Mihoko Higuchi

Higuchi was born on May 13, 1969, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.^[1]

Throughout her figure skating career, Higuchi was coached by Machiko Yamada and trained alongside Midori Ito, who was also a classmate of hers in junior high school.^[2] During her figure skating career, Higuchi won the silver medal at the 1980–81 Japan Junior Championships.^[3] Additionally, Higuchi is a Chukyo University graduate.^[4]

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 Nagoya. 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.^[3][5][6] “I have always truly had this desire to teach children from a young age and help them develop,” Higuchi shared. “I want to offer my students a comprehensive teaching in figure skating, covering both physical and mental coaching aspects, right from the start.”^[7]

In May 2025, she moved her academy from Aichi to Niigata.^[8]

Her current and former students include:

• Mao Asada^[9]
• Mai Asada^[10]
• Phattaratida Kaneshige^[11]
• Mana Kawabe^[12]
• Yukari Nakano^[13]
• Rino Matsuike^[14]
• Kanako Murakami^[15]
• Rena Uezono^[16]
• Shoma Uno^[17]
• Sōta Yamamoto^[18]
• Mako Yamashita^[19]

As a choreographer, Higuchi has worked with:

• Mao Asada^[9]
• Mai Asada^[10]
• Mana Kawabe^[12]
• Yuto Kishina^[20]
• Rino Matsuike^[14]
• Satoko Miyahara^[21]
• Haruna Murakami^[22]
• Kanako Murakami^[15]
• Yukari Nakano^[13]
• Haruya Sasaki^[23]
• Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda^[24]
• Rena Uezono^[25]
• Shoma Uno^[17]
• Sōta Yamamoto^[18]
• Mako Yamashita^[19]