Supporting the development of the All Japan Alpine Ski U16
世界の頂点に立つアルペンスキー選手を育成するために、2018/19シーズンより一般社団法人ジャスト・ラビング・スキー（JLS）・J SPORTSと連携し、公益財団法人全日本スキー・スノーボード連盟（SAJ）のアルペンスキーU16チームへの支援を行っています。クラウドファンディングへの協力や強化費支援をはじめ、U16アルペンスキー選手の密着番組の制作・放送を通じ、若い選手の活動を応援しています。
2026/27シーズンのクラウドファンディング実施中！
（J:COM サステナビリティ活動 | 全日本アルペンスキーU16強化支援プロジェクト 2026/27再生時間：1:00）
Project overview
2018/19シーズンから世界の頂点に立つアルペンスキー選手を育成するために、一般社団法人ジャスト・ラビング・スキー（JLS）・J SPORTSと連携し、公益財団法人全日本スキー・スノーボード連盟（SAJ）のアルペンスキーU16チームへの支援を行っています。
クラウドファンディングで支援金を募り、J:COMからの強化費を加算しSAJへ寄付を行い、SAJが強化活動を実施します。その模様は活動報告番組として放送・配信でお届けします。
U16強化支援アンバサダー
J:COMのアルペンスキーU16強化支援の初年度対象選手であり、現在は世界を舞台に活躍する片山龍馬選手が「アルペンスキーU16強化支援アンバサダー」に就任しました。片山選手は中学2年生でイタリア遠征へ参加し、世界レベルの選手と戦う経験を積んできました。 2026/27シーズンはアンバサダーとして、自身の経験を伝えながら、次世代選手へ挑戦することの大切さを発信していきます。
Support details
Support system
目標金額 1,000,000円
募集締切日 2027年1月11日（月）午後11:00まで
A project to support the training costs for the All Japan Alpine Skiing U16 Team to compete on the world stage.
Last season, we received your support and used it as training funds for skiers who are expected to perform well in the near future.
J:COM will support these young treasures as they take on the challenge of changing the future of Japanese alpine skiing.
（J:COM サステナビリティ活動 | 全日本アルペンスキーU16強化支援プロジェクト 2026/27再生時間：1:00）
Enrichment Activities
SAJ uses training funds to hold training camps (physical and on-snow technical training) and overseas expeditions (Alpine Timbra FIS Children's Cup). In 2022, training funds were used to publish a training manual to be used by all alpine ski athletes. In addition, from 2024, J:COM, as a media company, will be conducting "media training" for the next generation of athletes.
Activities
Training camp (physical and snow training)
Training camps will be held using the training funds. Physically, fitness checks and condition training will be conducted. On the snow, the athletes will ski on hard courses in various sets of slalom and giant slalom runs, and training will be conducted while measuring their times.
Overseas expedition (Alpine Timbras FIS Children's Cup)
The athletes selected during the training camp will represent Japan at the "Alp Chimbra FIS Children's Cup," a world championship for youth athletes.
In the 2025/26 season, Shinnosuke Manabe achieved 4th place in GS and Taku Kanazawa achieved 6th place in SL, both advancing to the top ranks.
Training Manual
In 2022, training funds were used to create and publish a training manual for alpine ski athletes and coaches across the country.
（アルペンU16チーム強化支援プロジェクト メディアトレーニング 2024/25シーズン実施の様子再生時間：1:01）
Media Training
2026年9月11日に菅平高原で行われた第2回アルペン合宿にてメディアトレーニングを実施しました。
次世代の選手が将来活躍するために重要なコミュニケーションスキルや自己表現力の向上を図るため、中学生から大学生までの選手を対象に、実際にFISワールドカップの実況を担当するアナウンサーによる講義を実施。自ら設定した目標を言葉で伝えるインタビュー実習や、ヘッドコーチ同席のもと大会後を想定した記者会見形式の実践にも挑戦し、緊張感のある中で伝える力を磨きました。
Report Program
(Alpine Skiing U16: A Challenge to the World Season 8: Growth Beginning from Disappointment | J:COM Sustainability ActivitiesPlayback Time: 26:00)
2025/26 Report Program: "Alpine Skiing U16: A Challenge to the World"
Season 8: Growth Begins with Disappointment
This documentary follows the U16 national team athletes who represent the future of alpine skiing. We will show you how these athletes, fueled by their disappointments, continue to challenge themselves and grow towards the future as they aim for the Youth World Championships.
