Sano became the Japanese national champion for the first time in the 1972–73 season. In 1973 and 1974, he stood on the podium at the
Skate Canada International and
Prize of Moscow News. He represented Japan at the
1976 Winter Olympics in
Innsbruck, Austria and finished ninth. The next season, he won his fifth consecutive national title and went on to win bronze at the
1977 World Championships in
Tokyo. It was the first time that a Japanese representative stood on the world podium in any figure skating discipline. Japan would not win another world medal in men's singles until 2002 (bronze for
Takeshi Honda). He appeared on many television shows as an actor, TV presenter, or a guest. He also released pop singles. He helped to popularize figure skating in Japan. Sano is currently a TV commentator and a figure skating instructor. His former students include
Shizuka Arakawa and
Yamato Tamura. ==Results==