#nhk 2017

[theskatingarchive]

隋文静/韩聪 Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN)

2017 NHK Trophy Free Skate (155.10, WR)

[figureskatingcostumes]

Xuehan Wang and Lei Wang's free program costumes at the 2016 NHK Trophy.

(Sources: ISU Figure Skating and David W. Carmichael)

[yuzurujenn]

[2025.05.22] Sports Graphic Number June 2025 issue - Speaking About the Moments I Hit Rock Bottom

Yuzuru Hanyu: "Speaking About the Moments I Hit Rock Bottom" "Even When Faced With Fear and Despair"

As a young boy, he lost access to a training environment. As an athlete, he faced relentless battles with injury. No matter the trials he encountered, Yuzuru Hanyu continued to break through walls. This special feature presents an excerpt from a documentary program produced by our magazine.

With back-to-back Olympic gold medals and a shining competitive career behind him, Yuzuru Hanyu now shines even more brightly as a professional figure skater. While his skating career may appear dazzling on the surface, he himself says, "I've seen rock bottom over and over again."

"There were many times when I faced situations where I didn’t know if I’d be able to continue skating."

Among those, he says the hardest time was "when I was in elementary school."

"To begin with, I wasn’t someone who won from the start. From what I remember, I couldn't win for quite a while after I started skating. But when I was nine, in fourth grade, I entered my first national-level competition and won."

That was at the All-Japan Novice Championship in October 2004. After delivering a flawless performance and claiming the title, he went on to win his first international competition in Finland two months later. Reflecting on that time, he says, "I was filled with confidence."

It was a season where he believed 100% in the future ahead of him. But unexpectedly, that path took a dark turn. Shortly after the Finland competition, the local rink in his hometown of Sendai, his main training base, was closed due to financial difficulties. Searching for a place where he could continue skating, he joined another club. But with a new coach and a much longer commute, both the quantity and quality of his practice time dropped drastically.

"I was barely able to land a double axel or a triple jump, while the other kids around me were nailing triple jumps with ease. I felt like I was being left behind. No matter how hard I worked in those limited conditions, I kept slipping further behind. It was frustrating, and I was scared. I felt a kind of despair, like I had no potential left to grow."

This hopeless period lasted until October of his sixth-grade year. What helped him recover was, again, a change in environment. The rink reopened, and he was able to focus more on training. Around the same time, he started working with a coach who had studied under the very teacher who had taught him the basics of skating. From that point, he quickly gained consistency in his triple jumps.

"I realized how important it is to take that extra step instead of settling for the current situation. I also felt that the foundational skills I had worked on as a child were finally connecting with who I was then. It’s not just about working hard, it’s about finding the method that suits you."

Another major low point he talks about is his battle with injury.

"When I got injured and couldn’t train, I lost muscle strength, and the injured area would hurt even more… It wasn’t just starting from zero, it felt like going into the negatives. That’s something I’ve experienced."

One example was his injury during official practice at the 2017 NHK Trophy. It was later diagnosed as a lateral ligament injury in his right ankle. It was serious.

"I don’t know how to explain it… It was like all the work I’d done just crumbled away in an instant."

And no wonder, he was just three months away from the PyeongChang Olympics.

"After that, the only thing I could do was keep doing what I could each day. I couldn’t skate for such a long time. So I focused entirely on things like physical therapy, treatment, and rehab. I kept experimenting and finding ways to stay engaged. But losing the feel for the ice and watching my strength fade was hard. Seeing other skaters land jumps and post scores while I was out was nothing but terrifying."

“The Word ‘Setback’—A Term He Had Never Used”

He only returned to the ice after the new year. The gap in training was long, and he had no opportunity to compete before the Olympics. Still, he didn’t lose hope. He didn’t give up.

"Even when I wasn’t sure if I’d be selected for the Olympic team, the idea of not doing what I could wasn’t even on the table. Maybe it was the experience of living through the Great East Japan Earthquake that gave me a higher threshold for pain and sadness. Or maybe the tough experiences I had in elementary school had already trained me mentally. I don’t know, but that’s possible."

That resolve led to his second straight Olympic gold. But the story also highlights something striking: as far as can be recalled from his interviews, press conferences, and post-competition comments, Hanyu had never used the word “setback.”

"That’s right," he nodded without hesitation, and continued:

"In my mind, a setback is when you stop and give up. But in my case, when I hit a wall, I have to get through it. It’s just who I am. Instead of saying I’ve hit a setback, I immediately start thinking about how to overcome it. That’s my approach."

He’s seen rock bottom many times. Each time, he’s felt the terror and despair of being crushed. But he’s never stopped. Even when he lost his training base as a boy, even after multiple serious injuries, he kept going. His refusal to label those moments as setbacks is what allowed him to overcome them. His powerful mental strength to turn hitting bottom into an opportunity for further growth is the true essence of Yuzuru Hanyu.

