Japan just had their nationals and announced their team: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/figure-skating-japan-team-announcement-milano-cortina-2026
The Miura/Kihara pair withdrew from nationals due to her dislocated shoulder, but because of their record during GP, they had no trouble being selected, and are definitely in medal contention.
As for the women, it was Sakamoto, Chiba, and Nakai who made the cut. (I was rooting for Nakai...love her Wonderful World routine.)
Happens at every games (the negativity). I remember the British press labeling the Vancouver games as the worst ever (before they even started). Arguably those were the best Winter Games in recent memory.
I wonder if they were also eager to talk like that before Sochi 2014, or if the money in envelopes from oligarchs from Russia effectively silenced them, does anyone remember?