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Info: https://web.archive.org/web/20150906013348/https://www.ifsmagazine.com/articles/32527-yuzuru-hanyu https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090231/http://www.ifsmagazine.com/issues/201210 When Yuzuru Hanyu first hit the junior circuit during the 2008-09 season, he was barely a blip on the skating radar. Few had ever heard of him. After winning the Japanese junior title Hanyu placed a distant 12th at Junior Worlds that year. But the dynamic young man served notice when he claimed gold at every event he contested the following season, winning the Junior Grand Prix Final and running away with the 2010 World Junior title. Another Japanese phenom was on the horizon.

*Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist 2022.02.05 Source: https://www.newsweekjapan.jp/articles/-/46470 https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404733602591277280 [Exclusive Interview] Renowned coach Brian Orser talks about the possibility of Hanyu winning a third consecutive Olympic gold medal. <Yuzuru Hanyu's thoughts on the quadruple Axel, and the secret to his strong mental fortitude, as told by his coach of 10 years> Yuzuru Hanyu, the men's figure skater aiming for his third consecutive Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics, has been coached by Canadian coach Brian Orser since 2012. Even for Brian Orser, who has nurtured many top-class athletes, Hanyu is in a class of his own. Susan Russell, publisher of International Figure Skating, spoke with him about everything from their first meeting to the possibility of a gold medal in Beijing (the interview was conducted by telephone on January 26 in Toronto, Canada). —Did you feel there was something special about Hanyu from the very beginning of your coaching? In fact, I had noticed something special about him even before that. At his first World Championships in Nice, France (2012), he came in third place. His magnificent free program ("Romeo + Juliet") was a perfect example of what makes Hanyu unique. He was young, talented, and full of life—none of which could be taught. ──How did you end up becoming a coach? When I visited Japan for the World Team Trophy in April 2012, a meeting had been arranged. I had no idea what was going on, but someone met me at the airport and took me to a restaurant in Tokyo. When I walked into the room, Yuzu was there. I was really surprised, because he had just come off a fantastic season. I asked him through the interpreter, "Why are you doing this?" and he said he wanted to practice with my team and Javier Fernandez. I said, "Okay, I see." When he first arrived in Toronto, Canada, he was rough around the edges, but he had innate talent. We needed to teach him how to control it. We didn't want to drain his energy; we wanted to tame and control it. He's a free spirit, but once we helped him utilize his talent, everything started to fall into place. —What was Hanyu's jump repertoire like when he first came to Canada? How has it evolved since then? At first, he could do the triple Axel and the quadruple toe loop, but eventually, he became able to jump just about anything. The quadruple Salchow, quadruple loop, and quadruple Lutz became really important jumps for him. He also started doing a quadruple toe loop in the second half of his free skate. Then, he began doing two quadruple toe loops in the second half of his free skate, and on top of that, in 2015, he became able to do two quadruple jumps in the short program as well. That was groundbreaking. Now, it's commonplace for top skaters to do two quadruple jumps in the short program. —Hanyu has elevated men's figure skating to a new level with his programs that incorporate a variety of quadruple jumps. That’s right. He isn’t afraid to take big risks. Things don’t always go as expected, but he just couldn’t help going out onto the ice and challenging himself. Yuzu has always been a genius at improvisation. He’s also a mathematical wizard. If something goes wrong at the beginning of a program, he can calculate where to add a combination jump later on. He thinks on his feet. There have been times when I’ve watched him on the ice and thought, “What is this program? What’s going on here?” But once the scores come up, I understand. ──Have you kept in touch with Hanyu since he returned to Japan about two years ago? Yes, before the All-Japan Championships (last December), I received videos from him quite frequently. I evaluated them and sent my thoughts back. In one video of him practicing, he seemed a little anxious because other athletes were getting in the way, so I talked to him about his rhythm. I gave him not only technical feedback, but also advice on his mindset and some words of wisdom. —Hanyu had to miss the NHK Trophy in November 2017 due to injury, before the Pyeongchang Olympics. When he withdrew from both the NHK Trophy and the Rostelecom Cup last November, did you feel it was a repeat of what had happened four years earlier? Absolutely. I thought so, 100 percent. I felt sorry for him, but I also knew he could overcome it. There wasn't much time until the All-Japan Championships, and with several excellent skaters in Japan, Yuzuru had to fight to earn his place.