Source: Sports Graphic Number 1120: June 2025 issue, pg 68-69

[gealach-edits]

Lara Naki Gutmann, “Wayward Sisters, Sheltering Sky” LP || GP Finlandia Trophy 2024

With her new Personal Best Score Free Skating of 131.43, she earns a new Personal Best Total Score of 198.49 and snatches a historic bronze 🥉 thus becoming the first 🇮🇹 Italian woman to earn a medal at the Grand Prix series since Carolina Kostner's silver at NHK Trophy in 2017, and the first European skater on the podium in the 2024 Grand Prix series. As the commentator Mark Hanretty said, "the pressure has created a diamond." 💎

bonus:

[weeklyyoungjump]

週刊ヤングジャンプ 2024年33号 Young jump

Kokoro Toyoshima 豊島心桜 生年月日 2003年9月25日 出身地 日本 新潟県五泉市 身長 167cm

豊島 心桜 - アービング 豊島 心桜 (@CocoroToyoshima) - X（旧Twitter） 豊島 心桜 (@cocorotoyoshima_official) - Instagram 豊島心桜：出演配信番組 - TVer

Neru Nagahama 長濱 ねる 本名 長濱 ねる 生年月日 1998年9月4日 出生地 日本・長崎県長崎市 身長 159 cm 血液型 O型

長濱ねる Official Website（2020年7月7日 - ） 長濱ねる&STAFF (@neru_and_staff) - X（旧Twitter）（2020年7月7日 - ） 長濱ねる (@nerunagahama_) - Instagram（2020年10月17日 - ） neru nagahama Official Fanclub（2023年3月25日 - ） 長濱ねる 公式プロフィール - 欅坂46公式サイト（2016年4月10日時点のアーカイブ） 長濱ねる 公式ブログ - 欅坂46公式サイト（2016年4月17日時点のアーカイブ） 長濱ねる（欅坂46） - ウェイバックマシン（2017年11月7日アーカイブ分） - SHOWROOM 長濱ねる 1st写真集『ここから』オフィシャルアカウント (@neru_nagasaki) - Instagram（2017年10月11日 - 2017年12月23日）[リンク切れ] 長濱ねる 1st写真集『ここから』公式Twitter (@neru_nagasaki) - X（旧Twitter）（2017年10月11日 - 2018年12月31日） ありがとうをめいっぱい伝える日 SPECIAL SITE - 欅坂46公式サイト 長濱ねるのＳＤＧｓ日記 (@nhk_SDGs_neru) - X（旧Twitter）（2021年3月26日 - ） 長濱ねるのSDGs日記　Twitter動画 - NHKサイト（2021年3月26日 - ） 長濱ねるのSDGs連載「HAJINERU SDGs」 - with online（2021年6月27日 - 2022年5月3日） 長濱ねる Neru Nagahama - FRaUweb（2022年7月11日 - ） 長濱ねる - NHK人物録 長濱ねる：出演配信番組 - TVer

[koch-snowflake-blog]

中井 りかは、日本のタレント、女優、YouTuberで、アイドルグループ・NGT48の元メンバー。愛称は、りか姫、りかちゃん。富山県富山市出身。太田プロダクション所属。 ウィキペディア

出生地： 富山県 富山市

生年月日： 1997年8月23日 (年齢 26歳)

音楽グループ： NGT48 (2015年から)

テレビ番組： 青春高校3年C組、 ふわり愛、 今日から友達になれますか?、 さらに表示

身長： 156 cm

事務所： 太田プロダクション

活動期間： 2015年 -

富山県の立山連峰が見える郊外の住宅地で育った。幼稚園の頃は人前に立つのが好きな「何をしても目立つ子」であったが、小学生になると、周囲となじめなかったことから、なるべく地味にしていようと心に決めていた。そのような環境の中で慰めてくれたのが、AKB48などのアイドルたちであり、自分もアイドルになりたいと思うようになったが、高校では保育士を目指し勉強していた。しかし、アイドルの夢を捨てきれず、2014年 AKB48 Team8 全国一斉オーディション富山県代表に応募。最後の2人まで残ったとの連絡は受けたが、その後の���話連絡に出られず次点となり落選。

翌年、高校3年生の時にNGT48第1期生オーディションに応募。 最終審査に残った場合、次回の48グループのオーディションは最終審査まで免除になるが、それを忘れ書類審査から参加。 2015年7月25日、NGT48第1期生オーディション最終審査に合格し、同年8月21日に新潟市歴史博物館（みなとぴあ）でお披露目された。

2016年1月10日、『NGT48劇場グランドオープン初日公演』に出演。同時に他の15名とともにチームNIIIを結成。同年11月16日発売のAKB48の46thシングル「ハイテンション」で初めてAKB48のシングルの選抜メンバーに抜擢。同年12月、ライブストリーミングプラットフォームSHOWROOM上で2016年に視聴者から多くの支持を得たパフォーマー（SHOWROOMER）を表彰する『SHOWROOM AWARD 2016』における「BEST AKB PERFORMER」を松井珠理奈（SKE48）、野村奈央（当時AKB48）とともに受賞した。同年12月31日、第67回NHK紅白歌合戦に投票企画「AKB48 夢の紅白選抜」で33位に選ばれ、AKB48として出演。

2017年4月12日発売のNGT48のデビューシングル「青春時計」ではセンターポジションを務めた。同年5月30日から6月16日にかけて投票が実施された『AKB48 49thシングル選抜総選挙』において23位になり、アンダーガールズに選出される。同年11月17日にAKSから太田プロダクションへの所属事務所移籍を自身のSHOWROOMにおいて発表し、同年12月、太田プロダクションの公式ホームページに掲載された。

2018年1月15日に自身初のソロコンサート『中井りかソロコンサート〜中井りかキャンペーン中〜』をTOKYO DOME CITY HALLにおいて開催した。

2018年4月2日から「青春高校3年C組」の副担任（サブMC）としてレギュラーで出演（月～金、2020年3月27日まで）。番組内で出演者からは、りか先生と呼ばれていた。その後も様々なバラエティ番組のMCとして出演。

