Fan blog for Japanese Figure skater Kazuki Tomono + team Japan and other skating miscellany.Run by A, a *mumble*year old lady from the Midwest Twitter: @annepanwaplan
Sooo... this is actually the final part of Kazukiās Asahi Shimbun āFuture Noteā feature, I was stupid busy last week, and for some reason part 3 is giving my brain all sorts of trouble, part 4 however was well behaved and so you all get things out of order.
As usual, Iām not a professional, just a tenacious amateur.
Hanyu - Uno - Takahashiā¦ Figure Skater Tomono Looks Up to His Rivals
Right now, menās figure skating is at the highest level ever. Kazuki Tomono (Doshisha U.) is competing with his rivals, Yuzuru Hanyu (ANA), Shoma Uno (Toyota) and Daisuke Takahashi (Kansai U.). Tomono, who is aiming for the Olympics in Beijing three years from now, shared his thoughts on these rivals.
āHanyu is the ultimate athleteā
Go to the Beijing Olympics--. Mens figure skater Kazuki Tomono (21) has this strong feeling and awareness with in him. āI know. I donāt have the ability yet, thereās still things I have to doā
The current Japanese men are at an unprecedented high level. First, there is Yuzuru Hanyu, who, at the Pyeongchang Olympics in February of last year became the first man in 66 years to repeat as Olympic champion, and also Pyeongchang silver medalist and three time Japanese national champion Shoma Uno. Last season, Daisuke Takahashi, the first ever Japanese man to win an Olympic medal returned to competition and came 2nd at Japanese nationals. There is also Keiji Tanaka (Kurashiki U.), who competed in the Pyeongchang Olympics, and Koshiro Shimada (Kinoshita Group) who has landed a quad lutz and moves up to seniors this season.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with these rivals, if Tomono canāt win, the path to the Olympics wonāt open. But he holds no jealousy for, nor grudges against them. He keeps a watchful eye on them like a young boy, and talks happily about the subjects of his admiration.
Last seasonās Rostelecom Cup was the first time he competed at the same international senior event with Hanyu. Hanyu competed with an ankle injury and won. Tomono joined him on the podium in 3rd place; āHeās like a god. His way of thinking and awareness of competition are completely different. He has a track record of winning despite being injured. Skating wholeheartedly wanting to be first and improve isnāt an odd feeling for him. Thatās why he could get an Olympic gold. I thought he was the ultimate athlete.ā Vancouver Olympics bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi is on a whole other level for Tomono.Ā āHe can enchant the audience just by standing there. I think the only skater who can do that is Daisuke Takahashi. The power of his expression, his skating skills, everything is too amazing, itās on a different level.ā
The one who has the most effect on him though is Uno. Uno is one year his senior and a friend who he plays games with. āI really respect Shoma. As the number of competitions we have together increases, there are things he can tell me because weāre in the same generation.ā Though his achievements are no match for the Olympic silver medalist, he said āBecause weāre close, heās become my objective. Many people may think heās a natural airhead, but my impression is that heās levelheaded and smart. Heās manly and kind of like an older brother. When we spend time together it motivates me.ā He desperately chases after Uno who is still far ahead.Ā Ā
The word Tomono cherishes is āHonestyāĀ Why did he write it? āI like a lot of skaters. I think other peopleās strong points are a good thing, and I get all sorts of motivation and viewpoints. If Iām able to incorporate these, I think it will lead me in a good direction. Thatās why itās important.ā
Tomono has been steadily advancing while looking up to his rivals and facing his own abilities.
And from now on he will continue to follow his path, having faith that the Beijing Olympics are waiting.Ā Ā
Asahi Shimbun released the digital version of part two of their āFuture Noteā feature on Kazuki a few days early due to the popularity of the first part!
As usual, I am not a pro translator and I donāt exactly have a way with words, so excuse any awkward phrasing.
At age 5, mens Figure Skater Kazuki Tomono (Doshisha U.) had a meeting with destiny. In boyhood he hit a wall and began to feel the intensity of competition. In his grade school graduation letter he said things like āI want to jump all of the triple jumps, and I also want to get good results in my middle school classesā and ā In middle school I want to work my hardest to study and skateā.Ā
A natural talent for dancing in rhythmĀ
Ā Kazuki Tomono (21), started skating at age 4, and he had a blessed encounter at age 5. At Rinkai Sports Center in Takaishi City, Osaka, he started taking weekly group lessons with Taijin Hiraike, who still coaches him to this day.
