“The previous program felt a bit flat.” Kao Miura returns to his The Last Samurai FP “As a piece of music, it feels fitting for the Olympics. I believe the samurai embodies the essence of the Japanese spirit.”
Kao Miura revealed plans to perform his free skate to The Last Samurai this season
original source: Nikkansports, September 4th, 2025
Kao Miura (20), a representative at the 2024 World Championships, announced that he will skate to music from The Last Samurai as his free program for this competition. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
Earlier this season, Miura had been skating a free program choreographed by Benoit Richaud to music from The Phantom of the Opera. However, based on feedback from the Japan Skating Federation and advisors, he decided to pivot to a program that had been in parallel preparation since February. Explaining the change, Miura noted, “The previous program felt a bit flat, and the overall structure didn’t quite flow cohesively.”
The Last Samurai is a piece he used during his junior career in the 2020–21 season. Once again, the choreography is by Eiji Iwamoto. Miura performed the program at the Friends on Ice show on August 30 and 31, receiving praise from fellow skater Koshiro Shimada and former world champion Stephane Lambiel, who both recommended the change. Although the decision to fully commit hasn’t been finalized, Miura remarked, “I think I’ll probably go with this program.”
This season is a pivotal one, culminating in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February next year. Miura reflected on the significance of the program choice: “As a piece of music, it feels fitting for the Olympics. Representing Japan, I believe the samurai embodies the essence of the Japanese spirit. I hope to showcase samurai soul in my performances.”
Related topics: Kao Miura
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