2024-25 Japanese National Qualifying Competitions & Other Domestic Events
SYWTW FS
Summary of 2024-25 Japanese domestic competitions. Links to information and results will be updated throughout the season. Events are also available on our calendar.
Reference: 2024-25 JSF National Competitions, 2024-25 Advancement Quota
See also: 2024-25 Nationals tag
Last updated: Sept. 18, 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 2024-25 season are:
Junior women: Mao Shimada, Ikura Kushida, Rena Uezono
Junior men: Shunsuke Nakamura, Rio Nakata, Tsudoi Suto
Senior women: Kaori Sakamoto, Mone Chiba, Mao Shimada
Senior men: Yuma Kagiyama, Sota Yamamoto
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
Competitions will be livestreamed on Fuji on Demand (subscription required, can be accessed outside Japan using VPN). Entries are subject to change. Advancement quotas include seeded and exempt skaters.
Tokyo Regionals
Results
Time and place: Sept. 20-23, Funabashi
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men & women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 21 senior women, 21 senior men, 14 junior women, 16 junior men
Notable entries: Senior - Nozomu Yoshioka, Koshiro Shimada, Kao Miura, Shun Sato, Yuna Aoki, Maria Egawa, Wakaba Higuchi, Rion Sumiyoshi, Rinka Watanabe. Junior - Daiya Ebihara, Tsudoi Suto (seeded), Saho Otake
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Chubu Regionals
Results
Time and place: Sept. 21-23, Nagoya
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men & women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 11 senior women, 6 senior men, 11 junior women, 9 junior men
Notable entries: Senior - Mako Yamashita, Mana Kawabe, Kinayu Yokoi, Rino Matsuike, Miyabi Oba. Junior - Seigo Tauchi, Kaoruko Wada
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Kanto Regionals
Results
Time and place: Sept. 26-29, Nikko
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men & women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 4 senior women, 4 senior men, 7 junior women, 7 junior men
Notable entries: Junior - Taiga Nishino
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Kinki Regionals
Results
Time and place: Sept. 26-29, Takaishi
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men & women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 13 senior women, 16 senior men, 12 junior women, 16 junior men
Notable entries: Senior - Shunsuke Nakamura, Nobunari Oda, Kazuki Tomono, Takeru Amine Kataise, Sena Miyake, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Mone Chiba (seeded), Hana Yoshida, Yuna Shiraiwa, Mai Mihara. Junior - Sena Takahashi, Haru Kakiuchi, Ikura Kushida, Ayumi Shibayama, Kei Yamada, Mayuko Oka, Haruna Murakami, Riria Kono
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regionals
Results
Time and place: Oct. 3-6, Kurashiki
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men & women
Advance to: Western Sectionals
Advancement quota: 6 senior women, 8 senior men, 7 junior women, 5 junior men
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Tohoku-Hokkaido Regionals
Results
Time and place: Oct. 4-6, Sapporo
Level and disciplines: novice, junior, senior men & women
Advance to: Eastern Sectionals
Advancement quota: 5 senior women, 5 senior men, 9 junior women, 7 junior men
Broadcast: Fuji on Demand
Novice National Championships
Results & entries
Time and place: Oct. 18-20, Amagasaki
Level and disciplines: Novice A & Novice B men, women, ice dance
Broadcast: TBA
Eastern Sectionals
Results & entries
Time and place: Oct. 24-27, Hachinohe
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women, ice dance
Advance to: Nationals
Advancement quota: 10 senior women, 10 senior men, 9 junior women, 13 junior men
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Western Sectionals
Results & entries
Time and place: Nov. 1-4, Nagoya
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women, pairs
Advance to: Nationals
Advancement quota: 12 senior women, 12 senior men, 17 junior women, 13 junior men
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Junior National Championships
Results & entries
Time and place: Nov. 15-17, Hiroshima
Level and disciplines: junior men, women, ice dance, pairs
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Senior National Championships
Results & entries
Time and place: Dec. 19-22, Osaka
Level and disciplines: senior men, women, ice dance, pairs
OTHER COMPETITIONS
97th National Intercollegiate Championships
Results & entries
Schedule
Time and place: Jan. 4-7, Kofu
Level and disciplines: senior men, women
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Note: Entries open to university students.
74th National High School Championships
Results & entries
Schedule
Time and place: Jan. 20-22, Yokohama
Level and disciplines: junior men, women
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Note: Entries open to high school students.
79th National Winter Sports Festival
Results & entries
Website
Time and place: Jan. 26-30, Kurashiki
Level and disciplines: junior & senior men, women
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Note: Multi-sport event including figure skating. Skaters represent their prefectures.
45th National Junior High School Championships
Results & entries
Schedule
Time and place: Feb. 2-4, Nagano
Level and disciplines: junior men, women
Notable entries: TBA
Broadcast: TBA
Note: Entries open to junior high (middle school) students.