Coach Hiraike had this to say about his first impressions āThough he was small, his footwork was good, and he had a blossom of something. He had a spark of āShow off to people, entertain themāā Tomono did well in plays in kindergarten and grade school, and people would suspect he had experience with āeisaā and āsoran bushiā. He had a natural talent for dancing in rhythm.
(Eisa is an Okinawan folk dance, and Soran bushi is a traditional Hokkaido work song, both are frequently performed by grade school students)
Around the time he turned 10, he was still doing other sports alongside skating, and Coach Hiraike told him āYou should decide if youāre going to settle on skatingā
Tomono chose skating. āEven though I did like it, I was afraid of him (Coach Hiraike) and in no state to say āI quitā. I didnāt have a choiceā he said with a laugh. In truth, Coach Hiraike wasnāt trying to extort him into skating. āHe shines at skating he could shine elsewhere. Since he was small, I thought skating was suitable, but at the time it was a minor sport. I never thought it could be like it is now. I had many hardships when I was a skater and also had thoughts like āMaybe a different sportāā.
Tomono focused only on skating from the first year on middle school onwards, refining his expression and working hard at every practice. According to Coach Hiraike, when it came to spin practice he said āIāll try until I throw upā, and he did.Ā āHe never got angry or yelled at me, but somehow I was afraid of himā¦ What I was told was perfect.ā said Tomono.
He grew steadily and did well at national competitions, but starting from his 2nd year in middle school for three years straight he was rejected after international competition trials. It is very unusual to be dropped three years in a row āI was the only oneā said Tomono. When he hit the first wall, a thought sprung to mind āI want to win. Iām an athlete, so I have to win. I started thinking that skating canāt just be having fun and being scolded by my coachāĀ
āThe First Lesson isā¦ā Interview
-Between softball, karate and figure skating, what made you finally choose skating?
āWhen I would get home from school, I would finish my homework right away and invite my friends to play baseball with plastic bats almost every day. Since I played softball, I really wanted to be a baseball player, I think if I was reborn Iād still want to play baseball. But I was absorbed in the competitive aspect of figure skating. With figure skating I was able to compete at nationals. I think I liked competitions best in figure skating.ā
-You started with weekly lessons.
āFor the first year or two I did group lessons. The rink was never reserved, I would go once a week during public skate and Coach Hiraike would teach or play with us.
-What part of skating did you like?
āWell, it was fun. I never wanted to stop. I didnāt particularly learn jumping at first, so it gave me the same feeling as baseball. Because I was playing. At that time I was really afraid of my coach, I was like a robot (lol). I donāt have any particular memories of him getting angry or speaking to me harshly...but I was scared. I would always obey before he could get mad (lol).
For the next 4 weeks, Asahi Shimbunās weekly Sunday āMirai Nootoā (Future Note) feature is on Kazuki!
Iāve translated this weekās article which is about his childhood and how he came to love sports.
Usual disclaimer: Iām not a professional translator, just a fan with solid basic japanese knowledge and a whole heaping of tenacity.
The Small Lively Boy.
Though his body was small, he was an extremely active boy. On May 15th 1998, mens figure skater Kazuki Tomono (21) was born in Osaka. Though he had no problems with his health, he only weighed 1995g. The doctor wanted him to stay in the hospital until he reached 2500g, so he was hospitalized for one month.
In grade school he was always in the front row in order of height. He had a sunny disposition and was popular with everyone. He also had many friends. Looking back at his childhood āWeād do things like playing kick the can, or baseball with squishy ballsā Ā However, his mother didnāt worry. If there was a narrow place like a balance beam he would go across it, he would go over things like short fences. He was extremely curious and without fear.
He first encountered skating shortly before his 4th birthday. In order for families to be able to do sports together, the Uenoshiba Skating Rink (now closed) near his house started a young childrenās program. Tomono said āI think my mother skating also influenced me. At first I was really just playing aroundā He enjoyed the weekly skating classes from the bottom of his heart.
Other than skating, he also did karate and softball. His form was very good in karate and he received a lot of praise, but because he was so small he could rarely win a match and was often sent flying. He started softball on a local team. He was a good batter with quick feet and his strong point was disturbing the defense of opponents on base. Because his voice could be heard well he would sometimes also play catcher. Even now he still loves softball and baseball.
His parentās policy was ādo what you like with all your heartā. In karate and softball, there were areas where he couldnāt match a larger opponent. But he never complained, he absolutely never said āI donāt want to go, I want to quitā. However, he made a decision in grade school. āI always want to keep skatingā
Today in Japan itās āSeijin no Hiā, a coming of age ceremony for everyone who turned 20 in the previous year. Ladies usually wear Kimono, while men generally go for western formal wear.
Kazuki looks so dapper and grown up in his new suit!
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