2018年6月16日に発表された『AKB48 53rdシングル 世界選抜総選挙』では37位となり、ネクストガールズに選出された。

2022年6月29日発売のNGT48 1stアルバム「未完成の未来」に収録のリード曲「しそうでしないキス」では、小越春花とダブルセンターを務めた。

2023年4月12日、デビューシングル『青春時計』リリース6周年記念イベントにて、グループ卒業を発表。卒業時期は同年夏ごろを予定しているとした。 同年8月2日発売のNGT48 9thシングル「あのさ、いや別に...」では、2度目のシングル曲センターポジションを務めた。

同年8月5日、「中井りか卒業コンサート〜推���変禁止は絶対命令〜」を新潟県民会館大ホールにて開催。 同月31日、NGT48劇場での卒業公演をもってNGT48から卒業

幼稚園のころからアイドルが好きであったが、小学生の時いじめられていた時期とも重なり、AKB48が出てきたころは自分は「アイドルになんてなれない」という思いや嫉妬心から「AKBなんて嫌いだし」と思っていた。しかし、心を動かされていることは自分でもわかり、ファンになっていった。

AKB48グループでは板野友美、小嶋陽菜を応援していたが、渡辺美優紀が「絶滅黒髪少女」のセンターで踊る姿に惹かれて以来、渡辺一本になったという。中井は渡辺を彷彿とさせるといわれ、NGT48に加入した当初は「釣り師」と呼ばれていた。性格はネガティブであり「豆腐メンタル」である。

　　

[moon-soo-ah]

Yuzuru Hanyu: “I wasn’t someone who succeeded from the very beginning. I learned that simply working hard doesn’t always result in success – you need methods that suit you personally.”

Article from the documentary program NumberTV produced by Sports Graphic Number x Lemino delves into Yuzuru Hanyu’s story revealing challenges he faced during his sorts career. Here’s a translation of this article posted on Sports Graphic Number Web.

“From achieving two consecutive Olympic gold medals to building a glittering competitive career, Yuzuru Hanyu continues to shine even brighter as a professional figure skater today. While his skating career may seem glamorous on the surface, Hanyu reflects, “I’ve hit rock bottom countless times.”

“There were many occasions when I wasn’t sure if I could continue skating or not.”

He recalls that the most painful period was “when I was in elementary school.”

“I wasn’t someone who succeeded from the very beginning. From what I remember, I struggled to win when I first started skating. The first time I won a competition with ‘All-Japan’ in its title was when I was 9.” This was in October 2004 at the All-Japan Novice Championships. After delivering a perfect performance and claiming the title, he later went on to win his first international competition in Finland just two months later. “I was brimming with confidence,” Hanyu recalls.

Riding the momentum and fully believing in a bright future, Hanyu embarked on the next season with optimism. However, shortly after the competition in Finland, the skating rink in his hometown of Sendai, which had been his training base, shut down due to financial difficulties. He transferred to another club to continue skating, but with a new coach, extended travel distances, and reduced training time and intensity, his progress slowed significantly.

“At the time, I could barely manage a double axel or a shaky triple jump, but the kids around me were landing triples with ease. I started to feel like I was being left behind. No matter how hard I tried in such a limited training environment, I felt like I was slipping further down. It was frustrating, and honestly, terrifying. I began to despair, wondering if I had already hit my limit.”

His turning point came with a change in circumstances. The skating rink in Sendai reopened, allowing him to dedicate himself fully to training again. He also began working with a new coach, who had been a protégé of the coach who initially taught him skating fundamentals.

“I realized how important it is to take that extra step forward instead of settling for the status quo. The fundamentals I was taught as a young child and drilled into me through practice connected with my skills at that time. I learned that simply working hard doesn’t always result in success – you need methods that suit you personally.”

Another experience that Hanyu describes as hitting rock bottom was his battle with injuries.

“When you’re injured and can’t train, your muscle strength declines, and the injured area hurts even more. There were times when one injury would not only set me back to square one but actually push me into the negatives. I didn’t talk about it much, but I went through those experiences.”

He specifically referenced a major injury during official practice at the NHK Trophy in November 2017, later diagnosed as a “right ankle lateral ligament injury.” It was a serious injury that would deeply affect his career.

“How should I put it… it felt like the things I had worked so hard to achieve were crumbling before my eyes.” He had the Pyeongchang Olympics just three months ahead.

“After that, all I could really do was focus on doing what I could each day. The time I couldn’t be on the ice dragged on, so I had to get creative with how I cared for myself, how I received treatment, and how I did my rehabilitation. I poured all my energy into that.

But it was hard. As the feel of the ice slipped further away, my muscle strength declined, and I could feel my body getting weaker. Watching how other skaters were jumping and the scores they were putting up during that time filled me with nothing but fear.”

He returned to ice training at the start of the new year. However, the time off had taken its toll.

“Even when I didn’t know if I’d make the Olympic team, the idea of not doing everything I could wasn’t an option. Maybe the experience of living through the Great East Japan Earthquake and all the sorrow and suffering I saw gave me a higher threshold for enduring hardships than most people. Or maybe the challenges I overcame as a child — the training environment I lost and the difficulties I faced — served as mental training and gave me some kind of immunity to adversity.”

This resilience ultimately led to his consecutive gold medal victory at the Sochi Olympics and the Pyeongchang Olympics. But one striking fact emerges from his story: in interviews, press conferences, and post-competition media events, as far as can be recalled, Yuzuru Hanyu has never uttered the word “failure.”

