2021-22 Japanese National Qualifying Competitions & Other Domestic Events
SYWTW FS
Summary of 2021-22 Japanese domestic competitions. Links to information and results will be updated throughout the season. Events are also available on our calendar.
Reference: 2021-22 JSF National Competitions, 2021-22 Advancement Quota
See also: 2021-22 Nationals tag
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. 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. Due to small field sizes, pair and ice dance teams usually 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. Seeded skaters for the 2021-22 season are:
Junior women: Rino Matsuike (competing senior in 2021-22), Hana Yoshida, Mao Shimada
Junior men: Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda (competing senior in 2021-22), Kao Miura
Senior women: Rika Kihira, Kaori Sakamoto, Satoko Miyahara
Senior men: Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno, Yuma Kagiyama
Senior pairs: Miura/Kihara
Senior ice dance: Komatsubara/Koleto
Skaters who would normally need to compete at regionals/sectionals may be exempt from doing so if they have an international competition during or close to their qualifying event.
The maximum number of singles skaters who can qualify for the junior or senior National Championships is 30 women and 30 men.
REGIONAL/SECTIONAL/NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Regionals, Sectionals, Novice and Junior Nationals will be streamed live for subscribers with Fuji On Demand, available only in Japan. Entries are subject to change.
Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 24-26, Iizuka
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 9 junior men, 7 senior women, 9 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Chiyono Nagami, Saki Miyake, Hina Takeno. Junior - Maria Egawa
Broadcast: Oct. 9 at 20:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Chubu Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 24-26, Nagoya
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 4 junior men, 11 senior women, 6 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Sota Yamamoto, Rin Nitaya, Yuhana Yokoi, Nana Araki, Chisato Uramatsu, Mako Yamashita, Rino Matsuike, Miyabi Oba. Junior - Kinayu Yokoi
Broadcast: Oct. 10 at 20:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Kanto Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 1-3, Chiba
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 15 junior men, 7 senior women, 4 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Shun Sato, Yuma Kagiyama, Shiika Yoshioka. Junior - Natsu Suzuki
Broadcast: Oct. 16 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Tohoku-Hokkaido Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 1-3, Sapporo
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 4 junior men, 7 senior women, 4 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Honoka Hirotani
Broadcast: Oct. 17 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Kinki Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 7-10, Uji
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 17 junior men, 12 senior women, 14 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Mitsuki Sumoto, Sena Miyake, Yuto Kishina, Kazuki Tomono, Mana Kawabe, Yuna Shiraiwa, Riko Takino, Ayaka Hosoda, Kaori Sakamoto, Mai Mihara. Junior - Shunsuke Nakamura, Takeru Kataise, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Hana Yoshida, Azusa Tanaka, Ayumi Shibayama. Novice A - Mao Shimada
Broadcast: Oct. 23 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Tokyo Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 7-10, Nishitokyo
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 11 junior men, 15 senior women, 20 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Koshiro Shimada, Taichiro Yamakuma, Rinka Watanabe, Miyu Honda, Satoko Miyahara, Yuna Aoki, Akari Matsubara, Ibuki Sato, Tomoe Kawabata, Wakaba Higuchi, Marin Honda. Junior - Ami Nakai, Rion Sumiyoshi
Broadcast: Oct. 24 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Novice National Championships
Time and place: Oct. 22-24, Otsu
Level and disciplines: Novice A & Novice B men, women, ice dance
Broadcast: Nov. 6 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Eastern Sectionals
Time and place: Oct. 28-31, Nishitokyo
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women, ice dance
Advance to: Nationals
Advancement quota: 10 junior women, 8 junior men, 5 senior women, 6 senior men
Notable entries: Sr - Koshiro Shimada, Taichiro Yamakuma, Yuna Aoki, Tomoe Kawabata, Ibuki Sato, Honoka Hirotani, Marin Honda, Akari Matsubara, Shiika Yoshioka, Rinka Watanabe. Jr - Kao Miura, Natsu Suzuki, Rion Sumiyoshi, Ami Nakai
Broadcast: Nov. 13 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Western Sectionals
Time and place: Nov. 4-7, Fukuoka
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women, senior pairs
Advance to: Nationals
Advancement quota: 14 junior women, 17 junior men, 11 senior women, 9 senior men
Notable entries: Sr - Yuto Kishina, Kazuki Kushida, Sumitada Moriguchi, Mitsuki Sumoto, Nana Araki, Chisato Uramatsu, Miyabi Oba, Ayumi Kagotani, Riona Kato, Yuna Shiraiwa, Hina Takeno, Rin Nitaya, Saki Miyake, Mako Yamashita. Jr - Takeru Kataise, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Shunsuke Nakamura, Maria Egawa, Ayumi Shibayama, Azusa Tanaka, Kinayu Yokoi, Hana Yoshida
Broadcast: Nov. 20 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Junior National Championships
Time and place: Nov. 19-21, Nagoya
Level and disciplines: junior men, women, ice dance
Notable entries: Takeru Kataise, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Shunsuke Nakamura, Kao Miura, Nozomi Yoshioka, Maria Egawa, Ikura Kushida, Ayumi Shibayama, Mao Shimada, Sae Shimizu, Natsu Suzuki, Rion Sumiyoshi, Sakurako Daimon, Yo Takagi, Azusa Tanaka, Mone Chiba, Ami Nakai, Kinayu Yokoi, Hana Yoshida
Broadcast: Dec. 4 at 11:00 JST, Fuji TV TWO
Senior National Championships
Time and place: Dec. 22-26, Saitama
Level and disciplines: senior men, women, pairs, ice dance
OTHER COMPETITIONS
94th National Collegiate Championships
Results: Level 7/8 Men, Level 7/8 Women
Time and place: Jan. 5-9, Obihiro
Level and disciplines: men, women
Notable entries: Sota Yamamoto, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Sena Miyake, Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Mitsuki Sumoto, Kaori Sakamoto, Rinka Watanabe, Yuna Aoki, Akari Matsubara, Yuhana Yokoi
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Note: Free skate only. Entries open to university students.
71st National High School Championships
Time and place: Jan. 17-21, Aomori
Level and disciplines: men, women
Notable entries: Miyu Honda, Mone Chiba, Rion Sumiyoshi, Kinayu Yokoi, Azusa Tanaka, Shunsuke Nakamura, Takeru Kataise, Nozomu Yoshioka
Broadcast: Free livestream
Note: Entries open to high school students.
77th National Winter Sports Festival
Time and place: Jan. 24-27, Nikko
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women
Notable entries: Sr - Sota Yamamoto, Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Yuna Aoki, Mako Yamashita. Jr - Shunsuke Nakamura, Takeru Kataise, Nozomu Yoshioka, Mone Chiba, Rion Sumiyoshi, Kinayu Yokoi, Azusa Tanaka
Broadcast: Free livestreams
Note: Multi-sport event including figure skating. Skaters represent their prefectures.
42nd National Junior High School Championships
Time and place: Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, Nagano
Level and disciplines: men, women
Notable entries: Mao Shimada, Ami Nakai, Ayumi Shibayama, Sakurako Daimon
Broadcast: TBA
Note: Entries open to junior high (middle school) students.