2018-19 Japanese National Qualifying Competitions + Other Domestic Events
SYWTW FS
For countries with a large number of skaters such as Japan, Russia, Canada and the USA, skaters usually qualify for their country’s national championships through a series of smaller regional competitions. Japanese qualifying competitions will take place from September to November. This post will explain the JSF’s qualifying structure and provide a list of other notable domestic competitions. Links to information and results will be updated throughout the season.
Reference: Japan Skating Federation
QUALIFYING STRUCTURE
Skaters qualify for the Japanese National Championships by competing at one of six regional (or “block”) championships and one of two sectional championships (Eastern and Western). Top finishers at regionals advance to sectionals, and top finishers at sectionals advance to nationals. The number of qualifying skaters in each discipline and competition is determined annually by the JSF.
Japan holds three separate national championships for three different levels: novice, junior, and senior. Levels are separated by age. There are two categories of novice, Novice A (older) and Novice B (younger). To qualify for Novice Nationals, skaters compete in the novice category at regional championships. Novice skaters perform only free skates and do not compete at sectionals. To qualify for Junior Nationals, skaters compete in the junior category at regionals and sectionals, and to qualify for Senior Nationals, skaters compete in the senior category at regionals and sectionals. Top finishers at Novice Nationals are invited to participate in Junior Nationals, and top finishers at Junior Nationals are invited to compete at Senior Nationals. Pair and ice dance teams do not compete at regionals, only sectionals.
Seeded skaters are chosen by the JSF to advance directly to Nationals without competing at qualifying competitions. Generally, medalists at the previous National Championships are seeded. Seeded skaters can still compete at regionals/sectionals if they want to, but they will not count towards the quota of skaters who advance. Skaters who would normally need to compete at regionals/sectionals may be exempt from doing so if they have an international competition during or within one week of their qualifying event.
Seeded skaters for the 2018 Japanese National Championships:
Junior: Nana Araki, Mitsuki Sumoto, Sena Miyake, Tatsuya Tsuboi
Senior: Satoko Miyahara, Kaori Sakamoto, Rika Kihira, Shoma Uno, Keiji Tanaka, Yuzuru Hanyu
REGIONAL/SECTIONAL/NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Videos from regional and sectional championships are scarce, but Japanese TV will air news clips and sometimes a few performances from these events. The Junior and Senior National Championships are aired on TV by Fuji TV. Please keep an eye on our blog for more information on watching the National Championships.
Reference: JSF Results. Entries are subject to change.
Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 21-24, Kita, Kagawa Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Novice, junior, senior men & ladies
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Notable entries: Senior - Hina Takeno
Tohoku-Hokkaido Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 21-24, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Level and disciplines: Novice, junior, senior men & ladies
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Exemptions: Senior - Hiroaki Sato
Notable entries: Senior - Jun Suzuki. Junior - Rinka Watanabe
Kanto Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 27-30, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Novice, junior, senior men & ladies
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Exemptions: Junior - Shiika Yoshioka
Notable entries: Junior - Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato, Yuna Aoki
Chubu Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 28-30, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Novice, junior, senior men & ladies
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Exemptions: Senior - Rin Nitaya, Yura Matsuda, Rika Hongo, Sota Yamamoto, Ryuju Hino
Notable entries: Senior - Sui Takeuchi, Mako Yamashita, Miyabi Oba, Hinano Isobe. Junior - Tatsuya Tsuboi, Yuhana Yokoi, Kinayu Yokoi, Rino Kasakake. Novice A - Shunsuke Nakamura
Kinki Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 5-8, Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Novice, junior, senior men & ladies
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Exemptions: Senior - Mai Mihara
Notable entries: Senior - Kazuki Tomono, Shu Nakamura, Taichi Honda, Daisuke Takahashi, Yuna Shiraiwa. Junior - Mitsuki Sumoto, Miyu Honda, Riko Takino, Moa Iwano, Mana Kawabe. Novice A - Sara Honda
Broadcast: Oct. 8 at 11:45-15:45 JST, Fuji ONE (live)
Tokyo Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 5-8, Tokyo
Level and disciplines: Novice, junior, senior men & ladies
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Exemptions: Senior - Marin Honda. Junior - Rion Sumiyoshi, Tomoe Kawabata, Koshiro Shimada
Notable entries: Senior - Wakaba Higuchi, Akari Matsubara
Novice National Championships
Time and place: Oct. 19-21, Takaishi, Osaka Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Novice A & Novice B men & ladies, novice ice dance
Eastern Sectionals
Time and place: Oct. 25-28, Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Junior & senior men & ladies, junior pairs
Advance to: Nationals
Exemptions: Marin Honda, Wakaba Higuchi, Miu Suzaki/Ryuichi Kihara
Notable entries: Senior - Hiroaki Sato, Akari Matsubara. Junior - Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato, Koshiro Shimada, Yuna Aoki, Tomoe Kawabata, Rion Sumiyoshi, Shiika Yoshioka
Western Sectionals
Time and place: Nov. 1-4, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Junior & senior men, ladies, ice dance
Advance to: Nationals
Exemptions: Yura Matsuda, Mako Yamashita, Rika Hongo, Yuna Shiraiwa, Mai Mihara, Kazuki Tomono, Sota Yamamoto, Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto
Notable entries: Senior - Daisuke Takahashi, Shu Nakamura, Ryuju Hino, Taichi Honda, Hinano Isobe, Miyabi Oba, Rika Kihira, Sui Takeuchi, Rin Nitaya. Junior - Yuto Kishina, Haruya Sasaki, Mitsuki Sumoto, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Sena Miyake, Nana Araki, Moa Iwano, Rino Kasakake, Mana Kawabe, Riko Takino, Miyu Honda, Kinayu Yokoi, Yuhana Yokoi
Broadcast: Nov. 4 at 15:30-21:00 JST, Fuji TWO (live)
Junior National Championships
Time and place: Nov. 23-25, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Junior men, ladies, pairs, ice dance
Senior National Championships
Time and place: Dec. 20-24, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Senior men, ladies, pairs, ice dance
OTHER COMPETITIONS
These competitions are not related to the National Championships or its qualifying events.
91st Intercollegiate Championships
Time and place: Jan. 4-7, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Men & ladies
Notable entries: Shu Nakamura, Kazuki Tomono, Taichi Honda, Mai Mihara, Hina Takeno, Rin Nitaya
Note: For skaters enrolled at university.
68th Inter-High School Championships
Time and place: Jan. 24-27, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Level and disciplines: Men & ladies
Notable entries: Taichiro Yamakuma, Yuto Kishina, Mitsuki Sumoto, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Sena Miyake, Kaori Sakamoto, Yuhana Yokoi, Yuna Shiraiwa, Mako Yamashita, Nana Araki, Yuna Aoki, Akari Matsubara, Rinka Watanabe, Sui Takeuchi
Note: For skaters enrolled in high school.
74th National Winter Sports Festival
Time and place: Jan. 29 - Feb. 2, Kushiro, Hokkaido
Level and disciplines: Junior & senior men & ladies
Notable entries: TBA
Note: Skaters represent their prefecture.
39th Inter-Junior High School Championships
Results & entries
Time and place: Feb. 1-5, Nagano
Level and disciplines: Men & ladies
Notable entries: TBA
Note: For skaters enrolled in junior high (middle) school.