is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympics, 1908 Olympics ...

coach, choreographer, and former competitive

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are m ...

Biography

Higuchi was born on May 13, 1969, in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most p ...

, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Throughout her figure skating career, Higuchi was coached by

Machiko Yamada is a Japanese figure skating coach. Her current and former students include Midori Ito, Mao Asada, Yoshie Onda, Yukari Nakano, Mai Asada, Kumiko Koiwai, Kanako Murakami, Mako Yamashita Mako Yamashita ( ja, 山下真瑚; born December 31, 2 ...

and trained alongside

Midori Ito is a Japanese former figure skater. She is the 1989 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple-triple jump combination and a triple Axel in competition. At the 1988 Calgary Olympics, she bec ...

, who was also a classmate of hers in

junior high school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...

. During her figure skating career, Higuchi won the silver medal at the 1980–81 Japan Junior Championships. Higuchi is also a

Chukyo University is a private university in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with campuses in Nagoya and Toyota. The main building is located in Yagoto, Shōwa-ku, Nagoya. Notable faculty members * Naomi Miyake, cognitive scientist * Koji Murofushi, Olympic hammer ...

graduate. Following her retirement from competitive figure skating in 1990, at the age of twenty, Higuchi became long-time coach, Machiko Yamada's, coaching assistant and a choreographer at the Grand Prix Tokai Figure Skating Club in

. She would work with Yamada until March 2022, when she left the Grand Prix Tokai Figure Skating Club to become the head coach at the LYS Figure Skating Club. At the LYS Figure Skating Club, Higuchi currently coaches: *

Mana Kawabe is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2021 NHK Trophy silver medalist, the 2022 CS U.S. Classic bronze medalist, the 2021–22 Japanese national bronze medalist, and the 2019–20 Japanese junior national champion. Kawabe is the eighteenth w ...

* Rena Uezono With Yamada, she formerly coached: *

Mao Asada is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (2008, 2010, 2014), a three-time Four Continents champion (2008, 2010, 2013), and a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2005� ...

Mai Asada Mai, or MAI, may refer to: Names * Mai (Chinese surname) * Mai (Vietnamese surname) * Mai (name) * Mai (singer), J-Pop singer * Iris Mai (born 1962), German chess master Places * Chiang Mai, largest city in northern Thailand * Ma-i, a pre-Hi ...

Yukari Nakano is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the 2006 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2003 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2005–06 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2007 Asian Winter Games champion, and a three-time ...

Kanako Murakami is a Japanese retired figure skater. She is the 2010–11 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2014 Four Continents champion, 2010 World Junior champion, 2009–10 JGP Final champion, and a four-time Japanese national medalist (bronze in 201 ...

Shoma Uno is a Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team bronze), the 2022 World champion and a two-time World silver medalist ( 2018, 2017), the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2019 ...

Mako Yamashita Mako Yamashita ( ja, 山下真瑚; born December 31, 2002) is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2018 Skate Canada silver medalist and a two-time medalist at the ISU Challenger Series. On the junior level, she is the 2018 World Junior bronze ...

Rino Matsuike is a Japanese figure skater. She is a two-time ISU Grand Prix bronze medalist and finished fifth at the 2022 Four Continents Championships, winning a small bronze medal for her free skate. She is also the 2022 International Challenge Cup Cham ...

Sōta Yamamoto is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time silver medalist on the Grand Prix circuit (2022 Grand Prix de France; 2022 NHK Trophy) and the 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy champion. Earlier in his car ...

As a choreographer, Higuchi has worked with: *

* Rena Uezono *

Haruna Murakami is a Japanese figure skater. She currently competes in both the singles and pairs disciplines. With her partner in pairs, Sumitada Moriguchi, she is the 2022 JGP Poland I bronze medalist and the 2022–23 Japan champion at both the senior and ...

Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2021 CS Cup of Austria silver medalist, the 2020 NHK Trophy bronze medalist, and the 2020–21 Japan junior national champion. Personal life Honda was born on September 15, 2002, in Osaka, Japan. He is ...

* Haruya Sasaki

Competitive highlights

References

{{reflist, 2, refs= {{cite web , title=コーチ樋口美穂子　(ひぐちみほこ) , url=http://www.joc.or.jp/sp/games/olympic/pyeongchang/sports/figure/team/higuchimihoko.html , website=JOC , publisher=JOC , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , title=宇野昌磨ら育てた樋口美穂子コーチ「10年後の自分」のイメージが独立を決断させた【フィギュア】 , url=http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/439180 , website=Chunichi , publisher=Chunichi , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , last1=孝臣 , first1=松原 , title=「数年、揺れ動いていた」フィギュアコーチ樋口美穂子が独立した理由｜フィギュアスケートを彩る人々（第27回） , url=http://www.jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/69888 , website=JB Press , publisher=JB Press , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , title=頂点へ」成長願って曲選び , url=http://www.web.archive.org/web/20090122220647/http://chubu.yomiuri.co.jp/shiawase/sora/sora081221_1.htm , website=Yomiura Online , publisher=Yomiura Online , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , title=コーチ樋口美穂子　（ひぐちみほこ） , url=http://www.joc.or.jp/games/olympic/sochi/sports/figure/team/higuchimihoko.html , website=JOC , publisher=JOC , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , title=LYSフィギュアスケートクラブ , url=http://www.lys-figureskatingclub.com/greeting , website=LYS , publisher=LYS , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , title=Mana Kawabe: 2022/23 , url=http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00102352.htm , website=International Skating Union , publisher=International Skating Union , access-date=8 July 2023 {{cite web , title=Mako Yamashita: 2020/21 , url=http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054890.htm , website=International Skating Union , publisher=International Skating Union , access-date=7 July 2023 {{cite web , title=Rino Matsuike: 2022/23 , url=http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00107894.htm , website=International Skating Union , publisher=International Skating Union , access-date=7 July 2023 {{cite web , title=Sota Yamamoto: 2022/23 , url=http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00013831.htm , website=International Skating Union , publisher=International Skating Union , access-date=7 July 2023 {{cite web , title=Shoma Uno: 2011/12 , url=http://www.web.archive.org/web/20120419153339/http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00012455.htm , website=International Skating Union , publisher=International Skating Union , access-date=7 July 2023 {{cite web , title=本田ルーカス剛史 Lucas Tsuyoshi HONDA , url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/sports/skate/figure/skater/LucasTsuyoshiHONDA.html , website=Fuji TV , publisher=Fuji TV , access-date=10 August 2023 {{cite web , title=村上遥奈 Haruna MURAKAMI , url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/sports/skate/figure/skater/HarunaMURAKAMI.html , website=Fuji TV , publisher=Fuji TV , access-date=10 August 2023 {{cite web , title=フィギュア界次世代スター候補・上薗恋奈の素顔宇野昌磨の恩師に師事「来季はトリプルアクセル」 (23/02/28 14:23) , url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_SFgxXstb0&ab_channel=メ〜テレニュース , website=YouTube , publisher=YouTube , access-date=10 August 2023 {{cite web , title=Rena Uezono: 2023/24 Programs , url=http://www.twitter.com/skatejapanews/status/1689760056907022336 , website=YouTube , publisher=YouTube , access-date=10 August 2023 {{cite web , title=Haruya Sasaki: 2022/23 , url=http://www.web.archive.org/web/20230314232807/isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054886.htm , website=International Skating Union , publisher=International Skating Union , access-date=10 August 2023 1969 births Living people Japanese figure skating coaches Japanese female single skaters Figure skaters from Nagoya Figure skating choreographers