Figure SkaterJapaneseAmericanMedalist

Daisuke Murakami (figure skater)

Daisuke "Dice" Murakami is a Japanese former figure skater who represented the United States and Japan, won the 2014 NHK Trophy, and was the first Japanese to land three quad salchows in an ISU event.

1. Early life and background

1.1. Birth and childhood

Daisuke "Dice" Murakami was born on January 15, 1991, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. During his early childhood in Japan, he attended Yokohama International School's ESL program and then St. Mary's International School.

1.2. Move to the United States and start of skating career

In 2000, when he was nine years old, Murakami and his family relocated to the United States after winning a green-card lottery, thereby becoming permanent U.S. residents. It was soon after this move, at the age of ten, that Murakami began his figure skating journey in the United States. He started competing at the juvenile level in 2001.

2. Skating career

Daisuke Murakami's skating career spanned representation for both the United States and Japan, marked by various achievements in junior and senior competitions, significant coaching changes, and challenges with injuries.

2.1. Representing the United States

Murakami made his international debut in April 2004, representing the United States, at the Triglav Trophy, where he secured the novice men's title. In the autumn of 2004, he received his first assignments for the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series. He further distinguished himself in the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, finishing fourth in the junior class, which led to his selection for the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. At the World Junior Championships, he placed 11th. During this event, he notably served as an interpreter for Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka, who won the competition. In the 2006-07 season, Murakami earned a bronze medal at his JGP event in Mexico.

2.2. Representing Japan

Murakami transitioned to representing Japan in the 2007-08 season, which led to him making no international appearances during this period due to the switch.

2.2.1. Junior career and transition

After transferring to Japan, Murakami continued his junior career, placing fifth at the 2007-08 Japanese Junior Figure Skating Championships. In the 2008-09 season, he resumed competing on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit for Japan. Despite a paperwork problem that prevented him from competing at his first JGP assignment in Mexico, he placed fourth at his next JGP event in South Africa. He made his debut at the senior Japan Figure Skating Championships that season, finishing fifth and receiving the "Rookie of the Year" award. He also won gold at the International Challenge Cup junior event.

2.2.2. Senior career and major achievements

Murakami made his senior international debut, placing seventh at the 2009 Finlandia Trophy and ninth at his first Grand Prix event, the 2009 NHK Trophy. In 2010, he changed coaches, parting ways with Nikolai Morozov and relocating to Los Angeles, California, to train with Frank Carroll. He won the bronze medal at the 2011 Winter Universiade held in Turkey.

The following season, Murakami achieved gold medals at both the 2011 Ondrej Nepela Memorial and the 2011 Merano Cup. He finished sixth at 2011 Skate America and the 2011-12 Japanese Nationals. In the 2012-13 season, he started by winning a silver medal at the 2012 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. He later secured a silver medal at the 2013 Merano Cup and a gold medal at the Coupe du Printemps in Luxembourg in the 2013-14 season.

The 2014-15 season was a breakthrough for Murakami. On August 12, 2014, he was announced as a host pick for the 2014 NHK Trophy. In September, he placed third at the 2014 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in Salt Lake City, Utah. In November, he claimed the men's singles title at the NHK Trophy, significantly updating his personal best scores. He improved his short program personal best by nearly 10 points, placing third, and in the free skate, he landed two quadruple jumps to score 166.39 points, a substantial personal best. His total score of 246.07 points was over 40 points higher than his previous best, allowing him to win the event against competitors such as Yuzuru Hanyu and Takahito Mura. Although he placed seventh at the 2014-15 Japanese Nationals, he was selected for the 2015 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea. There, he continued to set new personal bests in all segments, finishing third in the free skate and fourth overall, making him the highest-ranked Japanese skater at the event.

In the 2015-16 season, Murakami earned two consecutive bronze medals in the Grand Prix series, first at Skate Canada, and then at the 2015 Trophee Eric Bompard (where competition was cancelled after the short program due to the November 2015 Paris attacks). His strong performances qualified him for his first Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, where he finished sixth. He also placed seventh at the 2015-16 Japanese Nationals. Murakami was later named an alternate for the Japanese Olympic team for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

2.2.3. Injuries and retirement

Daisuke Murakami's career was impacted by several significant injuries. During the 2012 NHK Trophy, he dislocated his right shoulder in practice the day before the short program. Despite this, he competed, but suffered another dislocation on a jump during his performance, forcing him to withdraw from the event. Due to the need for surgery and recovery, he subsequently withdrew from the 2012-13 Japanese Nationals. In the 2016-17 season, a right foot injury led to his withdrawal from 2016 Skate America and 2016 Cup of China. Murakami officially announced his retirement from competitive skating on June 14, 2018, via his YouTube channel.