When this was pointed out to him, he nodded without hesitation and explained:

“To me, the word ‘failure’ has the connotation of stagnation, of stopping entirely at that point. But in my case, if I hit a wall, I instinctively feel that I can’t continue living unless I overcome it. My mindset is to find a way past it rather than dwelling on calling it ‘failure.'”

Source

[omiznewsviews]

ドナルド・トランプ氏が宣誓して第47代大統領に就任しました。トランプ氏は2017年から4年間、大統領を務めていて、今回が2期目となります。78歳7か月での大統領就任はアメリカ史上最高齢です。 トランプ新大統領は、日本時間の21日午前、4年ぶりにホワイトハウスの大統領執務室で執務を始めました。 この中でトランプ新大統領はWHO＝世界保健機関から脱退すると表明し、大統領令に署名しました。WHOについて、トランプ氏は1期目の政権時に新型コロナウイルスをめぐる対応が中国寄りだと批判し、脱退することを国連に通知しましたが、バイデン前大統領がこの方針を撤回していました。アメリカはWHOへの最大の資金拠出国で、脱退すれば、WHOの運営に支障が出ることは避けられないほか、パンデミックなどに対する国際的な取り組みに影響が出るおそれもあります。 またトランプ新大統領は、公約に掲げてきた不法移民対策のためとして、文書に署名して、南部国境の非常事態を宣言しました。これにより、軍隊を派遣し、不法入国を即時かつ完全に阻止するとしています。 さらに2021年1月に連邦議会に乱入した事件で訴追された支持者らについて「およそ1500人に恩赦を与える」と述べ、一部を減刑し、そのほかの訴追された人に恩赦を与えると発表しました。 トランプ新大統領は、就任初日から大統領令に次々と署名し、バイデン前政権が進めてきた政策を大きく転換しています。

【速報中】トランプ大統領就任 最新の動き WHO脱退 パリ協定離脱など大幅な方針転換 78の大統領令など撤回 | NHK | トランプ大統領

とりあえず初っ端アピールするために、まずはド派手にぶち上げる。落とし所は後から考える。そういう芸風だから当然スタートはこうなるに決まってるんだけど。さて。

[treasuremoon25]

The Curious Case of 'Ninjaboys: Quest for the Cosmic Front'

Note: I’m not an industry insider. Some of the information is purely speculative and may not be fully accurate to what goes on behind closed doors, since specific licensing and distribution information isn't made public.

On February 11, 2016, a collaboration spin-off series between Nintama Rantaro and Cosmic Front NEXT, entitled Nintama Rantaro no Uchuu Daibouken with Cosmic Front NEXT (忍たま乱太郎の宇宙大冒険 with コズミックフロント☆NEXT, "Nintama Rantaro's Great Space Adventure with Cosmic Front NEXT"), premiered on NHK General TV in Japan with the episode, “Taiyoukei no Otomodachi no Dan” (太陽系のお友だちの段, “The ‘Friends in the Solar System’ Stage”). New episodes air sporadically with the latest one, "Hayabusa 2 Shouwakusei de Mission! No Dan" (はやぶさ2 小惑星でミッション！の段, "The 'Hayabusa 2 Asteroid Mission!' Stage), on NHK Educational TV on March 18, 2020. The series consists of self-contained episodes centered around the main characters of Nintama (Rantaro, Kirimaru, and Shinbei) learning about space through strange and colorful characters, such as the Moon Rabbit. 

Nintama Rantaro is a kids and family ninja comedy anime that has aired on NHK since April 1993. Based on the Rakudai Ninja Rantaro manga by Soubei Amako, it's about an ensemble cast of ninjas at the Ninjutsu Academy. Rantaro, the bespectacled protagonist and audience surrogate, is a 10-year-old boy who attends the school to become an elite ninja like his parents. He is mainly joined by money-hungry Kirimaru and gluttonous Shinbei in misadventures around the school and occasional outside missions. 

Cosmic Front NEXT is a scientific series dealing with the topics of space, astronomy, debunking myths, and answering questions related to the galaxy. Running on NHK from 2015 to 2020, it's a revamp of Cosmic Front ~Hakken! Kyoui no Daiuchuu! (コズミック　フロント～発見！驚異の大宇宙, "Cosmic Front ~Discover the Amazing Universe!") which ran from 2011 to 2014.

On July 17, 2017, Anime News Network reported that William Winckler Productions had recorded 2 English-dubbed pilot episodes of the spin-off, under the new title, Ninjaboys: Quest for the Cosmic Front. “Ninjaboys” comes from the regular series’ official English title, Ninjaboy Rantaro. WOWMAX Next was in charge of marketing and distributing the pilots to potential distribution platforms for release. The English dub cast consists of Elyse Bertani as Rantaro, Kelsey Kummerl as Shinbei, Kory Getman as Kirimaru, Frank Garish as Yamada, and Paul Stanko as Doi and the Moon Rabbit. 

On July 29 that same year, Old Clapperboard Productions uploaded a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube, offering a glimpse into William Winckler’s role in the ADR dubbing process. The video showcases his guidance of the voice actors’ performances, along with a brief look at the dub script. Viewers are treated to hearing the English voices of the characters– a rare opportunity, considering that Nintama has yet to receive an official release in the Anglosphere. As of 2025, this video remains the only available footage of the dub online. 

