2023-24 Japanese National Qualifying Competitions & Other Domestic Events
SYWTW FS
Summary of 2023-24 Japanese domestic competitions. Links to information and results will be updated throughout the season. Events are also available on our calendar.
Reference: 2023-24 JSF National Competitions, 2023-24 Advancement Quota
See also: 2023-24 Nationals tag
Last updated: Feb. 4, 2024
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 are recommended by JSF or 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. Due to small field sizes, pair and ice dance teams usually do not compete at regionals, only sectionals.
Four (4) top finishers in singles at Novice Nationals are invited to participate in Junior Nationals, and eight (8) top finishers in singles at Junior Nationals are invited to compete at Senior Nationals. The maximum number of singles skaters who can qualify for the junior or senior National Championships is 30 women and 30 men.
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 2023-24 season are:
Junior women: Mao Shimada, Ami Nakai
Senior women: Kaori Sakamoto, Mai Mihara, Mao Shimada
Senior men: Shoma Uno, Koshiro Shimada, Kazuki Tomono
Senior pairs: Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara
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.
REGIONAL/SECTIONAL/NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Regionals and Sectionals will be livestreamed on Fuji on Demand (available only in Japan). Entries are subject to change. Advancement quota numbers do not include seeded or exempted skaters.
Tokyo Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 22-24, Nishitokyo
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 12 junior women, 20 junior men, 21 senior women, 23 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Nozomu Yoshioka, Shun Sato, Yuma Kagiyama, Kao Miura, Yuna Aoki, Maria Egawa, Wakaba Higuchi, Marin Honda, Rion Sumiyoshi, Rinka Watanabe. Junior - Tsudoi Suto, Rio Nakata, Yurina Okuno
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Chubu Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 22-24, Nagoya
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 5 junior women, 8 junior men, 14 senior women, 4 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Sota Yamamoto, Nana Araki, Mako Yamashita, Mana Kawabe, Rino Matsuike, Miyabi Oba. Junior - Kinayu Yokoi, Kaoruko Wada
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Kinki Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, Otsu
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 15 junior women, 14 junior men, 9 senior women, 17 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Nobunari Oda, Yuto Kishina, Takeru Amine Kataise, Sena Miyake, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Mone Chiba, Hana Yoshida, Yuna Shiraiwa, Ayumi Kagotani. Junior - Sena Takahashi, Ikura Kushida
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Tohoku-Hokkaido Regionals
Time and place: Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, Niigata
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 6 junior women, 6 junior men, 4 senior women, 4 senior men
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Kanto Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 7-9, Yokohama
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 11 junior women, 3 junior men, 5 senior women, 3 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Shiika Yoshioka
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regionals
Time and place: Oct. 7-9, Fukuoka
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men, women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 7 junior women, 4 junior men, 7 senior women, 9 senior men
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Novice National Championships
Time and place: Oct. 20-22, Nishitokyo
Level and disciplines: Novice A & Novice B men, women, ice dance
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Western Sectionals
Time and place: Oct. 26-29, Hiroshima
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women, ice dance
Advance to: Nationals
Advancement quota: 13 junior women, 16 junior men, 7 senior women, 6 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Nobunari Oda, Haruya Sasaki, Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Yuto Kishina, Sena Miyake, Nana Araki, Miyabi Oba, Ayumi Kagotani, Sae Shimizu, Yuna Shiraiwa, Saki Miyake, Mako Yamashita, Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto, Azusa Tanaka/Shingo Nishiyama, Utana Yoshida/Masaya Morita. Junior - Shuntaro Asaga, Haru Kakiuchi, Seigo Tauchi, Sena Takahashi, Shunsuke Nakamura, Masaya Mishima, Ryoga Morimoto, Haruna Murakami, Ikura Kushida, Mao Shimada, Kinayu Yokoi, Rena Uezono, Kaoruko Wada, Ayumi Shibayama, Sara Kishimoto/Atsuhiko Tamura
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Eastern Sectionals
Time and place: Nov. 2-5, Hachinohe
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women, pairs
Advance to: Nationals
Advancement quota: 11 junior women, 10 junior men, 5 senior women, 8 senior men
Notable entries: Senior - Shun Sato, Nozomu Yoshioka, Yuna Aoki, Maria Egawa, Marin Honda, Shiika Yoshioka, Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi. Junior - Daiya Ebihara, Tsudoi Suto, Rio Nakata, Taiga Nishino, Yurina Okuno, Yo Takagi, Ami Nakai, Sae Shimizu/Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Junior National Championships
Time and place: Nov. 17-19, Otsu
Level and disciplines: junior men, women, ice dance, pairs
Notable entries: Shuntaro Asaga, Daiya Ebihara, Haru Kakiuchi, Tsudoi Suto, Seigo Tauchi, Sena Takahashi, Rio Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura, Taiga Nishino, Ryoga Morimoto, Rena Uezono, Yurina Okuno, Ikura Kushida, Ayumi Shibayama, Mao Shimada, Yo Takagi, Ami Nakai, Haruna Murakami, Kinayu Yokoi, Kaoruko Wada, Sae Shimizu/Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Sara Kishimoto/Atsuhiko Tamura
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Senior National Championships
Time and place: Dec. 20-24, Nagano
Level and disciplines: senior men, women, ice dance, pairs
OTHER COMPETITIONS
96th National Intercollegiate Championships
Time and place: Jan. 4-7, Maebashi
Level and disciplines: senior men, women
Notable entries: Yuma Kagiyama, Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Sumitada Moriguchi, Nozomu Yoshioka, Kosho Oshima, Saki Miyake, Yuna Shiraiwa, Mana Kawabe, Rino Matsuike, Kinayu Yokoi, Yuna Aoki, Rinka Watanabe, Maria Egawa, Rion Sumiyoshi
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Note: Entries open to university students.
73rd National High School Championships
Time and place: Jan. 17-21, Hitachinaka
Level and disciplines: junior men, women
Notable entries: Yurina Okuno, Ikura Kushida, Mone Chiba, Yo Takagi, Hana Yoshida, Ayumi Shibayama, Shunsuke Nakamura, Kao Miura
Broadcast: Free Youtube livestreams
Note: Entries open to high school students.
78th National Winter Sports Festival
Time and place: Jan. 28-31, Tomakomai
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women
Notable entries: Senior - Rion Sumiyoshi, Wakaba Higuchi, Yuna Aoki, Mana Kawabe, Kaori Sakamoto, Saki Miyake, Maria Egawa, Rino Matsuike, Haruya Sasaki, Kazuki Tomono, Nobunari Oda, Nozomu Yoshioka. Junior - Kao Miura, Daiya Ebihara, Seigo Tauchi, Shunsuke Nakamura, Ryoga Morimoto, Yurina Okuno, Hana Yoshida, Ayumi Shibayama, Ikura Kushida
Broadcast: Free livestreams
Note: Multi-sport event including figure skating. Skaters represent their prefectures.
44th National Junior High School Championships
Time and place: Feb. 3-6, Nagano
Level and disciplines: junior men, women
Notable entries: Taiga Nishino, Daiya Ebihara, Sena Takahashi, Seigo Tauchi, Ami Nakai, Mayuko Oka, Mei Okada, Kaoruko Wada, Ayumi Nakao
Broadcast: JSports on Demand
Note: Entries open to junior high (middle school) students.