Prince Ice World

Prince Ice World
プリンスアイスワールド
StatusOngoing
GenreIce show
FrequencyAnnual
CountryJapan
Inaugurated1978
FounderPrince Hotels, Inc.
Most recent2023
ActivitySkating exhibitions
Organized bySeibu Group and Prince Hotels, Inc.
SponsorBlue Muse Co., Ltd.
Websitewww.princeiceworld.com

Prince Ice World (プリンスアイスワールド) is the oldest ice show in Japan and was founded by Prince Hotels, Inc. in 1978. The show has a different theme each year and is known for its elaborately produced group numbers performed by the Prince Ice World company that consists of about thirty world-class skaters. National and international top skaters are invited as guests.

The show is produced by Seibu Group and Prince Hotels with Blue Muse Co., Ltd. as the official sponsor. Prince Hotels and Blue Muse are both subsidiaries of Seibu Group.

History

Prince Ice World was the first ice show in Japan and was originally called "Viva! Ice World". It was founded by Prince Hotels, Inc. in 1978,[1] and early performances took place at Shinagawa Skate Center.[2] The show developed into an annual event, and the first five seasons included Japanese champions Miwa Fukuhara, Nobu Sato (father of Yuka Sato), and Minoru Sano.[3] In 1985, "Viva! Ice World" expanded to other Japanese cities with shows in Kyoto, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Sapporo, and finally, in 1988 "Viva! Ice World" was renamed to "Prince Ice World."[2]

1992 Olympic silver medalist Midori Ito starred in Prince Ice World in the 1990s with Yuka Sato and Junko Yaginuma. Fans bearing flowers and gifts flocked to see favorites Shizuka Awakawa, Takeshi Honda, Fumie Suguri, Miki Ando, Mao Asada,and Daisuke Takahashi. International guest stars through the years have included Ilia Kulik, Jozef Sabovcik, Elena Leanova Andrei Khvalko, Evgeni Pluschenko, and Alexei Yagudin.[3]

Concept

The shows run for about nine days each year, featuring solo performances by invited national guest stars and international stars from overseas. Each season has its own theme with specially crafted sets and the Prince Ice World company performing in intricately designed costumes. Past themes include Hello Kitty and titles such as "Let's Enjoy Skating" and "Pop Step Dance".[3] The most recent theme in 2023 was "Broadway Classics."[4]

Audience and accessibility

The shows were televised on Fuji TV from 1993 till 2000 when Tokai Television Broadcasting purchased the media rights.[2] In 2022, the performance in Yokohama was broadcast on TV Tokyo.[5]

Cast

National top skaters performing in Prince Ice World since the show was established include:[3][4]

International guest skaters include:[6]

Notes and references

Citations

  1. ^ "Seibu Group History". 西武ホールディングス (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Prince Ice World in Prince Ice World | Figure Skating, Dance and Performance art Sports event – Find out deeper experience with your interests | Deep Dive JAPAN". deep-dive.jp. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Holiday On Ice International: Ambassadors On Ice". icestagearchive.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "プリンスアイスワールド2023–2024横浜公演特設サイト". PIW2023横浜公演特設サイト (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  5. ^ TVガイド. "宇野昌磨、鍵山優真らがゲスト出演！「プリンスアイスワールド2022–2023 横浜公演」スペシャルリポート". TVガイドWeb (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "出演者｜プリンスアイスワールド2019–2020 札幌公演". gakuon.co.jp. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2023.