Was Quest for the Cosmic Front ever licensed? Yes…but not in the way you might expect. While most anime is licensed by major media companies like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Viz Media, and Discotek Media, it remains unclear if the pilots were ever solicited to these outlets. Based on the international publicity surrounding film festivals and science-focused distribution (e.g. planetariums), it’s highly likely that NHK and WOWMAX Next prioritized Quest for the Cosmic Front as an educational series rather than a commercial one. It was likely intended for a very specific market–festivals, schools, museums, and planetariums–where educational content takes precedence over entertainment. This aligns with how it’s marketed in Japan and NHK’s broader mission to promote educational programming and cultural preservation. 

K2 Studios acquired non-exclusive territory/rights restrictions to Quest for the Cosmic Front, meaning they could distribute the series under specific conditions but were not the sole distributor and were limited to certain regions or platforms. The studio specializes in producing and distributing science-focused content to specialty venues worldwide (e.g. fulldome), which could explain why they pursued the series. While there’s no confirmation online, it’s possible that the dubbed episodes were released in regions with large Japanese populations, such as Southern California and Hawaii. These areas have historically received niche Japanese content that doesn’t see a wide release elsewhere, or at least not for a long time (e.g. KIKU TV’s subtitled broadcasts of Crayon Shin-chan and the 1985 GeGeGe no Kitaro series). It appears the studio no longer holds the rights, as the series is no longer listed in their updated catalog.

It’s unfortunate that the English dub of Quest for the Cosmic Front has not received a wide release. If it had been released on platforms like NHK World or Netflix, it could have marked Nintama’s official English debut in the West. However, considering that these were just pilots–many of which never go beyond that stage–it's clear that they were likely intended for educational distribution rather than a large-scale rollout of the Nintama series. All we can do at this point is hope that NHK will consider expanding the series to Western markets in the future, whether with select episodes from the regular TV series or another entry. Who knows, they may already be planning it.

[theskatingarchive]

坂本花織 Kaori Sakamoto

General Tag

Competitive Programs

2014/15 -> SP: Dark Eyes, FS: Romeo and Juliet

JGP Japan 2014: SP, FS

2017/18 -> SP: Moonlight Sonata, FS: Amélie

4CC 2018: SP, FS

2018/19 -> SP: From My First Moment, FS: The Piano

GPF 2018: SP

JNats 2018: FS

Worlds 2019: SP, FS

2020/21 -> FS: The Matrix

WTT 2021: FS

2021/22 -> SP: Gladiator, FS: I Am A Woman

Olympics 2022: SP, FS

Worlds 2022: SP, FS

2022/23 -> SP: Janet Jackson Medley, FS: Elastic Heart

Worlds 2023: SP, FS

2023/24 -> SP: Baby, God Bless You, FS: Lauryn Hill Medley

Skate Canada 2023: FS

GPF 2023: SP

2024/25 -> SP: Ástor Piazzolla Medley, FS: All That Jazz

Skate Canada 2024: SP

NHK Trophy 2024: FS

Worlds 2025: SP, FS

Gala/Show Programs

Don't Tell Mama: GPF

Tango Amore: Olympics

Love Shack: Worlds

Poision: NHK, Worlds

Non, Je Ne Refrete Rien: FaOI

Time To Say Goodbye: DOI

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

Ranking Shoma's programs

I've never been a big Shoma fan. Not that I don't recognise his talent but i've no particular emotional attachment to him.

I have a lot of respect for his body of work. I think he's probably the most musical skater out there, and since he moved to Lambiel i've started to really enjoy his programs. They don't always move me, I don't rewatch them often (besides one or two exception), but everytime I've watched him skate during competitions they usually leave me thinking "Damn... This is good..." Objectively great but not my skater.

That said, and since I love doing that, here are all Shoma's competitive programs, from his senior career, ranked from least to best, according to my tastes.

16 - Moonlight Sonata, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2018/2019 FS)

Yeah, this was a big miss and tbh it's not wonder Shoma's season went middlingly well and that he missed the podium at home Worlds. This program is just not good. The music is overplayed, the choreo is a cut and paste from Shoma and Mihoko's then well established style. Lots of jumps-crossover-jumps-some choreo that consists in looking intense while moving the arms. A miss.

15 - Turandot version 2, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2017/2018 FS)

I rewatched it recently and the music cut is just bad. Why you would cut the "vincero" part I have no idea but here it is. Shoma does a good job with it, but it's nowhere close to the first version of this program.

14 - Winter, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2017/2018 SP)

I just really really dislike Shoma's packaging from late 2017 to early 2019. It's just a lot of warhorse with really mid choreo. Shoma's musicality saves it but that's about it.

13 - Ladies in Lavender, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2016/2017 SP)

It's still intensely Shoma, and by that I mean skate on two feet and move your arms choreo but the music choice is better. At least it's not a warhorse.

12 - Turandot version 1, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2015/2016 FS)

Gets bonus points for including Gira La Cote in the music cut.

11 - Stairway to Heaven, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2018/2019 SP)

The step sequence is very nice and Shoma's musicaly makes this program.

10 - Great Spirit, choreo by Shae-Lynn Bourne (2019/2020/2021 SP)

Gets deduction points because of some truly bad costumes. Honestly a bit of a let down. The choreo feels far too safe for the music.

9 - Legends, choreo by Mihoko Higuchi (2015/2016 SP)

Much better than any other SP Mihoko choreographed for Shoma. The step sequence alone is more interesting than anything Shoma skated to for the following three seasons. Unexpected like.

