is a retired Japanese
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 ...
. She is the
2006 Olympic champion and the 2004
World champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and the second Japanese skater to win any Olympic medal in figure skating, after
Midori Ito, who won silver in 1992. She is also the second Japanese woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, following skier
Tae Satoya. She was the only
Japanese medalist at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...
.
Arakawa retired from competitive skating following her Olympic win and began skating professionally in ice shows and exhibitions. She also works as a skating
sportscaster for Japanese television.
Personal life
Arakawa was born in
Shinagawa
is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The Ward refers to itself as Shinagawa City in English. The Ward is home to ten embassies.
, the Ward had an estimated population of 380,293 and a population density of 16,510 persons per ...
, Tokyo, Japan, and grew up in
Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan.
...
and its suburbs. She is the only child of Koichi and Sachi Arakawa and was named Shizuka after
Shizuka Gozen.
In March 2000, Arakawa enrolled at
Waseda University
Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...
and graduated with a bachelor's degree in social sciences in 2004, while still competing as a skater. She won the
2004 World Figure Skating Championships days after completing her graduation examinations at
Waseda University
Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...
.
[Shizuka Arakawa Official Web Site Profile]
/ref>
She lived and trained for a time at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 24,517 in the 2020 census.
History
Early history
At ...
after the closure of the Konami Sports Ice Rink in Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan.
...
, where she began her career.
Her figure skating idols are Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971) is an American former competitive figure skater, author and philanthropist. A former competitor in women's singles, Yamaguchi is the Figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics, 1992 Olympic champion, ...
and Yuka Sato
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater and choreographer. She is the 1994 World champion, the 1990 World Junior champion and the 1993 & 1994 Japanese national champion. She placed 7th at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 5th at the 19 ...
. She listens to music by Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
, Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
, Mai Kuraki (who is also a close friend of hers) and EXILE
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
, and likes shopping, driving, swimming, golf and practicing marine sports. Arakawa cites gourmet cooking as one of her hobbies. She collects beanie babies
Beanie Babies are a line of stuffed toys created by American businessman Ty Warner, who founded Ty Inc. in 1986. The toys are stuffed with plastic pellets ("beans") rather than conventional soft stuffing and come in many different forms, mostly ...
, has a pet shih tzu (named Charo) and hamster
Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera. They have become established as popular small pets. The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian ...
(named Juntoki). She also has four dogs, named Choco, Tiramisu, Aroma and Rosa.
Arakawa was married on December 29, 2013, her 32nd birthday. Further details were not made public.
On April 16, 2014, Arakawa announced that she was pregnant and expecting her first child. On November 6, 2014, she gave birth to her daughter. On May 23, 2018, it was announced that she had given birth again to her son.
Career
Early career
When Arakawa was 5 years old,[ she became interested in skating and entered the Chibikko Skate School. She started ballet lessons at 7. While still 7, Arakawa began training with former Olympian Hiroshi Nagakubo, a pair skater who competed in the ]1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the and commonly known as Sapporo 1972 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside ...
in Sapporo, Japan. She was landing triple Salchows at age 8.
In 1994, she began participating in Japanese national skating competitions. She was named the 1994, 1995, 1996 ''All Japan Junior Figure'' athlete. Arakawa progressed through the Japanese ranks quickly and was the first skater in Japan to win three consecutive junior national titles.
Senior career
Arakawa was the senior national Japanese champion in both 1998 and 1999. She made her Olympic debut when she represented Japan in the 1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with some events ...
in Nagano at age 16. The Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
and Empress
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
of Japan attended the ladies' free skate event. She placed 13th at the Nagano Olympics. At that time, she was ranked number 2 in Japan. In 2002, Arakawa finished second at Japan's national championships and, as a result, was not named to the Japanese 2002 Winter Olympics team.
During the 2002–2003 skating season, Arakawa won the Asian Winter Games
The Asian Winter Games (AWG) is an international multi-sport event held every four years for members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) featuring winter events. The Japanese Olympic Committee first suggested creating a winter version of the ...
and the Winter Universiade
The FISU World University Games, formerly the Universiade, is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The former name is a portmanteau of the words "Universi ...
. She earned her second consecutive silver medal at the Four Continents Championships. She took the bronze at the NHK Trophy
The NHK Trophy is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Japan Skating Federation. The first NHK Trophy was held in 1979 in Tokyo. When the ISU launched the Champ ...
, and placed fifth at the Cup of Russia
The Rostelecom Cup () – originally known as the Cup of Russia () – was an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Figure Skating Federation of Russia. The first i ...
. She qualified for the ISU Grand Prix Final, where she finished fourth. She later placed third at the Japanese Nationals, marking her fifth medal from this meet, with two golds and two silvers from previous seasons.
In 2004, she won the World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
in Dortmund, Germany, defeating Americans Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is a retired American competitive figure skating, figure skater and diplomat who served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Belize, United States Ambassador to Belize from 2022 to 2025. In ...
