Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama won the NHK Trophy men’s title with a total of 287.24, holding off countryman Shun Sato by 1.53 points after a tense free skate that flipped, but didn’t overturn, the overall standings. Kagiyama led after the short program and placed second in the free, while Sato won the free skate but settled for silver at 285.71.

For Kagiyama, the victory adds another home-ice triumph to an already stellar résumé. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist and three-time world silver medalist (2021, 2022, 2024) is now a four-time NHK Trophy champion. His 2025 result cements his reputation as one of the most complete and consistent performers in the world – and U.S. reigning world champion Ilia Malinin’s closest competition – and this result sets him up with a strong chance to earn a place at the Grand Prix Final.

Sato, meanwhile, earned his first NHK Trophy silver with a rousing free skate that showcased his growing technical confidence and poise under pressure. The 2024-25 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, already known for his explosive quads, continues to prove he’s ready to push Kagiyama at every opportunity.

Behind the Japanese frontrunners, the fight for the podium and top-six spots delivered its own storyline. Lukas Britschgi of Switzerland secured bronze with 246.94 points and rose from 5th place after the short to capture a podium placement, marking a season highlight for the reigning European champion. His medal here continues a historic run for Switzerland — he became the nation’s first men’s European gold medalist in 77 years earlier in 2025 — and confirms his steady rise among the world’s elite.

Fourth place went to China’s Jin Boyang, who totaled 239.05 points. The 2016 and 2017 world bronze medalist and first Chinese man ever to earn a medal at worlds showed flashes of the trademark quad combinations that once redefined men’s skating. Though just off the podium, his placement underscores his resilience after multiple seasons away from full strength.

South Korea’s Cha Jun-Hwan, the 2023 world silver medalist, placed fifth with 230.26, falling from 3rd place after the short, and recording a 10th-place finish in the free skate. Cha impressed in the short program but slipped in the free after several jump errors. Still, the 22-year-old remains one of the sport’s most artistically accomplished skaters, balancing strong technical capability with refined choreography.

Americans Andrew Torgashev placed ninth with 212.01 points and Jimmy Ma finished tenth with 208.56. Both men delivered technically ambitious free skates, with Torgashev highlighting his elegant edge work and Ma earning strong program-component scores for his engaging performance style. Though outside medal contention, their results keep the U.S. men steadily competitive on the Grand Prix circuit as the program builds toward Milan Cortina 2026.

Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii delivered a powerful, steady free skate to claim the NHK Trophy pairs title with a total of 208.58 points, overtaking China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, who had led after the short program.

The reigning European champions, who opened the event in second place with 73.69 for their short program, earned a strong free-skate score that pushed them past both Sui/Han and Hungary’s Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko. Combining clean side-by-side jumps, sharp lifts and consistent unison, Conti and Macii earned the day’s highest overall total to secure their second career Grand Prix victory and solidify their position among the season’s title contenders heading toward the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya.

Hungary’s Pavlova and Sviatchenko produced a decisive performance to capture silver with 207.28 points after ranking third in the short program (73.04). Their dynamic free skate featured strong triple throws and confident lifts that kept them within striking distance of the leaders throughout.

China’s Sui and Han, performing in their return Grand Prix season, slipped from first after the short program to bronze overall with 203.79 points. The 2022 Olympic champions showed flashes of their world-class artistry but lost ground after an early mistake, ultimately placing 4th in the free skate. Even so, their comeback to major competition continues to draw enthusiastic support from fans across Asia.

Home skaters Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi thrilled the Osaka crowd with a clean, flowing free skate to finish fourth at 202.11 points.

For the United States, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov placed fifth (193.00 points) after combining a solid free skate with their fifth-place short program finish. Teammates Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe followed in sixth (187.40), maintaining composure through a technically demanding program and giving Team USA two top-six finishes in the event.