8 - Timelapse, choreo by Kenji Miyamoto (2023/2024 FS)

In retrospect, Shoma's farewell FS. Not that great. I love Spiegel im Spiegel but the other piece of music left me cold. The choreo wasn't anything special too, but the performances, especially the NHK one, were absolutely magical.

7 - Bolero, choreo by Stéphane Lambiel (2021/2022 FS)

First of all Bolero gets too much hate from the fandom and y'all lack taste. It's a truly great piece of music and I can think of at least half a dozen warhorses that need to be banned before Bolero. (Romeo and Juliet, Experience, Exogenesis...).

Second of all Sholero goes hard. It is a bit empty at the beginning, but the relentless pace of the music makes for an exciting watch, and in case of a clean program, it's exhilarating. The step sequence at the end is outstanding. Doesn't place higher because the choreo sequence feels almost like an afterthought and honestly Stéphane and Shoma could do better.

6 - Gravity, choreo by Stéphane Lambiel (2022/2023 SP)

Did not enjoy it last season (I thought it wasn't a good fit for Shoma, it felt too much like a Lambiel program). Has grown on me a lot since then. It's the most Lambiel-y Shoma has ever skated and it's good that he did it. Variety! Some diversity in the steps. Makes us of the whole body, not just the arms.

5 - Oboe Concerto, choreo by Kenji Miyamoto (2021/2022 SP)

Quintessential Shoma in that it feels close to a Mihoko program, like Winter, or Ladies in Lavender, but is so so much better. More variety in the choreo. It makes us of the whole body, not just the arms.

Shoma's skating with it's outstanding musicality and uninterrupted flow is a perfect match for Baroque music.

4 - Dancing On My Own, choreo by David Wilson (2019/2020/2021 FS)

My greatest regret, regarding Shoma's career, is that he did not get more programs from Wilson. Imho, given how musical Shoma is, he would have been a perfect fit.

That said DOMO is perhaps the most emotionally loaded program out of them all. Shoma went through hell and high water with it, and when it was performed cleanly, it sang.

3 - Mea Tormenta, choreo by Kenji Miyamoto (2022/2023 FS)

Glorious, iconic, it's a program I don't think anybody but Shoma could have skated. Just stunning work all around, and one of the best men's programs in recent years.

2 - I Love You Kung Fu, choreo by Stéphane Lambiel (2023/2024 SP)

Shoma at his most raw, emotional and soft. Great, great music choice, just magic on the ice.

1 - Loco, choreo by Mihoko Hiiguchi (2016/2017 FS)

I don't know what that says of a skater, when their most successfull program happened during their second senior season, and they've been chasing that high ever since (looking at you Kaori's Piano).

In any case, Loco is as good as the fans say it is, and then some. It highlights all the best aspects of Shoma's skating (the performance, the passion, the musicality) while being absolutely unhinged. Truly one of the highs of the sport.

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzuru Hanyu's K&C reactions to breaking World Records (Through the Years)

Historical world records (during the +/-3 GOE ISU scoring system)

1) October 19th, 2012 (Skate America) - Parisienne Walkways 95.07

2) November 23rd, 2012 (NHK Trophy) - Parisienne Walkways 95.32

3) December 5th, 2013 (GPF) - Parisienne Walkways 99.84

4) February 13th, 2014 (Sochi Olympics) - Parisienne Walkways 101.45 (Yuzu was the first men's single skater in history to score above 100 points)

5) November 27th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - Ballade No. 1 106.33

6) November 28th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - SEIMEI 216.07 (Yuzu became the first men's single skater in history to score above 200 points)

7) November 28th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - Total 322.40 (Yuzu became the first men's single skater in history to score above 300 points)

8) December 10th, 2015 (GPF) - Ballade No. 1 110.95 (Yuzu was the first and remains the only skater to score above 110 points before the 2018-19 season*)

9) December 12th, 2015 (GPF) - SEIMEI 219.48

10) December 12th, 2015 (GPF) - Total 330.43 (Yuzu remains the only skater in history to score above 330 points prior to the 2018-19 season)

11) April 1st, 2017 (World Championships) - Hope & Legacy 223.20 (Yuzu became the first and remained the only skater in history to score above 220 points in the free skate prior to the 2018-19 season)

12) September 22nd, 2017 (Autumn Classic) - Ballade No. 1 112.72

Modern World Records (*during the +/-5 GOE ISU scoring system introduced in the 2018-19 season)

13) November 3rd, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Otoñal 106.60

14) November 4th, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Origin 190.43

15) November 4th, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Total 297.12

16) November 16th, 2018 (Rostelecom Cup) - Otonal 110.53 (Yuzu became the first skater in the new system to score above 110 points)

17) March 23rd, 2019 (World Championships) - Origin 206.10 (Yuzu became the first skater to score above 200 points in the new system)

18) March 23rd, 2019 (World Championships) - Total 300.97 (Yuzu became the first skater to score above 300 points in the new system)

19) February 7th, 2020 (Four Continents) - Ballade No. 1 111.82

[hisashi-138]

tumblrはじめました！！

坂本久です！

愛知県一宮市を拠点に、歌の活動をしています✨

時々、ギターも弾きます🎸

実は、あるハンデと向き合いながらの活動でして、自分のことをお話したり、ヘルプマークの啓発をしたりもしています。

2017年からメディアでも取り上げていただいていまして、これまで中日新聞、NHKニュース、NHK名古屋放送局「まるっと！」、読売新聞、地元ケーブルテレビ「アイ・シー・シー」、FMいちのみや、MID-FM、中京テレビ「24時間テレビ」の取材・出演経験があります。

今年活動10年。これからも、大好きな坂本九ちゃんとともに、歌い続けていきますので、これからよろしくお願いします🙇‍♂

[banqanas]

Guide on where to find official EXILE TRIBE contents

This list focuses on sites/services that is managed by LDH, therefore does not include social media

Includes free and paid contents

Disclaimer: Focuses more on Jr EXILE groups contents as they're the ones I follow most.