@Martina I found this injury list from a Chinese fan. Feel free to add/correct anything here. https://weibo.com/7548308482/NdNCt0In6 2011.11, Rostelecom Cup (Grand Prix of Russia), Gold Medal Injured his hip during the official practice before the competition and competed with it taped up. 2012.03, World Championships in Nice, France, Bronze Medal Injured his right ankle before the free skate and competed after receiving a painkilling injection. A post-competition examination confirmed an avulsion fracture. 2012.10, Finlandia Trophy, Gold Medal In the first season after moving to Canada for training, Yuzuru Hanyu developed a high fever before the competition. Without sufficient pre-competition training, he made his season debut at the Finlandia Trophy (as described in Blue Flame II). During the free skate, he suffered an asthma attack and collapsed onto the ice immediately after finishing, gasping for breath. 2012.12, Grand Prix Final, Silver Medal He was in seriously poor health due to food poisoning, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. He withdrew from the gala after the opening performance. 2012.12, All-Japan Championships, Gold Medal He competed before he had fully recovered his health (*Blue Flame II*; the documentary Time of Awakening). 2013.02, Four Continents Championships, Silver Medal During the long program, he was affected by a minor injury to his right eyelid sustained before the competition. According to reports, he was jostled by people crowding around him at the hotel and hit the hotel glass. Had this injury not occurred, he would have become a Super Grand Slam champion at just 19 years old in 2014. 2013.03, World Championships in Canada, 4th Place He contracted influenza before the World Championships and was unable to train for about 10 days because of a high fever. He returned to the ice at the end of February, with only two weeks remaining before the World Championships. After resuming on-ice training in late February 2013, he injured his left knee and had to stop training for another week (*Blue Flame II*). During the second half of the 2012–13 season, he not only suffered frequent injuries but also fell ill often (*Time of Awakening*). During the official practice on the morning of the free skate at the March 2013 World Championships, he injured his right ankle again (*Blue Flame II*). This was one of only two times in his senior career that he failed to reach the podium at an international competition. His left knee was at Stage III of patellar tendinitis. Despite everything, he fought to secure three Olympic spots for Japan at Sochi. The other two Japanese skaters finished sixth and eighth. 2014.03, World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Gold Medal After the Olympics, he developed tonsillitis and a fever and was unable to train (*Blue Flame II*). Before the World Championships, he sprained his back and injured his right knee (documentary Covered in Scars Behind the Smile). Despite this, he achieved the Grand Slam title in a single season, a feat accomplished by only two skaters in history. 2014.09, Finlandia Trophy, Withdrew Diagnosed with lumbar myofascial fasciitis, he withdrew and underwent treatment and a month of rest (*Blue Flame II*). 2014.11, Cup of China in Shanghai, China, Silver Medal The collision accident. He sustained contusions to the head, jaw, and abdomen, a contusion to the left thigh, and a crush injury to the right ankle joint. Full recovery was expected to take two to three weeks. 2014.11, NHK Trophy in Japan, 4th Place He competed less than three weeks after resting following the collision accident. 2014.12, All-Japan Championships, Gold Medal Despite his asthma and a urachal remnant condition that caused pus and bleeding around the navel, he competed with the area wrapped in bandages. He underwent surgery immediately after the competition. Experienced alcohol allergy during surgery, and antibiotic allergy after surgery (*Blue Flame II*). 2015.03, World Championships in Shanghai, China, Silver Medal Following surgery for the urachal remnant condition, the surgical sutures failed to dissolve, causing the wound to become inflamed and infected with pus. The pain was so severe that he could not turn over in bed while sleeping (*Blue Flame II*). He underwent a second operation after the competition. 2015.04, World Team Trophy (WTT) in Japan, Team Bronze Despite being in so much pain that even bending forward or backward was extremely difficult, he competed in the World Team Trophy (*Blue Flame II*). 2015.10, Left foot injury (*Blue Flame II*) He struggled with a left foot injury throughout the entire season. 2015.10, Skate Canada, Silver Medal His asthma worsened two days before the competition. In addition to coughing and other asthma symptoms, he developed a fever above 38°C. 2015.11, NHK Trophy in Japan, Gold Medal He suffered an asthma attack. He scored 106.33 in the short program, 216.07 in the free skate, and 322.40 overall, breaking the world record in all three categories. This was the first time he ascended to legendary status. 2015.12, Grand Prix Final, Gold Medal He had a ligament injury and continued to apply emergency ice packs before the competition. In the end, he broke all three world records once again, scoring 110.95 in the short program, 219.48 in the free skate, and 330.43 overall, once again cementing his legendary status. 2016.03, World Championships in Boston, USA, Silver Medal He had a ligament injury in his left foot and was unable even to put on his skating boot. His hotel room door would not open, so he missed the shuttle bus to official practice. The zipper on his Seimei costume broke, along with many other mishaps. It was a World Championships he would probably rather not look back on. Nevertheless, he delivered an outstanding short program, scoring 110.56, just 0.39 points below the world record at the time. (he also set a world record in the short program) 2016–2017 Season The ligament injury on the top of his left foot from the previous season had not fully healed and affected him throughout the entire season (*Blue Flame II*). 2016.12, Grand Prix Final, Gold Medal He experienced gastrointestinal discomfort before the free skate. (This was revealed by someone connected to the event on Twitter; Japanese media did not report it.) 2016.12, All-Japan Championships, Withdrew He contracted influenza accompanied by pharyngitis before the competition, and his high fever would not subside, forcing him to withdraw. 2017.03, World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, Gold Medal He suffered from asthma in the two weeks leading up to the competition and had another asthma attack during official practice on the second day. His free skate score of 223.20 once again broke the world record he himself held. 2017.09, Autumn Classic International in Canada, Silver Medal His knee injury was severe. For the short program, Seimei, he temporarily lowered the planned difficulty, changing the layout from 4Lo, 3A, 4T+3T to 4S, 3A, 4T+3T. Nevertheless, he scored an impressive 112.72, breaking the world record. To this day, it remains the highest short program score under both the old and new scoring systems. 2017.11, NHK Trophy in Japan, Withdrew He had a high fever and was unable to walk in a straight line. Despite not having recovered, he took part in official practice. While practicing the 4Lz, he injured the ligaments in his right ankle upon landing (*NHK documentary*). 2018.02, PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Gold Medal The ligament injury in his right ankle had not healed. He took large amounts of painkillers to compete and became the first men's singles skater in 66 years to win back-to-back Olympic titles. 2018.11, Rostelecom Cup (Grand Prix of Russia), Gold Medal He fell while practicing the 4Lo during official practice. The ligament injury in his right ankle recurred, accompanied by an injury to the deltoid ligament and an injury to the peroneal tendons in his right ankle. He stood on the medal podium using crutches. 2019.03, World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Silver Medal Residual pain and inflammation in his ankle joint remained. He still needed two to three months of rest to recover. 2019.12, All-Japan Championships, Silver Medal Possible asthma (though there is no concrete evidence. This was the only competition in which he wore a heart-rate monitor). Due to the competition schedule, he traveled from Canada to Italy, then back to Canada, and from Canada to Japan within five weeks. Unable to adjust to the time differences and facing a graduation thesis deadline, he developed a mild loss of appetite and reached a state of physical exhaustion. 2021.03, World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, Bronze Medal He suffered a sudden asthma attack before the free skate, to the point that he was at risk of suffocation. 2021.04, World Team Trophy in Nagano, Japan, Team Bronze He experienced gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. 2021.11, NHK Trophy in Japan, Withdrew Two weeks before the competition, he sprained his right ankle while practicing the 4A and withdrew from the event. He subsequently developed esophagitis and a fever (*All-Japan Championships interview). 2021.12, All-Japan Championships, Gold Medal He competed after taking painkillers. During official practice, he did three 4A attempts. In the actual competition, he landed the 4A on two feet, while the rest of his performance was flawless. 2022.02, Beijing Winter Olympics, 4th Place During official practice before the free skate, he sprained his right ankle while practicing the 4A. Despite the injury, he competed in the free skate. He fell on the 4A and 4S. In the second half, however, he executed two quadruple jump combinations and two triple Axels perfectly. He took seven painkillers before the exhibition gala but still insisted on performing, presenting skating fans with the beautiful and ethereal Haru yo, Koi. 2022.03, World Championships in France, Withdrew He announced his withdrawal because his foot injury had not yet healed.