, after landing seven clean triple jumps. She was the third Japanese woman to win this title after Midori Ito who won in 1989 and Yuka Sato
is a Japanese former competitive figure skater and choreographer. She is the 1994 World champion, the 1990 World Junior champion and the 1993 & 1994 Japanese national champion. She placed 7th at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 5th at the 19 ...
in 1994. Arakawa had planned to retire after the 2004 World Championships, but her victory there convinced her to change her plans.
In 2005, Arakawa won the NHK Trophy
The NHK Trophy is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Japan Skating Federation. The first NHK Trophy was held in 1979 in Tokyo. When the ISU launched the Champ ...
and came in second place at the Grand Prix Finals. At the 2005 World Championships, Arakawa finished 9th, a disappointment which she later credited as a motivation to stay in the sport and regain top form. She felt she could not quit on such a down note. In November 2005, Arakawa changed coaches to Nikolai Morozov.
2006 Winter Olympics
At the 2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...
in Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, Italy, Arakawa skated in the short program to Fantaisie-Impromptu
Frédéric Chopin's ''Fantaisie-Impromptu'' () in C minor, Op. posth. 66, WN 46 is a solo piano composition. It was composed in 1834 and published posthumously in 1855 despite Chopin's instruction that none of his unpublished manuscr ...
by Chopin. She went into the long program in third place, behind pre-event favorites Sasha Cohen and Irina Slutskaya
Irina Eduardovna Slutskaya ( rus, Ирина Эдуардовна Слуцкая, , ɪˈrʲinə ɪdʊˈardəvnə ˈslutskəjə, Ru-Irina Eduardovna Slutskaya.ogg; born 9 February 1979) is a Russian former figure skater. She is a two-time World ...
. Less than a point separated the top three skaters. In the long program, Cohen was the first of the three leaders to skate, followed by Arakawa and Slutskaya. Cohen made two major mistakes during her long program, leaving the door open to the other leaders.
Arakawa won the free program, skating to Vanessa Mae's Violin Fantasy on Puccini's Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...
. She performed an Ina Bauer and then did a three jump combination. "Ina Bauer" became a household word in Japan as a result.[Trendy Japanese #12:Ina Bauer (a figure skating technique)]
ALC, 2006/4/5, accessed 2011/12/02 Although she had planned two triple-triple combinations for the free skate, she did not perform them, doing instead a triple Lutz-double loop and a triple Salchow-double toe loop combinations. Arakawa earned a total combined score of 191.34 points, almost eight points ahead of the second-place Cohen (183.36). Like Cohen, Slutskaya made mistakes in her long program, and ended up taking bronze, leaving Arakawa as the gold medal winner, which was also Japan's only medal of the 2006 games. Slutskaya was third at 181.44. At age 24, Arakawa became the oldest women's Olympic skating champion in more than 80 years. Florence "Madge" Cave Syers from the United Kingdom was the oldest when she won the Olympic title at age 27 at the 1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...
, which featured the first Olympic figure skating events.[
After winning her Olympic title, Japanese Prime Minister ]Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi ( ; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a Japanese retired politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ...
called Arakawa in Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, Italy to congratulate her. Koizumi said, "I cheered for you with excitement while I watched television. All the Japanese people are rejoicing. I give a perfect score to every bit of your performance."[
]
Post-competitive career
Arakawa retired after her Olympic victory. She continued to skate in ice shows and is a regular skating commentator on Japanese television. She competed at the 2006 Ice Wars
Ice Wars was an annual elite figure skating team competition. The first Ice Wars took place in 1994. The competition format was "Team World" vs. "Team USA" or "Team North America". The 2005 competition was one exception, with the format changed to ...
on the World team. She also produces her own show, Friends on Ice,[ and is a recurring cast member at ]Fantasy on Ice
is an annual touring ice show in Japan produced by CIC Co., Ltd. The show emerged from the "Philippe Candeloro Japan Tour 2001", named after retired French figure skater Philippe Candeloro, and was held under the name "Fantasy on Ice" the followi ...
, where she performed with Mai Kuraki to the charity song " Anata ga Irukara" in 2011 amongst others. Arakawa also does choreography.[
In 2006, Arakawa appeared in a Japanese TV drama, ''Shichinin no onna bengoshi'' (7 female lawyers), presented by Asahi TV. She played the role of a cool public prosecutor, Yayoi Shimasaki, in the 8th episode.
She competed in an ABC skating series "Thin Ice," aired on March 19, 2010, paired with 2006 Olympic men's silver medallist ]Stéphane Lambiel
Stéphane Lambiel (born 2 April 1985) is a Swiss former competitive figure skater who now works as a coach and choreographer. He is a two-time (2005–2006) World champion, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2005, 2007) Grand Prix ...
