The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Japan – also known as the SBC Cup – is an international figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Japan Skating Federation (). It is held periodically as an event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP), a series of international competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. Medals may be awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

History The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) was established by the International Skating Union (ISU) in 1997 and consists of a series of seven international figure skating competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. The locations of the Junior Grand Prix events change every year. While all seven competitions feature the men's, women's, and ice dance events, only four competitions each season feature the pairs event. Skaters earn points based on their results each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are then invited to compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Skaters are eligible to compete on the junior-level circuit if they are at least 13 years old before July 1 of the respective season, but not yet 19 (for single skaters), 21 (for men and women in ice dance and women in pair skating), or 23 (for men in pair skating). Competitors are chosen by their respective skating federations. The number of entries allotted to each ISU member nation in each discipline is determined by their results at the prior World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Japan hosted its first Junior Grand Prix competition in Nagano in 1999. Soshi Tanaka of Japan won the men's event, Jennifer Kirk of the United States won the women's event, Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China won the pairs event, and Flavia Ottaviani and Massimo Scali won the ice dance event. The event has been held every few years in different cities: Nagano (2001); Okaya (2003, 2005); Karuizawa (2010); Nagakute (2014); Yokohama (2016); and Osaka (2023).

On July 3, 2020, the Japan Skating Federation cancelled its planned event in Yokohama, originally scheduled to be the fourth in the series, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The federation also announced on July 13 that it would not assign any skaters to the Junior Grand Prix if the competitions were to proceed as scheduled. The International Skating Union eventually cancelled all scheduled Junior Grand Prix events for the 2020–21 season, citing increased travel and entry requirements between countries and potentially excessive sanitary and health care costs for those hosting competitions.

The Japan Skating Federation has hosted the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, the culminating event of the Junior Grand Prix series, four times. The 2009 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Tokyo. Yuzuru Hanyu and Kanako Murakami, both of Japan, won the men's and women's events, respectively. Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China won the pairs event, while Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin won the ice dance event. The 2013 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Fukuoka. Jin Boyang of China won the men's event, Maria Sotskova of Russia won the women's event, Yu Xiaoyu and Jin Yang of China won the pairs event, and Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia won the ice dance event. The 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Nagoya. Alexei Krasnozhon of the United States won the men's event, Alexandra Trusova of Russia won the women's event, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor of Australia won the pairs event, and Anastasia Skoptsova and Kirill Aleshin of Russia won the ice dance event. The 2025 Junior Grand Prix Final was held in Nagoya. Seo Min-kyu of South Korea won the men's event, Mao Shimada of Japan won the women's event, Guo Rui and Zhang Yiwen of China won the pairs event, and Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin of the United States won the ice dance event.

Medalists

Men's singles +Men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1999 Nagano Soshi Tanaka Ma Xiaodong Stéphane Lambiel 2001 Daisuke Takahashi Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari Shawn Sawyer 2003 Okaya Evan Lysacek Kazumi Kishimoto Nobunari Oda 2005 Takahiko Kozuka Guan Jinlin Sergei Voronov Tokyo Yuzuru Hanyu Song Nan Ross Miner 2010 Karuizawa Andrei Rogozine Max Aaron Abzal Rakimgaliev 2013 Final Fukuoka Jin Boyang Adian Pitkeev Nathan Chen 2014 Nagakute Shoma Uno Dmitri Aliev 2016 Yokohama Cha Jun-hwan Vincent Zhou Alexey Erokhov 2017 Final Nagoya Alexei Krasnozhon Camden Pulkinen Mitsuki Sumoto 2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2023 Osaka François Pitot Lim Ju-heon Daniel Martynov 2025 Final Nagoya Seo Min-kyu Rio Nakata Lucius Kazanecki

Women's singles +Women's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1999 Nagano Jennifer Kirk Yukari Nakano Marianne Dubuc 2001 Akiko Suzuki Fang Dan 2003 Okaya Miki Ando Mai Asada Aki Sawada 2005 Aki Sawada Xu Binshu Juliana Cannarozzo Tokyo Kanako Murakami Polina Shelepen Christina Gao 2010 Karuizawa Risa Shōji Kiri Baga Zhang Kexin 2013 Final Fukuoka Maria Sotskova Serafima Sakhanovich Evgenia Medvedeva 2014 Nagakute Serafima Sakhanovich Yuka Nagai Elizabet Tursynbaeva 2016 Yokohama Kaori Sakamoto Marin Honda Mako Yamashita 2017 Final Nagoya Alexandra Trusova Alena Kostornaia Anastasia Tarakanova 2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2023 Osaka Mao Shimada Yo Takagi Tsai Yu-Feng 2025 Final Nagoya Kim Yu-seong Mei Okada

Pairs +Pairs event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1999 Nagano 2001 No other competitors 2003 Okaya 2005 Tokyo 2010 Karuizawa No pairs competition 2013 Final Fukuoka 2014 Nagakute No pairs competitions 2016 Yokohama 2017 Final Nagoya 2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2023 Osaka No pairs competition 2025 Final Nagoya

Ice dance +Ice dance event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1999 Nagano 2001 2003 Okaya 2005 Tokyo 2010 Karuizawa 2013 Final Fukuoka 2014 Nagakute 2016 Yokohama 2017 Final Nagoya 2020 Yokohama Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2023 Osaka 2025 Final Nagoya

References

External links ISU Junior Grand Prix at the International Skating Union Japan Skating Federation JGP Japan at Skating Scores