I try to include pictures for most points, please click on them to see the details clearly

FREE

CL (LDH's own VOD site)

Type of content available:

live cast from groups & individual members

short live broadcast (<10 minutes) during concerts

original LDH show/programs (limited quantity)

is also one of the main platforms to interact with artists

✅ Not region blocked, targeted for JP & international fans

✅ Some shows have subtitles and are available in multiple languages (English, Chinese, Thailand, Korean)

✅ Types of shows varies and some dated before ~2017 (you can get to know the group from their formation until their current state)

2. Radio

Type of content available:

Early preview of new songs

Members responding to listener's requests & questions

Behind the scene stories

Some groups/members serve as DJ for various radio programs on different mediums. Some examples include:

GENERATIONS: CultureZ (Sano Reo DJ - broadcasted live on YouTube) THE RAMPAGE: WEEKEND THE RAMPAGE (Zin and RIKU DJ - BayFM) FANTASTICS: Fantastics Radio (all members - OsakaFM), Design Your Fantastic Future (Nakajima Sota DJ - FM802), Quartet (Jr Exile) EP (Sato Taiki DJ - Exile Tribe Mobile), SawaSota's carefree radio show (CL) BALLISTIK BOYZ: BALLISTIKRADIO (all members DJ, free to listen on website)

❌ Most of the radio shows hosted on Japan's radio FM are region blocked

✅ Weekly updates

✅ You get to listen to your oshi talking about mundane stuffs that doesn't fit on camera like their favourite McDonalds order or them complaining how noisy some members are during their train rides

3. TV shows

Type of content available:

Music TV show (e.g: Music Station, NHK Utacon)

Reality shows (e.g: Hirunandesu, Susteina)

drama series

Short segments in tv shows

Mainly for tribe members that are also active in acting or often goes on variety tv shows e.g: Katayose Ryota, Shirahama Alan, Sato Taiki, Yagi Yusei etc. Most JP tv shows are archived at TVer and can be watched for free

❌ Need to find TV streaming service + VPN

❌ Archives on TVer are only viewable for a week after the tv broadcast

✅ Contents that are not covered by CL

4. EXILE TRIBE MAGAZINE

LDH's own monthly magazine. Contents include:

Event reports

Interviews with artists

✅ Can see pictures from closed events that most international fans can't participate

❌ Some articles can only be accessed for FC members of respective groups

TL;DR: the are quite a lot of free contents however they are restricted behind region blocks and language barriers. You have to be updated with the group's news to catch them on tv/radio.

PAID

CL (premium account - monthly subscription)

Type of content available:

Includes aforementioned free content and more (e.g: PPV online broadcasts for concerts/events, live cast archives, CL anniversary stream)

Premium account members are also eligible for special benefits when buying CD/DVD from LDH official shops

Detailed information between free & premium account here

✅ Payment via app store available

2. EXILE TRIBE OFFICIAL FANCLUB (yearly subscription)

Type of contents available vary between each group's FC but general content each FC has includes:

monthly calendar wallpapers

exclusive images and videos that are not posted in mobile sites (after concert message, seasonal videos, video call-like videos etc)

reports from FC Events (online talk, fan meeting, bus trips, live shows etc etc) that is not covered by Exile Tribe Magazine

Messages for celebratory days (birthday, Valentines', White Day, anniversaries etc)

AR cameras

Chance to get members forgotten belongings (FANTASTICS only)

✅ Eligible to get FC only merchandise (which changes every year)

✅ Eligible for special benefits when buying CD/DVDs from LDH official shop

❌ Requires Japanese address and bank account

❌ Mainly used to get first dibs at concert tickets/fan events so unless you're planning on going to physical events, it's not that worth it.

3. EXILE MOBILE SITES (monthly subscription)

LDH's comprehensive blogging sites. Is considered Exile Tribe's/LDH main website where contents they covered is divided according to groups (refer to images above) and all of them covers:

latest news

backstage photos from concerts (rehearsals, off shots, events)

blog posts with photos/vlog updated by the artists themselves

original content (radio show, independent programs)

※ Members that are part of EXILE and other groups (e.g: Alan, Gun-chan, Mandy, SEKAI, Taiki, DEEP SQUAD) have separate blogs on EXILE mobile/LDH mobile and Tribe Mobile.

