title: 1996–97 Japan Figure Skating Championships
text: # 1996–97 Japan Figure Skating Championships
  
  The 1996–97 Japan Figure Skating Championships were the 65th edition of the event. They were held on January 13–15, 1997 in Nagano. National Champions were crowned in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dancing. As well as crowning the national champions of Japan for the 1996–97 season, the results of this competition were used to help pick the teams for the 1997 World Championships.
  
  ## Results
  
  ### Men
  
  | Rank | Name | TFP | SP | FS |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Takeshi Honda | 2.5 | 3 | 1 |
  | 2 | Yamato Tamura | 2.5 | 1 | 2 |
  | 3 | Makoto Okazaki | 4.0 | 2 | 3 |
  | 4 | Yosuke Takeuchi | 7.5 | 5 | 5 |
  | 5 | Seiichi Suzuki | 8.0 | 8 | 4 |
  | 6 | Naoki Shigematsu | 9.5 | 7 | 6 |
  | 7 | Takashi Yamamoto | 11.0 | 6 | 8 |
  | 8 | Shin Amano | 11.5 | 9 | 7 |
  | 9 | Gaku Aiyoshi | 12.0 | 4 | 10 |
  | 10 | Taijin Hiraike | 15.5 | 13 | 9 |
  | 11 | Munetaka Shigematsu | 16.0 | 10 | 11 |
  | 12 | Shohei Nagata | 18.5 | 13 | 12 |
  | 13 | Isao Matsuura | 18.5 | 11 | 13 |
  | 14 | Daisuke Watanabe | 21.0 | 12 | 15 |
  | 15 | Hironori Iizuka | 22.0 | 16 | 14 |
  | 16 | Junichi Takemura | 23.5 | 15 | 16 |
  | 17 | Naoki Moriyama | 26.5 | 17 | 18 |
  | 18 | Yutaka Tsuru | 27.5 | 20 | 17 |
  | 19 | Toshio Takahashi | 28.0 | 18 | 19 |
  | 20 | Yukihiro Matsumura | 30.5 | 19 | 21 |
  | 21 | Takatomo Asai | 31.0 | 22 | 20 |
  | 22 | Hironori Taira | 32.5 | 21 | 22 |
  | 23 | Masamichi Ogiwara | 35.5 | 23 | 23 |
  | WD | Takeo Ogasawara | | 24 | |
  
  ### Ladies
  
  | Rank | Name | TFP | SP | FS |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Fumie Suguri | 2.5 | 3 | 1 |
  | 2 | Shizuka Arakawa | 3.5 | 1 | 2 |
  | 3 | Yuka Kanazawa | 6.0 | 2 | 5 |
  | 4 | Kumiko Koiwai | 6.5 | 7 | 3 |
  | 5 | Hiromi Sano | 6.5 | 5 | 4 |
  | 6 | Rena Inoue | 9.0 | 6 | 6 |
  | 7 | Mari Kobayashi | 11.0 | 8 | 7 |
  | 8 | Asa Okuyama | 13.0 | 4 | 11 |
  | 9 | Aiko Suyama | 14.0 | 10 | 9 |
  | 10 | Hanae Tsuji | 15.5 | 15 | 8 |
  | 11 | Masayo Ohisi | 17.5 | 9 | 13 |
  | 12 | Yukiko Kawasaki | 18.0 | 16 | 10 |
  | 13 | Yoko Kosugi | 18.5 | 13 | 12 |
  | 14 | Mari Utamura | 21.0 | 14 | 14 |
  | 15 | Yuko Inaba | 21.0 | 12 | 15 |
  | 16 | Keiko Yamamuro | 21.5 | 11 | 16 |
  | 17 | Akane Nikaido | 25.5 | 17 | 17 |
  | 18 | Shino Suzuki | 29.0 | 22 | 18 |
  | 19 | Keiko Yonaha | 29.0 | 20 | 19 |
  | 20 | Keiko Imai | 30.5 | 21 | 20 |
  | 21 | Tomomi Sano | 30.5 | 19 | 21 |
  | 22 | Hiroko Sekine | 31.0 | 18 | 22 |
  | WD | Hanae Yokoya | | | |
  
  ### Ice dancing
  
  | Rank | Name | TFP | CD | OD | FD |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Aya Kawai / Hiroshi Tanaka | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
  | 2 | Akiko Kinoshita / Yosuke Moriwaki | 4.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
  | 3 | Nozomi Watanabe / Akiyuki Kido | 6.0 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
  | 4 | Hiromi Irie / Norihiro Muto | 8.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
  | 5 | Yuko Kato / Naohisa Kato | 10.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
  