is a

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese

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, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

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, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...

Biography

Higuchi was born on May 13, 1969, in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

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

Machiko Yamada is a figure skating coach and former Japanese competitive figure skater. Biography Yamada was born on June 26, 1943 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She began figure skating at the age of seven. Yamada won several domestic competitions ...

and trained alongside

Midori Ito is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 1989 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple Axel in competition. At the 1988 Calgary Olympics, she became the first woman to land seven t ...

, who was also a classmate of hers in

junior high school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes ...

. During her figure skating career, Higuchi won the silver medal at the 1980–81 Japan Junior Championships. Additionally, Higuchi is 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. Campus File:View of Chukyo University (1), Yamanote-tori Showa Ward Nagoya 2022.jpg, Nagoya C ...

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 in

Aichi is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefecture ...

. In May 2025, she moved her academy from Aichi to Niigata. Her current and former students include: *

Mao Asada is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics - Ladies' singles, 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Figure Skating Championships, World champion (2008, 2010, 2014), a three-t ...

Mai Asada is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She won two gold medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and placed fourth at the 2003 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, 2003 and 2004 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, 2004 Wo ...

Mana Kawabe is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2021 NHK Trophy silver medalist, the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo bronze medalist, the 2022 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, 2022 CS U.S. Classic bronze medalist, the 2021–22 Japan Figure Skatin ...

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 ...

* Rino Matsuike *

Kanako Murakami is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2010–11 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, 2010–11 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2014 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2014 Four Continents champion, 2010 World Junior Figu ...

* Rena Uezono *

Shoma Uno is a retired Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team silver), a two-time World champion (2022, 2023), and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017). He was also the 2019 Four Conti ...

Sōta Yamamoto is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2022–23 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, 2022–23 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a three-time ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, ISU Grand Prix medalist (including gold at the 2023 Skate Canada Inter ...

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

As a choreographer, Higuchi has worked with: *

* Rino Matsuike *

Satoko Miyahara is a retired Japanese figure skater. She is the 2015 World silver medalist, the 2018 World bronze medalist, the 2016 Four Continents champion, a two-time Four Continents silver medalist (2014, 2015), a two-time Grand Prix Final silver medali ...

* Haruna Murakami *

Haruya Sasaki Haruya (written: 遥也 or 陽也) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer {{given name Japanese masculine given names Masculine given names ...

Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda is a Japanese figure skater, who currently competes in the pair skating, pairs discipline. With former partner, Sae Shimizu, they are the 2024–25 Japan Figure Skating Championships, 2024–25 Japan national bronze medalists, two-time Japan Ju ...

* Rena Uezono *

Competitive highlights

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higuchi, Mihoko 1969 births Living people Japanese figure skating coaches Japanese female single skaters Figure skaters from Nagoya Figure skating choreographers 20th-century Japanese sportswomen