2012.04.25 Source: https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNSSXKD0505_V20C12A4000000/ https://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/sports/general/20120425000473 Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu to have a new coach: Brian Orser, who previously coached Kim Yuna. Yuzuru Hanyu (17), a rising star in men's figure skating who won a bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships, will be training under Canadian coach Brian Orser (50), who coached Kim Yuna (South Korea) to a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. This was announced on the 25th by Hidehito Ito, chairman of the Japan Skating Federation's figure skating committee. From now on, Hanyu will focus his activities on Toronto, Canada, where Orser has his training base. According to Chairman Ito, Hanyu made this decision because he wanted to "go abroad and raise his level," and is leaving coach Nanami Abe, who had coached him for many years in his hometown of Sendai. [Kyodo] Source: Jiji Press (https://toramomo.exblog.jp/18193844/) Yuzuru Hanyu to train under former coach of Kim Yuna It was learned on April 25th that Yuzuru Hanyu (Tohoku High School, Miyagi Prefecture), who won a bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships, has changed his coach to Canadian Brian Orser. He notified the Japan Skating Federation by the same day. Orser is based in Toronto and coached Kim Yuna (South Korea), the gold medalist in the women's event at the Vancouver Olympics, until August 2010. Hanyu had previously been coached by Nanami Abe. Regarding the reason for the change, he reportedly told Hidehito Ito, head of the Japan Skating Federation's figure skating department, that he wanted to "go abroad, take on challenges, and raise his level even higher." For the time being, he will train by traveling back and forth between Sendai, where his high school is located, and Toronto.　 Source: Sankei Shimbun (https://toramomo.exblog.jp/18193844/) Brian Orser, who coached Kim Yuna, to become Hanyu's coach. It was reported at the Japan Skating Federation's board meeting on the 25th that Brian Orser, a Canadian who coached Kim Yuna (South Korea), the gold medalist in women's figure skating at the Vancouver Olympics, has been appointed as the new coach of Yuzuru Hanyu (Tohoku High School, Miyagi), who won the bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships. According to Hidehito Ito, head of the figure skating department, Hanyu has said that he "wants to go overseas and raise his level even higher." At the board meeting that day, the athletes designated as special elite skaters for 2012 were also announced. In addition to Mao Asada (Chukyo University) and Daisuke Takahashi (Kansai University Graduate School), former world champion Miki Ando (Toyota Motor Corporation), who has taken a break this season and has indicated her intention to enter this year's Grand Prix (GP) series, was also selected. Source: Mainichi Shimbun (http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20120426k0000m050020000c.html ; https://think58.exblog.jp/17859055) Figure Skating: Yuzuru Hanyu Changes Coaches to Brian Orser Yuzuru Hanyu (17) = Tohoku High School, Miyagi Prefecture = who won a bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships (March, Nice, France) will be coached by Brian Orser, the coach who trained Kim Yuna = South Korea =, the gold medalist at the Vancouver Olympics. This was announced on the 25th by Hidehito Ito, head of the figure skating department of the Japan Skating Federation. According to Director Ito, the coaching relationship with his current coach, Nanami Abe, was amicably dissolved on the 24th. Hanyu has said that the reason for the change of coach is that he "wants to go overseas, challenge himself more broadly, and raise his level even higher." As Hanyu is still in high school, he will be traveling back and forth between Toronto, Canada, where Orser is based, and Japan for the time being.

