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A spotlight on Japanese singles figure skating: Jumping into the 2026 Olympics【Pt. II】

Krista Rogers Feb 7, 2026
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In this two-part series just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics, we’re taking a look at Japanese skaters who have shaped the sport past and present.

Welcome back to this spotlight on Japanese figure skating in tandem with the 2026 Winter Olympics! In Pt. I, we explored six Japanese singles skaters that have left their mark on the sport, along with a brief intro to major international competitions and the six basic types of jumps.

This time, we’re sharing brief intros of the men’s and women’s singles skaters who will be competing as part of Team Japan at Milano Cortina 2026. With the Games underway on February 6, be sure to look for these athletes as the competition heats up. Fun and slightly terrifying fact–all six of them were born in the year 2000 and after!

▼ Five out of six of the figure skating singles competitors shortly after being named to Team Japan

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Kaori Sakamoto (坂本花織)
Born in 2000; grew up in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
Competitive highlights: 2022 Olympic bronze medalist; 2022-2024 World champion; 2018 Four Continents champion; 2023 Grand Prix Final champion; 2018, 2021-2025 Japanese National champion

Milano Cortina 2026 is bittersweet for Kaori Sakamoto, the reigning Japanese National champion for women’s singles and a two-time Olympic veteran, as these Olympics are her last. She has already announced her intention to retire from competitive skating and shift her focus to coaching at the conclusion of this season, so this is one of precious few remaining chances to see her compete on the world stage. Italian fans in particular are sure to be touched by her music selection of “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman for her short program.

In the 2022 Olympics, Sakamoto received a silver medal in the team event and became the first Japanese woman to win an individual Olympic medal since Mao Asada in 2010. Known for her speed on the ice and her bright, funny personality, she has served as a mentor figure for her younger teammates as they gear up to compete. We can’t wait to see what silly antics she gets up to off the ice with her friends! When not skating, she enjoys playing cards, watching movies, and arts and crafts.

▼ Sakamoto’s bronze medal-winning 2022 Olympic free skate (long program)

Yuma Kagiyama (鍵山優真)
Born in 2003; grew up in Nagano and Kanagawa Prefectures
Competitive highlights: 2022 Olympic silver medalist; 2024 Four Continents champion; 2024-2025 Japanese National champion

Along with Sakamoto, Yuma Kagiyama is the only other skater on this list who has prior Olympic experience, having also won the silver medal in both the 2022 team event and the men’s singles individual event. His coach is none other than his father, a former three-time Japanese National champion himself.

Kagiyama is known for his consistency and superior skating skills on the ice. He also has the majority of the quad jumps under his belt. When he’s not training, he’s a student at Chukyo University in Nagoya. His hobbies include landscape photography and listening to music.

▼ Kagiyama’s silver medal-winning 2022 Olympic free skate

Shun Sato (佐藤駿)
Born in 2004; grew up in Miyagi and Saitama Prefectures
Competitive highlights: 2024-2025 Cup of China (Grand Prix series) champion; 2024 Four Continents silver medalist; 2025 Japanese National silver medalist

Shun Sato looked up to skating legend and fellow Sendai native Yuzuru Hanyu when he was young. His highest international achievement so far is winning the same event in the Grand Prix series in back-to-back years. He was quite successful at the junior level, breaking several records at the time, so we have a lot to look forward to as he grows. He’s making his Olympic debut this month and we’ll be on the lookout for his signature quad Lutz jump.

Perhaps influenced by Hanyu’s famous Winnie-the-Pooh tissue box covering, Sato also has his own tissue covering in the shape of a panda that has caught the hearts of fans. Off the ice, he’s a student at Tokyo’s Meiji University and enjoys music and going to saunas.

▼ Clips from Sato’s gold medal-winning 2025 Cup of China performance

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Mone Chiba (千葉百音)
Born in 2005; grew up in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Competitive highlights: 2025 World bronze medalist; 2025 Grand Prix of Finland (Grand Prix series) champion; 2025 Skate Canada International (Grand Prix series) champion; 2024 Four Continents champion; 2024 Grand Prix Final silver medalist; 2023 Japanese National silver medalist

Another star from Sendai, Mone Chiba is following in Hanyu’s footsteps not only on the ice, but off the ice as well, graduating from the same high school as him and and now attending the same Waseda University in Tokyo. She’s had some slight slip-ups during this past season but still secured her spot on Japan’s Olympic team through a third-place Japan Championships finish. She’s also currently working hard to add a triple Axel and a quad toe loop to her arsenal. Now living in Kyoto, she enjoys embroidery and reading as hobbies.

Watch for Chiba’s fast spins and difficult footwork at the Olympics!

▼ Clips from Chiba’s gold medal-winning 2025 Skate Canada International performance

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Kao Miura (三浦佳生)
Born in 2005; grew up in Tokyo Prefecture
Competitive highlights: 2023, 2026 Four Continents champion; 2023 Grand Prix of Finland (Grand Prix series) champion; 2025 Japanese National bronze medalist

Kao Miura has three quad jumps down and is working on a fourth, and we’ll be watching to see how he fares on his most feared quad loop jump. Although he’s a fellow student at Meiji University alongside Sato, Miura’s quite candid about his general dislike for studying (especially math) unless it’s about things for which he’s intrinsically motivated. For example, he’s currently studying English to be able to interact more freely with skaters in other countries.

If Miura didn’t become a figure skater, you would likely see him as a baseball player instead. He loves watching baseball, collecting baseball cards, and practicing his swing at batting cages.

▼ Clips from Miura’s gold medal-winning 2026 Four Continents Championships performance

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Ami Nakai (中井亜美)
Born in 2008; grew up in Niigata and Chiba Prefectures
Competitive highlights: 2025 Grand Prix de France (Grand Prix series) champion; 2026 Four Continents silver medalist; 2025 Grand Prix Final silver medalist

A fan of Mao Asada while growing up, Ami Nakai is the youngest singles skater and newest to the senior level on Team Japan during these Olympics. She can perform all six kinds of triple jumps including the triple Axel. Nakai is having a stellar senior debut season by first beating Sakamoto by almost 3 points at the 2025 Grand Prix de France and then winning the silver medal at both the Grand Prix Final and the Four Continents Championships. We really hope that she can skate cleanly without letting the pressure get to her when it’s her turn on the Italian ice. Perhaps her love for music can help settle any butterflies.

▼ Clips from Nakai’s silver medal-winning 2026 Four Continents Championships performance

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Figure skating at Milano Cortina 2026 kicks off right away with the team event, in which the members of the 10 strongest national teams skate through eight segments and collectively try to earn the most points. Subsequently, the men’s singles individual event begins on February 10 local time and the women’s singles individual event begins on February 17 local time. We’ll see you all in the kiss and cry area!

Krista Rogers is a U.S. Figure Skating Coach Core-certified coach and Learn to Skate USA instructor.

Reference: Nikkan Sports, Japan Skating Federation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), The Digest, Sponichi Annex, Meisupo Web
Top image: Pakutaso
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