With the countdown to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics continuing, The Japan Times is getting in the spirit by offering several readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the new Japanese skating movie "Coach," which opens at Shinjuku K's Cinema and other venues throughout the country on Saturday.
"Coach" is the story of a 40-year-old professional figure skater Miwa Kurauchi (Miwa Nishida), who spends her life coaching kids with Olympic aspirations and adult beginners. She loves her job, but sometimes feels something is missing in her life.
She finds out it is the passion for the Olympics, which she gave up years ago. She decides to return to amateur status and make another challenge for the Winter Games after a 20-year period.
This is a tale of the difficulties faced by a former athlete in life following retirement, who was in the spotlight during her previous Olympic bid as a young woman.
Shizuka Arakawa, the 2006 Olympic gold medalist, and 2007 world champion Miki Ando both make cameo appearances in the movie.
(The ticket giveaway is finished. Thank you to the people who applied.)
