Team Japan 2019-2020 has a similar line-up to that of the previous season, with the addition of a trio of former juniors who will debut on the senior circuit this year — Mitsuki Sumoto, 18, Koshiro Shimada, 17, and Yuhana Yokoi, 19 — and a number of new team members in the junior ranks.
Shoma Uno left his longtime coach in July and will head into the season without a full-time coach. He said he is comfortable with this arrangement. He has enlisted Takeshi Honda as a jump coach.
Daisuke Takahashi is not listed for any events at this time but he may be assigned to a Challenger Series event later in the year. In an interview with a Japanese news service he said he is not putting any restrictions on himself at this time.
Missing from he ladies line-up is Rika Hongo. Shae-Lynn Bourne crafted a new program for Hongo in May but there is no word on what her current status is.
Team Japan 2019-2020
SPECIAL:
Men: Yuzuru Hanyu, Daisuke Takahashi, Keiji Tanaka, Shoma Uno
Ladies: Rika Kihira, Wakaba Higuchi, Mai Mihara, Satoko Miyahara, Kaori Sakamoto
TEAM A – SINGLES:
Men: Koshiro Shimada, Kazuki Tomono, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Yuma Kagiyama, Yuto Kishina, Shun Sato
Ladies: Nana Araki, Ayaka Hosoda, Tomoe Kawabata, Yuna Shiraiwa, Mako Yamashita, Yuhana Yokoi
TEAM B – SINGLES:
Men: Sena Miyake, Kao Miura, Shu Nakamura, Mitsuki Sumoto, Taichiro Yamakuma, Sota Yamamoto
Ladies: Yuna Aoki, Moa Iwano, Mana Kawabe, Akari Matsubara, Rino Matsuike, Wakana Naganawa, Rion Sumiyoshi, Azusa Tanaka, Rinka Watanabe
TEAM A – PAIRS:
None Listed
TEAM A – ICE DANCE:
Misato Komatsubara and Tim Koleto
TEAM B – SYNCHRO Jingu Ice Messengers
At a board meeting on July 24, the Japanese federation named the teams for the 2019 Challenger Series:
Autumn Classic International: Yuzuru Hanyu, Rika Kihira
Lombardia Trophy: Kazuki Tomono, Wakaba Higuchi
US International Classic: Keiji Tanaka, Sōta Yamamoto, Satoko Miyahara, Yuna Shiraiwa
Ondrej Nepela Memorial: Mitsuki Sumoto, Kaori Sakamoto, Mako Yamashita
Nebelhorn Trophy: Koshiro Shimada, Marin Honda
Finlandia Trohpy: Shoma Uno, Sōta Yamamoto, Yuhana Yokoi
