Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and the second Japanese skater to win any Olympic medal in figure skating, after Midori Ito, who won silver in 1992.

She is also the second Japanese woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, following skier Tae Satoya.

[2] In March 2000, Arakawa enrolled at Waseda University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in social sciences in 2004, while still competing as a skater.

She won the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships days after completing her graduation examinations at Waseda University.

She listens to music by Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Mai Kuraki (who is also a close friend of hers)[5][6] and EXILE, and likes shopping, driving, swimming, golf and practicing marine sports.

While still 7, Arakawa began training with former Olympian Hiroshi Nagakubo, a pair skater who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

Arakawa progressed through the Japanese ranks quickly and was the first skater in Japan to win three consecutive junior national titles.

In 2002, Arakawa finished second at Japan's national championships and, as a result, was not named to the Japanese 2002 Winter Olympics team.

She later placed third at the Japanese Nationals, marking her fifth medal from this meet, with two golds and two silvers from previous seasons.

In 2004, she won the World Championships in Dortmund, Germany, defeating Americans Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan, after landing seven clean triple jumps.

[4] She was the third Japanese woman to win this title after Midori Ito who won in 1989 and Yuka Sato in 1994.

[4] At the 2005 World Championships, Arakawa finished 9th, a disappointment which she later credited as a motivation to stay in the sport and regain top form.

[citation needed] At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Arakawa skated in the short program to Fantaisie-Impromptu by Chopin.

Cohen made two major mistakes during her long program, leaving the door open to the other leaders.

[20] After winning her Olympic title, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called Arakawa in Turin, Italy to congratulate her.

She competed in an ABC skating series "Thin Ice," aired on March 19, 2010, paired with 2006 Olympic men's silver medallist Stéphane Lambiel.

[30] In October 2024 she joined forces with Daisuke Takahashi, Kana Muramoto, Takahito Mura, Kazuki Tomono, Keiji Tanaka, Yuna Aoki, Kosho Oshima, Yuto Kishina and Rena Uezono to launch the members-only official fan community F-Ske on the platform FANICON.

[15] Japan Medals of Honor Japanese Olympic Committee Municipality World Figure Skating Hall of Fame GP: Grand Prix / Champions Series