. They came first in the viewer's votes, and ended the series in third place, winning a total of $45,000. They skated to the songs " Get Me Bodied" by Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
and " Magic" by Robin Thicke
Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 single " Blurred Lines" (featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams), which peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, received ...
.
As a professional figure skater, she has appeared in all three previous editions of the cross-genre ice show
Hyoen
' (2017, 2019, 2024) starring Olympic bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi
is a retired Japanese figure skater ( men's singles and ice dance) and ice show producer. As a singles skater, he is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2010 World champion, the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time (2008, 2011) ...
, as well as in ''Hyoen'''s spin-off
Luxe
' (2021).
On April 18, 2018, Arakawa was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. It is located at the Broadmoor Resort in Co ...
.
In October 2024 she joined forces with Daisuke Takahashi
is a retired Japanese figure skater ( men's singles and ice dance) and ice show producer. As a singles skater, he is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2010 World champion, the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time (2008, 2011) ...
, Kana Muramoto, Takahito Mura, Kazuki Tomono
is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2022 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2022 Four Continents silver medalist and a four-time ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Grand Prix medalist. He has represented Japan at three World Figure S ...
, Keiji Tanaka, Yuna Aoki, Kosho Oshima, Yuto Kishina and Rena Uezono to launch the members-only official fan community
F-Ske
' on the platform
FANICON
'.
Signature moves
Arakawa is known for her jumping ability, particularly her difficult triple-triple combinations, like the triple Salchow- triple toe and the triple Lutz- triple toe, sometimes combined with a double loop. She has executed triple-triple-triple combination jumps in practice, the most of which have been the triple Salchow- triple toe- triple loop combination. She has also executed the triple Lutz- triple loop combination in practice. According to figure skating historian James R. Hines, Arakawa was "remembered for her artistry".
Arakawa is known for the quietness of her blades.[ She is also a strong spinner. She has an excellent donut spin, a difficult variation of the ]Camel spin
The camel spin (also called the parallel spin) is one of the three basic figure skating spin positions. British figure skater Cecilia Colledge was the first to perform it. The camel spin, for the first ten years after it was created, was perform ...
, that requires great flexibility. In 2004, she added a Biellmann spin to her repertoire. Arakawa's signature spiral is a Y-spiral where she releases her free leg and completes the spiral with her leg still close to her head, without the hand assist.
Her trademark move is the Ina Bauer with a full backbend. Due to Arakawa's use of this move during her free skate at the 2006 Olympics, the term "Ina Bauer" became very popular in 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 ...
, and Arakawa's performance of it became iconic. The Ina Bauer move is often referred to in Japan by Arakawa's name.[
]
Awards and honors
Japan Medals of Honor
* Purple Ribbon
This is a partial list of awareness ribbons. The meaning behind an awareness ribbon depends on its colors and pattern. Since many advocacy groups have adopted ribbons as symbols of support or awareness, ribbons, particularly those of a single col ...
Japanese Olympic Committee
The is the National Olympic Committee in Japan for the Olympic Games movement, based in Tokyo, Japan. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams and raises funds to send Japanese competitors to Olympic events organised by the Internati ...
* JOC Sports Award- Special Achievement Award (2002), Best Award (2005)
Municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
* Miyagi "Citizens Award of Honor" (2006)
World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. It is located at the Broadmoor Resort in Co ...
* Class of 2018 inductee
Programs
Competitive highlights
''GP: Grand Prix / Champions Series''
Media appearances
DVD
* 荒川静香 Moment Beautiful skating (2006) –
* TORINO2006 日本女子 (2006) –
Book
* Tira mi su—だから私はがんばれる! (2006)-
* 金メダルへの道(2006)-
* LEGEND OF THE ATHLETE荒川静香物語 (2007) –
References
External links
Shizuka-Arakawa.com
International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury
*
Japan Skates
– Website dedicated to the Japanese ladies figure skating team featuring news, rare photos and exclusive interviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arakawa, Shizuka
1981 births
People from Shinagawa
Living people
Japanese female single skaters
Waseda University alumni
Olympic figure skaters for Japan
Figure skaters at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Sportspeople from Sendai
Figure skaters from Tokyo
Olympic gold medalists for Japan
Olympic medalists in figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships medalists
Four Continents Figure Skating Championships medalists
Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Asian Games medalists in figure skating
Figure skaters at the 1999 Asian Winter Games
Figure skaters at the 2003 Asian Winter Games
Medalists at the 1999 Asian Winter Games
Medalists at the 2003 Asian Winter Games
Asian Games gold medalists for Japan
Asian Games silver medalists for Japan
Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon
Winter World University Games medalists in figure skating
Season-end world number one figure skaters
Figure skating commentators
FISU World University Games gold medalists for Japan
Medalists at the 2003 Winter Universiade
Fantasy on Ice main cast members
21st-century Japanese sportswomen