Risa Shoji was Japan's top medal hope going into last weekend's world junior championships in South Korea, and though she finished a respectable fifth in ladies singles, the 14-year-old was overshadowed by compatriot Keiji Tanaka, who claimed the silver medal in men's singles.
Tanaka, a 16-year-old from Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, vaulted from sixth after the short program to nearly grab the gold, winning the free skate and finishing just over three points behind Canada's Andrei Rogozine.
Yuzuru Hanyu won the world junior title last year but opted to move up to the senior level this season. He finished second at the recent Four Continents Championships behind world champion Daisuke Takahashi.