Obviously, these are just my hypotheses, but the questions might be as follows: 1 - Which of your programs is your favorite? 2 - ??? 3 - What is the most important place to you? 4 - How do you spend your free time? 5 - Who are your favorite skaters? 6 - What are your favorite programs? (Note that, many years later, he would go on to skate to the music from the first of the Plushenko programs he mentioned, as well as the music from the Weir program.) 7 - What is your favorite sport? 8 - Who are your favorite athletes? (I don’t know the other two, but Ichiro is a legend of Japanese baseball.) 9 - I have two theories here: either what he would do if he were to be born again, or what he thinks I will be doing in X years. 10 - Who are your favorite artists/what are your favorite works? (The first two are musical groups we know he loves; the other two are anime—the second of which he has mentioned on other occasions as well.) 11 - What is your favorite food? (Not gyoza?) 12 - What other sports/sporting activities do you enjoy practicing?

* machine translation, inaccuracies may exist Source: https://x.com/jenif_valentine/status/1093275381497393152 https://weibo.com/1746783312/Hfz62gEgb Interview with Yuzuru Hanyu conducted on his third day of training at Cricket Club Regarding his move to the Cricket Club: “The talk about having a new coach came up right after the World Championships. Things were pretty hectic.” “I myself had been thinking, ‘Someday, I’d like to learn in the world outside [Japan].’ But at the same time, it all felt a little too sudden. So I really agonized over changing coaches. I worried and worried so much that I got a headache and even felt like I might collapse from anemia (laughs). “But when I took a step back and thought about it calmly, I realized that I had achieved a result at the World Championships, and now it was time to set my sights on Sochi and PyeongChang. I started to feel, ‘Maybe it’s good to change to a new environment at this point. Maybe this is the right time to go abroad.’ “So, once I had decided to go, I started to feel excited. I could really imagine the future ahead of me, thinking, ‘From now on, I’ll get to be coached by the coaches here!’ “But when I said goodbye at my club in Sendai… I cried. It wasn’t actually a farewell gathering where I announced that I was leaving the club. It was a gathering to share the news that I had placed third at the World Championships. When I was asked to say a few words, the moment I stood up, I just burst into tears in front of everyone! (laughs) I managed to say something along the lines of, ‘Thank you for watching over me all this time,’ but I don’t think I was able to give a proper speech… “My former coach, Nanami-sensei, supported me all along the way. I am truly grateful to her. Everything I learned from her will remain important to me forever. I want to keep working hard without ever forgetting those lessons. That day at the club, as I was crying, she said to me very cheerfully, ‘When you win the Olympic gold medal, come back to Sendai and show it to everyone.’” “And one more thing. What saddens me is thinking about my family back in Sendai. My mother is coming with me, but I truly wish I could have stayed with all of them—my father, my sister, my whole family. I wish we could all go to Canada together!”