3. Skating technique and style

Daisuke Murakami was known for his mastery of two types of quadruple jumps: the quadruple toe loop and the quadruple salchow. He holds a notable record for being the first Japanese skater to officially land three quadruple salchow jumps within a single ISU-sanctioned competition. This achievement occurred at the 2014 NHK Trophy, where he landed one quadruple salchow in his short program and two more in his free skate.

4. Programs

Murakami's competitive programs often featured music from popular films and classical pieces, showcasing his versatility and artistry.

SeasonShort programFree skatingExhibition
2017-2018Bring Him Home from Les Misérables (by Claude-Michel Schönberg, performed by Josh Groban, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)Pagliacci (by Ruggero Leoncavallo, performed by Andrea Bocelli, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)
2016-2017Bring Him Home from Les Misérables (by Claude-Michel Schönberg, performed by Josh Groban, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)Pagliacci (by Ruggero Leoncavallo, performed by Andrea Bocelli, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)
2015-2016Bring Him Home from Les Misérables (by Claude-Michel Schönberg, performed by Josh Groban, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)Anniversary (by Yoshiki, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)The Prayer (by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa, Tony Renis, performed by David Archuleta, Nathan Pacheco)
2014-2015El Tango de Roxanne from Moulin Rouge! (Choreo. by Jonathan Cassar)Piano Concerto No. 2 (by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Choreo. by Phillip Mills)Say Something (by A Great Big World)
2013-2014Once Upon A Time In Mexico (by Robert Rodriguez, Choreo. by Jeffrey Buttle)Gladiator (by Hans Zimmer, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)
2012-2013Bolero for Violin and Orchestra (by Walter Taieb, Choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo)The Mission (by Ennio Morricone, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)Die in Your Arms
2011-2012The Feeling Begins (by Peter Gabriel, Choreo. by Larisa Gilyazova)Gladiator (by Hans Zimmer, Choreo. by Lori Nichol)
2010-2011Toccata and Fugue (by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Vanessa-Mae)Lawrence of Arabia (by Maurice Jarre)SexyBack (by Justin Timberlake)

  • Move, Shake, and Drop (by DJ Laz)

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2009-2010West Side Story (by Leonard Bernstein, Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov)The Rock (by Nick Glennie-Smith, Hans Zimmer, and Harry Gregson-Williams, Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov)Señorita (by Justin Timberlake)

  • Low (by Flo Rida)

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2008-2009Night on Bald Mountain (by Modest Mussorgsky, Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov)Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (by Sergei Rachmaninov, Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov)Apologize (by OneRepublic)
2007-2008Pump It (by Black Eyed Peas)
2006-2007Breakfast at Tiffany's (by Henry Mancini)The Vision of Escaflowne (by Yoko Kanno)
2005-2006Korobushka (by Bond)West Side Story (by Leonard Bernstein)Pump It (by Black Eyed Peas)
2004-2005Hava Nagila (by various artists)Pirates of the Caribbean (by Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt)
2003-2004Sing Sing Sing (by Louis Prima)Fiddler on the Roof (by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, John Williams)
2002-2003Iron Monkey (by Richard Yuen, James L. Venable)

5. Competitive highlights

Murakami's competitive highlights are presented below, categorized by the country he represented.

5.1. Results for the United States

Event2003-042004-052005-062006-07
World Junior Champ.11th
JGP China11th
JGP Chinese Taipei4th
JGP Mexico3rd
U.S. Championships (Junior)4th15th
Triglav Trophy (Novice)1st

5.2. Results for Japan

Event2007-082008-092009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18
Four Continents4th
GP Final6th
GP France3rdWD
GP NHK Trophy9thWD1stWD
GP Skate America5th6thWD
GP Skate Canada3rd
CS Autumn Classic8th
CS Ondrej Nepela4th
CS U.S. Classic3rd
Finlandia Trophy7th5th
Merano Cup1st2nd
Printemps1st1st
Nepela Memorial1st2nd
Triglav Trophy2nd3rd
Universiade3rd
JGP South Africa4th
Challenge Cup (Junior)1st
Japan Champ.5th19th7th6thWD10th7th7th5th
Japan Junior5th3rd
Japan Open (Team)1st T

6. Post-retirement activities

After retiring from competitive skating, Daisuke Murakami transitioned into coaching. In October 2018, he joined the coaching staff at the Sherwood Ice Arena in Sherwood, Oregon. In June 2023, he announced that he had signed a contract with Great Park Ice in Irvine, California. Beyond coaching, Murakami has also made appearances in Japanese television variety shows, collaborating with notable figures such as Yoshiki Hayashi from X Japan and Kenta Maeda, a baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers.