Born in 1993. She started her career as a single skater and switched to ice dance in 2014 with Hirokazu Noguchi as her partner. Then, in June 2015, she formed a couple with Chris Reed, winning three consecutive All-Japan Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017, a bronze medal at the 2018 Four Continents Championships (first in Japanese ice dance history), and 15th place at the Pyeongchang Olympics (tied for highest rank in Japanese ice dance history).
From January 2020, she will form a couple with Daisuke Takahashi, who recorded a 2nd place finish at the 2020 All-Japan Championships, a silver medal at the Four Continents Championships in January 2022, and an 11th place finish at the 2023 World Championships (tied for Japan's all-time high).
She will retire from competition in May 2023, and will continue to skate solo and as a couple with Daisuke Takahashi, working as a two-legged show skater.

What is the appeal of ice dancing?
There are so many things that it is difficult to sum them up in one word, but if I had to choose, I would say that "technique" and "beauty" are the two most appealing aspects of ice dancing.


First, technique.
Actually, ice dance is filled with the fundamentals of figure skating.
It seems that modern ice dance has many gorgeous expressions and techniques, doesn't it? But among all four Figure Skating disciplines*1, Ice Dance is a category that especially requires  fundamentals.

*1 Men's Single, Women's Single, Pairs, and Ice Dance

Figure skating is derived from the word "figure," and developed from drawing figures precisely on the ice with the blades of skate shoes. Even in modern ice dancing, skaters are strictly judged on the accuracy of their tracing. It is a sport that traces the origin of figure skating.

And beauty.
Ice dancing is also called ballroom dancing on ice. If two dancers do not skate as one, they will not be able to score points. This is supported by high technique, but it is also important to know what kind of story the duo wants to tell.


What kind of performance structure will they use?
At what timing to insert lifts?
How to organize the steps connecting lifts and spins?
Where do you want to send the two dancers' eyes?
What do you want to express through these series of movements?


For example, if the song is "Phantom of the Opera," it is relatively easy for the couple to decide on how they want to express themselves because there is an original story.
However, with classical music without lyrics or a script, the couple would have to build the story from the ground up. However, the process of putting it together also has its own "difficulties" and "depths" because it is performed by two people.

I have my own story that I want to express.
My partner also has his or her own story to express.

Sometimes we respect the other's ideas, sometimes we engage in heated debate, and sometimes we construct a single story. Because we think together and perform together, the story is doubled or even tripled in size. Therefore, even the same piece of music can seem like a different story depending on the pair.

I think this is the "beauty of ice dance" that cannot be created by just one person.

My first encounter with ice dancing was when I was a sophomore in college.

My older sister, who had been figure skating with me since we were children, was retiring from active competition. The person I had been competing with for so long was leaving the active stage. It left a gaping hole in my heart.

In addition, at that time, the competitive nature of figure skating was changing drastically, and more advanced jumps were becoming more important. This change was so big that I, who was not good at jumping, lost sight of the fun of figure skating.


That's when I was asked, "Why don't you try ice dancing?" and I received an invitation to tryout.


Actually, before that, I had been told by people around me, "I think you are suited for ice dance, Kana-chan.” But I couldn't imagine myself doing ice dance at all. And I was hesitant to change my category while I was still in school, because I was admitted to my university with high expectations and high evaluation of my performance in singles.

But everyone around me pushed me to do it, saying, “ You can do ice dancing for sure!”

Then, I decided to switch to ice dance. My first competition was the West Japan Championships.
When I stood on the rink, I was greeted with thunderous applause from the audience.

Everyone welcomed my challenge to ice dance.
It was a warm applause that made me feel that way.

In my ice dancing life that began in this way, I was truly blessed with "human connections".
One of the encounters that made me feel this was with Daisuke Takahashi, with whom I coupled from 2020 to 2023.

When I decided to partner with Daisuke Takahashi, I had no ambition at all to aim for the Olympics or win an international competition.
Rather, I simply thought, "I want to create a performance together," and "I think I can create something great with Daisuke Takahashi."

As a competitor, you are expected to produce results in competitions.
However, I have always placed even greater importance on creating a performance that will remain in the memories of the audience.
Daisuke Takahashi and I had the same goals and aspirations. That is why we had three fulfilling seasons, and in our last season, at the 2023 World Championships, I think everyone in the team, including the coach, was able to give a performance that could be called the culmination of our wholehearted efforts.

And at the same time, my encounter with Daisuke Takahashi changed my view of life as a skater.

Actually, I had always thought that once I retired from active skating, I would never have a chance to be on the rink as a skater.
Athletes who have been active at the top of the world have the next shining stage, the ice show. But I was convinced that I was far from that chance. More importantly, the skater "Kana Muramoto" was widely known to the public through ice dancing. As ice dance is a sport performed by a pair of skaters, it is not possible without a partner, and it is not always possible to get such an offer.

But that is not the case. Daisuke Takahashi made me realize that.
He said, "Kana-chan, you are a player who can express your work on your own!


Those words pushed me to try my hand at performing in an ice show. In that first show, there were programs with Daisuke Takahashi, Andrew Poje, Stéphane Lambiel, and myself, and of course, there were also programs in which I performed by myself.


When I started ice dancing.
When I retired and moved on to the next stage.
Whenever I went through a difficult time or made a big decision, there was always someone who had my back.
For me, my ice dance career has been a story connected by relationships.

Now that I have retired from active dance, I aspire to become a world-class choreographer.

As a competitor, I experienced pursuing how to express myself within strict rules.
After retiring, I experienced ice dance with no rules and free expression at an ice show.
And then, I became not only a "performer" but also a "supporter" who choreographs and arranges music.
I am discovering new possibilities of expression in ice dance that I have not even realized yet. That is why I myself am so excited, wondering how I can choreograph and arrange skaters to make the most of their individuality, and how I can express myself within the rules.

I would like to continue to bring the charm of ice dance and figure skating to as many people as possible.