Hidehito Kikuchi, 12, Wins Japan’s Novice Skating Title—and Steps Out of Hanyu’s Shadow

Not “the next Hanyu”: the beginning of Hidehito Kikuchi’s own story.

A title decided by 1.11 points

At Sapporo’s Tsukisamu Gymnasium on October 25, 12-year-old Hidehito Kikuchi of Miyagi Figure Skating Club earned 92.64 points to win the novice A men’s event at Japan’s 30th National Novice Figure Skating Championships. Rui Jinno of Nagoya FSC scored 91.53; Toma Fujimoto of MF Academy was third with 75.95. The gap between first and second was only 1.11 points. That is a more illuminating way into this story than announcing the arrival of the next Olympic champion: a young skater won a closely fought national contest on the merits of a single free skate.

A name worth getting right

The Japan Skating Federation’s July 2025 development roster gives the champion’s name as 菊池英仁, with the phonetic spelling きくち ひでひと—Hidehito Kikuchi. Some Japanese-language photo captions contain a different character in his surname. The federation’s roster and results consistently use 菊池. Accurate identification matters particularly when reporting on a child athlete. This article uses Hidehito, not the unverified first-name reading Eiji that appeared in an earlier editorial working list.

How he built the winning skate

According to on-site reporting by Nikkan Sports, Kikuchi landed an opening triple Lutz and a triple toe loop–double toe loop combination. Novice A men compete in free skating, where technical content is assessed alongside presentation, composition and skating skills. Landing demanding jumps is a major part of the challenge; so is integrating them into a coherent program while still learning how to compete under pressure. An official result is not the same as a complete technical breakdown, and the precise element-level grades require the judge sheets.

The previous year matters

In October 2025 Kikuchi finished second in novice B, scoring 67.56, behind fellow Miyagi FSC skater Atsuto Izumi’s 77.77. These are not comparable like-for-like scores: novice B and novice A have different competitive requirements. They nevertheless document an important progression, from runner-up at one national championship to winner in the next age category a year later. Nikkan Sports reported that the earlier loss motivated him to seek first place this season.

The Hanyu connection—and its limits

Miyagi FSC is also associated with Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time Olympic men’s champion. Kikuchi told Nikkan Sports that he admires Hanyu’s expressive skating, having had opportunities to see him perform in Sendai and at ice-show events. The connection is real, and internationally resonant, but it is not a prediction. Training in the orbit of a celebrated predecessor does not make Kikuchi a second Hanyu. An emerging athlete deserves room to develop his own technical choices and performing identity.

Why Sendai is part of the story

Japan’s figure-skating culture is strongly associated with Sendai and Miyagi Prefecture. Hanyu won Olympic gold in Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018, becoming the first Japanese man to claim the Olympic singles title and then defending it. The region’s links with Shizuka Arakawa, the 2006 women’s Olympic champion, deepen that history. These achievements attract attention, but the less glamorous infrastructure of the sport—rinks, coaches, clubs and long-term development—is just as important to what happens next.

What a national novice title does—and does not—mean

The Japan Skating Federation organizes a series of development stages including novice B, novice A, junior and senior competition. Entry to the national novice championship involves regional pathways and, for some athletes, designated recommendations. The 2026 championships ran October 23–25 in Sapporo, and the novice A men competed in free skating. Winning at this level is a notable achievement, not a guarantee of senior international selection or Olympic qualification. Changes in age category and physical development also complicate comparisons across seasons.

An invitation to skate up

After the championship, the federation’s figure skating committee selected Kikuchi and runner-up Jinno for recommended participation in the national junior championships, scheduled for November 21–23 in Ibaraki Prefecture. Junior competition presents a different field and potentially more demanding benchmarks. In his post-event remarks to Nikkan Sports, Kikuchi looked toward jumps and more difficult spin entries that had not featured in his winning program. What he ultimately performs in November remains unknown.

The surprising skill outside the rink

One memorable detail in the athlete’s published interview was his ability to perform multiple consecutive backflips. He also acknowledged apprehension about trying acrobatics on ice. It is an appealing window into his athleticism, but it should not become pressure to perform a risky trick. At this age, safety, training judgment and a sustainable love of skating matter more than a viral moment.

The future is a question, not a verdict

A 1.11-point victory can mark the beginning of a compelling sporting journey without establishing its destination. Growth, injuries, schooling, coaching continuity and motivation all shape the years between novice success and adult competition. What can be reported now is concrete: Hidehito Kikuchi won Japan’s novice A national title in Sapporo, improved on a runner-up result from the previous year’s novice B competition, and earned a recommendation to skate at the junior nationals. His next chapter belongs to him—not to comparisons with an Olympic legend.

Sources and verification