- ※2026/27シーズンの報告番組は2027年3月末放送・配信予定
J:COM賞の贈呈
In the 2024/25 season, the seventh year since the start of our support program, we have established the "J J:COM Award" to commend the tireless efforts of athletes who have qualified for the FIS World Cup (hereinafter referred to as the World Cup) and to wish them continued success in the future. Award recipients will receive a supplementary prize of overseas expedition support funds (1 million yen for athletes who have qualified for the full year of the World Cup for the first time, and 200,000 yen for athletes who have made a spot appearance in the World Cup for the first time).
J:COM賞受賞者
- ※Titles omitted
| Award season | Award recipients | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 season | Airen Watanabe (Year-round) | |
| 2024/2025 season | Ryoma Katayama (Year-round) | Airen Watanabe (spot) |
2025/26 Season Award Ceremony (April 28, 2026, within the SNOW AWARD 2026) *As Watanabe was on an overseas tour, the award was presented on his behalf to former head coach Anjiki.
(From the left J:COM Ohashi and Aren Watanabe)
(From left J:COM Izumi, former head coach Shinji Anjiki)
Airen Watanabe (23 years old)
Born in 2003 in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, he showed promise from his junior years, winning the All-Japan High School Ski Championships (Inter-High) while still in his first year of high school, and steadily grew into a top-ranked skier in Japan. In the 2025/2026 season, he competed in six World Cup events, gaining experience on the world's highest stage, and also won the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships, establishing a solid track record both domestically and internationally, and is expected to make even greater strides in the future.
Award comment
Thank you very much for awarding us the J:COM Award for the second time. We understand J:COM Award to be an award that recognizes not only our achievement of being able to stand on the World Cup stage, but also the process that led us there. We are very pleased that not only the result, but also the process was recognized.
In the 25/26 season, I participated in six World Cup events and experienced over 200 days of overseas travel. While I realized the difficulty of achieving results, I feel that I gained a lot of valuable experience and was able to grow significantly. In the 26/27 season, I will work even harder with the goal of participating in the World Championships and breaking into the Top 30. And I want to steadily grow towards the Olympics in four years.
Alpine skiing is a sport that cannot be achieved alone. It is only thanks to everyone's support that I am able to compete on the world stage. I have grown this far thanks to the sponsors and manufacturers who have nurtured me since my youth, my coaches and team members, and everyone who has supported me. I express my heartfelt gratitude.
Comments from former head coach Shinji Anjiki
Thank you very much for giving this wonderful award to Airen Watanabe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. J:COM We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Watanabe and his family for their longstanding and generous support of the Alpine skiing world and our young athletes. Your continued support has led to the solid growth of each and every one of our athletes. Through this project, Watanabe has steadily improved his ability and has even gone on to compete in the World Cup. Through the "All-Japan Alpine Skiing U16 Training Support Project," youth alpine skiers are being trained and strengthened on a daily basis with the goal of competing in international competitions in Italy. We hope that Watanabe will be able to represent our project and compete on the world stage in the future. With the continued support of J:COM, we will continue to work even harder to nurture our young athletes and send them out into the world.
(SNOW AWARD 2026 J:COM Award CeremonyPlayback Time: 6:56)
Acceptance speech
Please check out the video of J:COM Award presentation and acceptance speech for Watanabe (represented by former head coach Anjiki) at the SNOW AWARD.