The depiction of a calm woodland walk looks appealing. A balm for the soul.

Personal Questions Corner (not sure what the questions are, below are Yuzuru's answers) Q1 “Sing Sing Sing” (the SP version) Q2 “M:1·2” Q3 Basically, I prefer singles (laughs). It seems like it would be difficult to be considerate of a partner… Q4 My home rink, Ice Rink Sendai (formerly Konami Sports Club Izumi). Q5 Music-related things. J-pop, iTunes gift cards, earphones, etc. Q6 Evgeni Plushenko, Johnny Weir. Q7 Yagudin’s "Winter" & "Gladiator" Plushenko’s "Nijinsky" & "Once Upon a Time in America" Johnny Weir’s "To Autumn" Q8 Baseball. Q9 Teppei, Ichiro, and Ryo Ishikawa. Q10 I’m not sure, but I think I’d still be skating. Q11 BUMP OF CHICKEN, Porno Graffitti, Summer Wars, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Q12 Figure skates. Q13 Tonkatsu (pork cutlet), steak, and sushi (especially salmon). Q14 Playing catch, hitting at a batting cage

PERSONAL QUESTIONS “Three things for each question!” "Personal Questions" is a popular segment in Cutting Edge. This year, we asked the skaters to provide three things that immediately come to mind for each question! Q1. Treasured possessions Q2. Something you want right now Q3. Heroes or idols Q4. Someone of the opposite sex you currently like (in any sense of the word!) Q5. Songs you often sing at karaoke / your favorite songs Q6. Favorite musicians Q7. Things you often buy at convenience stores Q8. Favorite alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) drinks Q9. Dishes you’re good at cooking Q10. Dishes that remind you of your mother’s cooking Q11. Favorite competitions Yuzuru Hanyu: Q1. Treasured possessions Skates Ice rink Family Q2. Something you want right now A medal (laughs) Earphones iTunes card Q3. Heroes or idols Plushenko Shuzo Matsuoka Johnny Q4. Someone of the opposite sex you currently like (in any sense of the word!) - No answer Q5. Songs you often sing at karaoke / your favorite songs “Yume no Mukou e” (夢の向こうへ) — Hi-Fi CAMP “super nova” — BUMP OF CHICKEN “Zero” (ゼロ) — BUMP OF CHICKEN Q6. Favorite musicians BUMP OF CHICKEN Hi-Fi CAMP Porno Graffitti Q7. Things you often buy at convenience stores Carbonated drinks Bento (boxed meals) Oden (Japanese hot-pot dish) Q8. Favorite alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) drinks Pepsi Nex Ginger ale Milk Q9. Dishes you’re good at cooking - Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) — “I might be able to make that (laughs)" Q10. The taste of home Hot-pot dishes (nabe) Onishime (simmered root vegetables) Gyoza Q11. Favorite competitions NHK Trophy Four Continents Championships Junior Grand Prix Final (the one held in Tokyo!)

If there is a Hanew Experience for the big one, there has to be an Ubutan Experience for the little one. 🤩

I'm not sure actually. Should have gone to check it out while I was at Ice Rink Sendai last year 😂 It's still being listed on the Fun-te mall website though: https://www.fun-te.com/

Is their shop still open?

Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist* 2014.02.08 Source: Kahoku Shimpo ~The Sharpening Skill That Supports an Ace~ Figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru and Yoshida, a craftsman from Sendai - Meticulous adjustments to skate blades, down to the millimeter On February 6 (February 7, Japan time), during the figure skating team event, which made its debut at the Sochi Olympics, Yuzuru Hanyu (19; representing ANA, a graduate of Tohoku High School in Miyagi, and currently at Waseda University), delivered a flawless short program, giving Japan a strong start. Supporting this ace from the ground up is Toshinobu Yoshida, 41, who runs a skating equipment shop in Izumi Ward, Sendai, Hanyu’s hometown, and specializes in sharpening skate blades. Having watched Hanyu develop since his junior high school days, Yoshida has helped propel him onto the world stage through skills he acquired through self-study. Yoshida opened his shop about six years ago. He had previously worked for an electrical and telecommunications company, but decided to help his wife (41), a figure skating coach, by sharpening the skates of her students. Hanyu was one of her students. Figure skating boots have a curved groove along the bottom of the blade (edge), which comes into contact with the ice. Skaters glide by alternating between the blade’s outer and inner edges. According to Yoshida, there are only a handful of specialists in Japan who maintain blades according to each skater’s habits and preferences. As a result, coaches often do the sharpening themselves. Yoshida studied specialized books in English and honed his skills by sharpening rental skates at the rink, practicing on every single pair available. His expertise is now so highly regarded that he receives requests from all over the country. Skates are the only piece of equipment a figure skater uses. Hanyu is exceptionally meticulous about his, often making numerous specific requests. As Yoshida explains, “That just shows how deeply committed he is to skating.” Yoshida dedicates one of his sharpening machines exclusively to Hanyu and accommodates his requests down to the millimeter. However, concerned about the risk of injury, he has sometimes made adjustments on his own initiative. Shortly before Hanyu became the world junior champion in 2010, there was a period when Hanyu repeatedly asked Yoshida to “make the groove deeper so I can jump more easily.” Concerned that a deeper groove would put too much strain on Hanyu’s knees and feet, Yoshida secretly made it a little shallower each time he sharpened the blades. When Hanyu eventually discovered what he had done, he thanked Yoshida, saying, “You managed it well.” Even after moving his training base to Canada in the spring of 2012, Hanyu continued to have Yoshida sharpen his skates, either bringing them with him when he returned to Japan or sending them by parcel. “When I had a craftsman in Canada sharpen them, I found I couldn’t jump at all. That really made me realize just how well Yoshida had been able to adjust them to my exact preferences,” he said. Hanyu entered the team event determined to compete “with the pride of representing Japan.” Yoshida offered words of encouragement: “If Yuzu just performs the way he knows he can, the results will follow.”

Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist* 2014.02.24 Source: Kyoto Shimbun (https://ameblo.jp/clover-waraukadonifuku/entry-11784746700.html) A Song of Revival: Filled with Gratitude to His Mentor - Yuzuru Hanyu Yuzuru Hanyu, a Sendai native who won Japan’s first gold medal in men's figure skating, delivered an emotionally moving performance in the exhibition, skating to Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Swan Lake. The piece held special meaning for him, as it was the music he skated to when he first returned to the ice after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The person who choreographed this program during the 2010–2011 season, when Hanyu made his senior debut, was Nanami Abe. He cited his encounter with Abe, his former coach whom he regarded as a benefactor to whom he owed a debt of gratitude, as a turning point in his skating career. However, he added this somewhat hesitantly, saying, “I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say this.” After training under Abe for more than five years, beginning in his novice days, he had risen to the ranks of elite skaters. Yet, two years earlier, he had abruptly parted ways with her. In April 2012, it was announced that Canadian coach Brian Orser, who had guided South Korea’s Yuna Kim to gold at the previous Winter Olympics in Vancouver, would become Hanyu’s new coach. The change came just one month after Hanyu won bronze at the World Championships on his first appearance at the event, with Abe as his coach. Abe was shocked by the decision, while Orser himself later recalled, “He had a good relationship with his previous coach, so I was surprised by the offer.” Hanyu wanted to “improve his level” and “change” by moving to Canada, where both the language and the living environment were different. In Sendai, he had struggled to secure enough training time on the ice, and his rivals were not nearby. Leaving his disaster-stricken hometown and moving on from the mentor who had nurtured him was an incredibly painful decision. His personal motto is “Never forget your original intentions.” These were the words Abe had said to him when he first succeeded in landing a triple Axel (a three-and-a-half-revolution jump). She had also laid the foundation for his signature weapon, the quadruple jump. Hanyu said, “I am truly grateful to her.” Toshinobu Yoshida, Abe’s husband, said, “Yuzu [Hanyu] is one of her most cherished pupils. She watched his gold-medal-winning performance on television and was moved to tears of joy.”

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist Source: https://sendai.keizai.biz/headline/262/ Figure Skating Specialty Shop Opens in Izumi, Sendai - opened by a former professional skater and her husband. On July 3, the specialty store for figure skating goods “NICE” (Ichinazaka Ishidome, Izumi-ku, Sendai City; TEL: 022-352-6714) opened in Izumi-ku, Sendai City. The owner of the store is Nanami Abe, a figure skater who works as an instructor and coach. She performed in "Disney on Ice" for seven years, beginning in 1995, and was active around the world. She currently also choreographs for Shizuka Arakawa. The idea for opening the store came from a simple question posed by Abe’s husband, Toshinobu Yoshida: “Where do skaters in Sendai buy their equipment?” There were no specialty stores for skating equipment in Sendai, let alone elsewhere in the Tohoku region. The only options were to buy equipment while traveling to competitions or to obtain it through mail order. Abe therefore thought, “I want to create a store where people can try things on and purchase them while handling the products.” She opened the store at its current location, near Ice Rink Sendai (Takatama-cho, Izumi-ku). The store occupies an area of four tsubo (approximately 13.2 square meters). The products available include skating boots, blades, over-the-boot tights, and original costumes. The store carries boots from established manufacturers such as Jackson and Harlick. Prices start at ¥13,500 for beginner boots (including blades), ¥37,300 for intermediate boots, and ¥70,000 for advanced boots. Custom-made boots are also available. For blades, the store stocks brands such as Paramount, John Wilson, and MK, which are highly regarded by instructors. Costumes can be custom-made, with customers able to choose the colors, materials, decorations, and other details. Prices start at ¥5,800. A workshop is also attached to the store, reflecting Abe’s desire to support skating equipment as much as possible, since “there are no shops in Japan that specialize in repairs and maintenance.” Her husband, Yoshida, handles blade sharpening, skate maintenance, repairs, and other services. The store attracts elementary and junior high school students aspiring to become professional skaters, as well as housewives who skate as a hobby. Abe says, “Japan has a deep pool of figure skating talent, but there are still very few male skaters. I hope to use the store as a platform to spread awareness of figure skating to many people and, by working together with coaches, support the entire skating culture.” Opening hours are 12:00 to 20:00 (10:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays and Sundays). Closed on Wednesdays.