⚠️ Pictures that have the LDH/group logo on them are all pictures from their mobile sites. Please be careful of sharing them publicly (as they are widely known to be paid content)

✅ Main source of online content for Exile Tribe straight from the members themselves

✅ Updated daily (depending on member)

✅ Contents are more personal and in-depth compared to their SNS posts. I've translated some of them here and here

✅ Chance of fans directly interact with members (some would reply back to fans replies, also depending on member)

TL;DR: Paid sites are not region blocked as long as you can get through the payment site

Others (sites not managed by LDH but are official collaborations)

1.ABEMA TV - PAID (is not covered in the same category as free tv show because these are not available on regional JP tv channels:

Contents include but not limited to:

ABEMAxLDH: Concerts (PPV), documentary and fanmeets

Past and currently airing GENEkou TV episodes

Incomplete episodes of SHIBUEXILE (2020 - 2021)

2. Tribe Kingdom (puzzle mobile game) - FREE: I have made a separate post about the game here. While the in-game stories are fictional, some parts (voice lines, kitchen talk) include real facts about the artists themselves

Q&A:

How do you sign up/access sites that require JP address and phone number? A: I sign up to Tenso and use the address and number they provide. Most JP sites I've used accepts the address and phone number Tenso provides. None of the sites I've mentioned above require any sort of code to be sent to your Tenso phone number

How do you pay for the services that require JP bank accounts? A: I do not have any jp bank account and have only used my local (asean) bank account. I just pick a card and pray it's accepted by the payment site

Which site do you recommend the most for international fans? A: CL. Other than the fact that the contents are subbed, it is also the platform where you can openly post in other languages (not Japanese) whether in replies or live chats. I really encourage getting the Premium subscription to show LDH how international fans are supporting them.

What is the difference between Official Fan Club contents VS mobile sites? A: Mobile sites main contents are blog posts that are updated by members themselves so the contents mainly focus on individual members (good for people who are only fans of specific members of a group). Mobile site contents are also less formal (pictures/videos are not edited professionally). FC are mainly group-centered contents and the quantities are not as many as those that are posted in mobile sites. But no same contents are posted in both site. ※ Personal note: Mobile sites is worth your money more compared to FC

END. Thank for checking this out and feel free to hit me up if you have any questions regarding these services/sites as I've had a chance to use most of them

(e.g: I can answer questions such as how to sign up to site A, what kind of contents members A, B, C post in their blog or how regularly they post blogs, or which VPN do I use when using site A or B. Unfortunately I can't help with any question regarding payment)

Let's try to support our boys where we can :) 👍

[kennak]

新燃岳の火山活動に詳しい鹿児島大学の嶋野岳人 教授は、噴火のあとの夜、火口から東へ7キロほど離れた宮崎県高原町内で火山灰を採取し、顕微鏡などを使って詳しく分析しました。 その結果、火山灰のほぼすべてが火口付近の浅いところにあった古い岩石の破片で、地下深くの新しいマグマに由来する物質はほとんど確認できなったということです。 このため嶋野教授は、22日の噴火はマグマや火山ガスで地下水が熱せられるなどして噴き出す「水蒸気噴火」というタイプの噴火とみられるとしています。 そのうえで、今回の火山灰は2017年10月に噴火した際の組織の構成と似ていて、噴火の規模なども同程度だということです。 ただ、この時はおよそ半年後にマグマそのものが噴出する「マグマ噴火」に移行しているということです。 また、23日は新燃岳の火山ガスの放出量が急激に増加したことから、嶋野教授は今後、規模の大きな噴火に発展する可能性も否定できないとして、地殻変動などほかの火山活動のデータも注視する必要があるとしています。 嶋野教授は「2018年3月の噴火も急に『マグマ噴火』に移行しているので、そういうこともありえると念頭に置いたほうがいい。少し警戒度を上げて火山活動を注視する必要があるし、規制されているところには絶対に立ち入らないことが重要だ」と話していました。

霧島連山 新燃岳は水蒸気噴火か 火山ガス放出急増で推移を注視 | NHK | 鹿児島県

[brexiiton]

Dying man tells police he was on Japan's most wanted list for 50 years

By Mark Saunokonoko, 7:49am Feb 28 2024

A Japanese man's deathbed confession - that he was one of the country's most wanted fugitives and had been on the run for nearly 50 years - has turned out to be true.

The 70-year-old, who was dying of stomach cancer, told the police he wanted to die using his real name, Satoshi Kirishima, instead of his alias, Hiroshi Uchida.

Four days before he died, Kirishima revealed to police he was part of a radical group that carried out bombings in the 1970s.

A wanted poster for Satoshi Kirishima, a fugitive long wanted for one of a series of terrorist bombings in Japan. (AP/ Eugene Hoshiko)

DNA test results processed after his death confirmed he was telling the truth.

Born in 1954, Kirishima was a university student in Tokyo when he became involved in extremism and joined the East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front, a militant group that carried out a series of bombings targeting major Japanese companies in the 1970s.

Eight people died more than 160 were injured in the 1975 bombing of a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries building which was blamed on the group.

Kirishima was allegedly involved in a number of the bombings.

He was wanted on charges of setting off a time bomb in a building in Tokyo's posh Ginza district in April 1975 in which no one was injured.

Though not a key member of the group, he was said to be the only one of the 10 members who was never caught.

While on the run, Kirishima did not have a mobile phone or health insurance and had his salary paid in cash to avoid detection, according to NHK public television.

A photo on Kirishima's wanted poster shows him smiling, with long hair and glasses.

Two members of the group were sentenced to death, including founder Masashi Daidoji, who died on death row in 2017.

Satoshi Kirishima had been a member of the extreme left-wing group East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front. (AP / Eugene Hoshiko)

Two of the eight members of the group were indicted in the bombings are still at large after their release in 1977 as part of a deal negotiated by another radical group, the Japanese Red Army, when it hijacked a Japan Airlines plane in Bangaladesh.

Police are continuing to investigate how he managed to evade capture for 49 years, and whether anyone helped him build a new, second life.

The Japan Times reported Kirishima had been living in Fujisawa in the Kanagawa Prefecture, in Tokyo's west.

He had been employed at a building firm for around 40 years.

With Associated Press