Haru Kakiuchi

Haru Kakiuchi (垣内 珀琉) is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2023 JGP Hungary bronze medalist and 2023 Challenge Cup silver medalist on the Junior level.

Personal life
Kakiuchi was born on April 18, 2006, in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As hobbies, Kakiuchi enjoys listening to classical music as well as collecting rocks, old coins, and ukiyo-e.

He is currently a student at N High School.

Early career
Kakiuchi began figure skating in 2010 at the age of three after his mother, Kaori, encouraged him as a way to help overcome his shyness. That same year, Kakiuchi began training at the Kansai University Skating Club in Takatsuki, Osaka after being invited by Mie Hamada to train there as her student.

He won the silver medal on the novice b level at the 2016–17 Japan Championships. The following season, Kakiuchi won the silver medal at the 2017–18 Japan Novice A Championships and placed twenty-first at the 2017–18 Japan Junior Championships.

After finishing fifth at the 2018–19 Japan Novice A Championships, Kakiuchi moved back to his hometown of Nishinomiya and began training at the Hyogo Nishinomiya Figure Skating Club with Sayaka Yodo and Keiji Tanaka becoming his new coaches. He would place eighteenth at the 2019–20 Japan Junior Championships and thirteenth at both the 2020–21 and 2021–22 Japan Junior Championships.

2022–2023 season
Making his junior international debut, Kakiuchi competed on the 2022–23 ISU Junior Grand Prix, finishing eighth at the 2022 JGP Czech Republic. He went on to finish sixth in the 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships. Due to his top eight finish, Kakiuchi was selected to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Senior Championships.

He went on to compete at the Japan Eastern Sectional Championships, winning the gold medal. At the 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships, Kakiuchi finished fifth and was selected to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Senior Championships due to this top eight finish. At those championships, Kakiuchi finished eighteenth.

Kakiuchi closed his season by winning silver on the junior level at the 2023 International Challenge Cup.

2023–2024 season
Competing on the 2023–24 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Kakiuchi began his season by finishing seventh at the 2023 JGP Austria and winning bronze at the 2023 JGP Hungary.

He then finished fourth at the 2023–24 Japan Junior Championships. With this result, combined with his placements on the Junior Grand Prix series, Kakiuchi was selected to represent Japan at both the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics and the 2024 World Junior Championships. He was also selected to compete at the 2023–24 Japan Senior Championships due to his top eight finish at the junior championships. He finished eighteenth at the latter event.

Competitive highlights
JGP: Junior Grand Prix