Overview

• The Kinoshita Group Cup opens on September 5 at Kanku Ice Arena in Izumisano, marking Japan’s first ISU Challenger Series event.
• During official practice on September 4, Sota Yamamoto disclosed a lumbar hernia from a recent quad-flip fall and said he is reconsidering competing.
• Yamamoto has trained with painkillers over the past week, and coach Machiko Yamada has indicated withdrawal remains an option.
• Kosei Miura confirmed a free-program switch to The Last Samurai after judges flagged thin transitions and a risky choreographic sequence in his previous layout, with strong feedback from Stéphane Lambiel and Koshiro Shimada reinforcing the choice.
• Japan’s entry list features Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi, Momone Chiba, Rinka Watanabe, Hina Yoshida, Mako Yamashita, Saki Miyake, and ice dancers Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita, with final lineups pending any last-minute medical decisions.