2026.02.12 Sotoku Gakuen, a private secondary school in Hiroshima, featured Yuzuru Hanyu's 2025 essay in its high school entrance examination. Subject: Japanese Language Passage 1: Yuzuru Hanyu - "Discovery of the 2-6-2 Rule" Source: https://www.sotoku.ed.jp/high/wp-content/themes/sotoku/files/high/admission/kakomon/r8/ippan/kokugo.pdf Reiwa 8 (2026) Academic Year High School Entrance Examination Questions - Japanese Language Instructions for Examinees • Time: 45 minutes • Write all answers in the answer spaces provided on a separate answer sheet. • Where a word or character limit is specified, punctuation marks, quotation marks, and other symbols are also counted toward the limit. Part 1: Read the following passages I and II, and answer the questions that follow. Passage I We live in an age in which both the information we seek and the information we do not seek easily catch our attention. The internet has spread rapidly, and anyone can now share information through social media (SNS). At the same time, fake news is overflowing, and during disasters, false rumors spread widely. I think we have entered a world in which it is difficult to know what to believe precisely because it is so easy to “connect” with others. When we feel that we “do not want to connect,” the root of the problem seems to lie less in “connecting” itself than in “connecting too much.” Perhaps more and more people are being tossed around by information and other people's judgments, developing anxiety about losing sight of who they really are. This is certainly a subject that concerns me, too. It has been three full years this summer since I became a professional skater. I feel that I am taking on challenges in a world completely different from the one I knew before. In a sense, the eighteen years I spent as a competitive skater were an era in which my emotions rose and fell with the scores. The “quality” of a performance was determined by scores reflecting technical elements such as jumps and spins. On the stage where I perform today, judgments about what is good or bad are left to the values of the people watching. This “freedom,” unconstrained by rules or scores, inspires me to create even more, but it also comes with a sense of fear. Evaluation is no longer expressed in scores; instead, it takes the form of the words and emotions of the audience. As a result, I find myself asking more and more questions such as, “Am I truly delivering something good?” and “Am I meeting people's expectations?” As I faced my anxieties, I arrived at one principle that has helped me: the “2–6–2 rule.” To put it simply, if the people around you are taken as a group of ten, the probability is distributed such that 20% are people who understand us and with whom we can build mutual trust, 60% are people who feel moderately positive toward us, and the remaining 20% are people with whom mutual understanding is completely impossible. This is a principle I hold dear in my heart. If so, my role is first to earn the trust of that 20% and to deliver good performances to the 60% as well. Of course, ideally, I would want to reach the remaining 20% too. However, even if my performances do not reach them, I have become able to maintain my confidence by continuing my activities in a way that allows me to take pride in having created something that reaches 80% of people. Criticism from society and abusive comments on social media should not bother us too much, provided that we have properly done the work of “knowing ourselves” and have a clear idea of what we want to do. In this world, where waves of public opinion arrive in an instant and disappear just as quickly, there is no need to be swayed or shaken by them. I have resolved in my heart that, rather than spending time being shaken myself, I will continue striving to deliver performances that move the hearts of those who watch me. I think that, surprisingly, the means of “knowing oneself” are not readily found within the sphere of our everyday lives. One probably does not discover the “self” simply by keeping one's troubles to oneself and worrying over them alone. In my case, I discover myself by engaging with music, getting lost in the world of a work, or encountering scenes of nature. Just as we can see our own appearance only through a mirror, I believe that we can come to know our true nature only by seeing it reflected in the mirror of others. Once I have connected with the world, come to know myself, and grasped what I want to express, I then cut off those connections and immerse myself completely when thinking about a story or choreography. However, as a performer, there is no meaning if what I express does not get across to others. My team and I repeatedly engage in dialogue to determine whether what we have created truly communicates what we want to convey. If many people today feel that they “do not want to connect,” I feel that one reason behind this may be that other people on the media appear too dazzling. However, as someone who has frequently been featured in the media, I have come to believe that no one is a special human being. I am truly an ordinary person. I like games, and there are even days when I spend all my time doing nothing but watching gameplay commentary videos. Yet what the media shows is always the highlights of my life. The Great East Japan Earthquake is at the root of my beginnings as a performer. As I travelled around the disaster-stricken areas, what the survivors