all season except for the 4F in the free, so I'm nervous to see if he'll be able to put it down. #FuecocoTrioForever.

Sota Yamamoto - I really do think it's going to be a battle between him and Kao to see who will get bronze and who will get 4th in this competition. Last year Sota got 3rd but Kao got the World's spot because he went to the GPF, but this year neither of them went so we'll see what happens. I love both Sota and Kao so I am a little conflicted.

Yuma Kagiyama - He is truly the one to beat here. I just hope his 4S will be okay because it is such a good jump for him and I was surprised he made mistakes on it in both the short and free at the GPF. I hope we see a performance very similar to what we saw at the NHK Trophy. #FuecocoTrioForver.

Women - My Predicted Top 6 (in no particular order)

Hana Yoshida - The competition between the Japanese women is so tight I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. Hana has been pretty consistent this season and has been putting the 3A in the free with various degrees of success. Both of her programs are a bit weird but she does weird well and she’s super cute.

Kaori Sakamoto - Didn’t have the skate she wanted at the GPF, mainly due to the fall on her combo in the short. I hope she doesn’t backload the combo again it makes me so nervous. If she pulls out two solid routines I have no doubt she’ll make it to the top of the podium.

Mao Shimada - I love seeing her compete against the seniors because it demonstrates just how strong she is. She had a couple of mistakes on her bigger elements at the GPF but her showmanship is great. Defying Gravity was such a great program choice and I think it fits her so well and so looks so happy when she performs it.

Mone Chiba - OUR HIGHEST RANKED JAPANESE WOMAN AT THE GPF!!! She has been so solid on all of her jumps this season. Would love to see her bring out her personality just a smidge more. Her skating skills are excellent and I’m already looking forward to seeing her spiral in the free program because it is gorgeous. I think her and Kaori are the closest to being locked in for the World’s team.

Rinka Watanabe - I like her programs this season so much better than her programs last season. Had a great showing at Skate America but the free program at the Cup of China betrayed her which was so sad because she landed her 3A. I love her so much and I just hope she has a good competition.

Wakaba Higuchi - I need Wakaba to get on this podium because I need her to be on the World’s team. I hope she learned her lesson from the GPF and doesn’t backload the combo in the short because it isn’t worth it. I hope she fully rotates her 3Lz3T again!

Pairs - My Predicted Top 3 (in no particular order)

Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara - They’re obviously winning this thing so I want to see a stellar performance since the pressure is low.

Sae Shimizu / Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda - I haven’t seen them skate this season but I looked at their stats and they’ve scored better than Yuzuki and Tristin so yeah.

Yuna Nagaoka / Sumitada Moriguchi - I actually really liked this team and was happy to see them get a second assignment after their performance at the NHK. I really like their short program and the free was nice too. They really struggled with the short at Finlandia so hopefully they can put down two clean programs.

Ice Dance - My Predicted Top 3 (in no particular order)

Ayano Sasaki / Yoshimitsu Ikeda - I also have not seen them compete this season but based on stats I think they’re gonna land ahead of Kuneshita and Alec.

Azusa Tanaka / Shingo Nishiyama - They were a bit slow at NHK but they served face so it’s okay. Not a big of their free program because Fur Elise is such a slow song and they were skating so slow so the whole thing was very slow idk.

Utana Yoshida / Masaya Morita - I think they’re the favs to win here since they scored higher than Azusa and Shingo at NHK. They had good edge quality and they were acting their faces off. I really liked their Romeo and Juliet free program.

I know JNats can be a bit hard for people to watch because the stream is behind a paywall and the time zone can be rough for a lot of people, but I hope those who want to watch are able. I love JNats so much because the depth of field in Japan is insane. I love pregaming Xmas with JNats, it just feels so right. Happy watching and I hope we all survive this JNats because I am super nervous!

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzu & other skaters

Makuhari

Aichi

[multi-fandom-geek-blog]

Nebelhorn Trophy 2024 - Men's medal ceremony

[raininyourblackeyes]

It's like these men don't take my hatred for Grassl seriously at all

[rabidline]

2023 Cup of China - November 12, 2023 Kazuki Tomono ft. Sota Yamamoto and Shoma Uno → Jazz Machine by Black Machine, choreographed by Cathy Reed

[flapper-dai]

Kassouya滑走屋　

[junhwabauer]

damn i really thought they were going to give it to sota, i know this is fs and all but man, this judging

[skate-the-onion]

Happy New Year! Have some extremely belated Japanese nationals + text post memes.

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Sota Yamamoto on Shoma's retirement 💓