Risa Shoji began skating in 2002. Debuting on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in autumn 2010, she won medals at both of her assignments — silver in the Czech Republic and gold in Japan. At the JGP Final, her final score was the same as bronze medalist Li Zijun of China but the tie-breaker placed Shoji in fourth. She finished fifth in her senior national debut at the Japan Championships and then fifth at the World Junior Championships.