taught me was the weight of the lives contained within each individual represented by the figures of several thousand or tens of thousands reported in the news. Every person has a story, and every life is equally precious. Even if they are never reported, “winning Olympic gold medals in consecutive Games” and “the quadruple Axel” certainly exist within each person's life. Recently, I have also come to feel that the person known as Yuzuru Hanyu is a medium through which the feelings of the people who support me are reflected. People probably cannot live without connecting with others. If that is the case, rather than rejecting connections, I want to cherish the version of myself that I have come to see through those connections. And ultimately, I believe that will lead to not “over-connecting,” either. (Yuzuru Hanyu, “A New Way of Life Without Connecting,” Bungeishunju, July 2025 issue) Question 1 The underlined passage says, “This is certainly a subject that concerns me, too.” Choose the most appropriate explanation of why this subject concerns him from options A–D below, and answer with the corresponding letter. A. Because so many people evaluate him that it is impossible to accept every evaluation. B. Because his life up to now has been one in which he was evaluated by scores, he can evaluate himself only by scores. C. Because he cannot give performances that move people unless he listens to the evaluations of everyone watching. D. Because leaving the standards of evaluation to the values of those watching may lead him to lose sight of who he is. Question 2 The underlined passage says, “a world completely different from the one I knew before.” Choose the most appropriate explanation of how it has changed from options A–D below, and answer with the corresponding letter. A. The standard of success has shifted from the originality of expression to skating technique. B. The nature of evaluation has changed from numerical scores to the words and emotions of the audience. C. What people believe in has changed from widespread information to individual judgment. D. Connections with other people have changed from relationships of trust to natural laws. Question 3 The underlined passage refers to the “2-6-2 rule.” What does the writer believe will happen by valuing this rule? Choose the most appropriate explanation from options A–D below, and answer with the corresponding letter. A. By continuing to make efforts to reach the 20% of people with whom mutual understanding is impossible, he will eventually be able to understand them. B. He will become able to completely ignore the 20% of people with whom mutual understanding is impossible. C. He will become able to distinguish the 60% of people who feel moderately positive towards him from the 20% who regard him favourably. D. By being able to think that it is enough to create something that reaches 80% of people, he will be able to maintain his confidence. Question 4 The underlined passage refers to “the means of ‘knowing oneself.’” The writer figuratively describes what one should use in order to “know oneself.” Extract that expression from the passage, using between five and ten Japanese characters. Question 5 The underlined passage says, “‘Winning Olympic gold medals in consecutive Games’ and ‘the quadruple Axel’ certainly exist within each person's life.” What are “‘winning Olympic gold medals in consecutive Games’ and ‘the quadruple Axel’” concrete examples of? Extract eight Japanese characters from the passage. **Questions 6-8 refer to a different passage (Passage II) Question 9 The following is a discussion that took place in class after the students read the two passages. Read the dialogue and answer the questions that follow. Dialogue Teacher: These two passages are excerpts from a feature in a well-known magazine titled “A New Way of Life Without Connecting.” They are presented as “Advice from 16 Extremely Busy People for Those Who Are Fed Up with ‘Instant Replies.’” Student A: It’s true that staying connected with other people can be quite mentally taxing. If replying instantly is this exhausting, there are times when I feel it might actually be better if social media didn’t exist at all. Student B: However, Hanyu seems to regard connections with other people as important, saying, “[a].” Kakuta also seems to suggest that connections with others cannot be ignored, even if not directly, when she says, “Sometimes I couldn’t resist and replied.” Student A: With that in mind, Hanyu adopts an approach in which he maintains his sense of self while accepting that there are people with whom he cannot understand one another at all. Kakuta, on the other hand, thinks that [b]. Teacher: Precisely because we live in a convenient world where we can connect with anyone instantly, incorporating these two perspectives may indeed be valuable advice for us. (Q1) Extract a 22-character expression from Passage I that fits in blank [a]. Give the first five and last five characters of that expression. (Q2) What does Kakuta, the author of Passage II, say one should do to maintain a “way of life without connecting”? Write an expression of 30 Japanese characters or fewer that fits in blank [b], using the word ‘ふつう’.”

https://w2g.tv/?r=hctff8c7v6gdnw7j7p

Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist 2018.02.16 Source: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASL2H4PPML2HUNHB00P.html (Miyagi) “There’s no need to worry about Yuzu” — Hanyu aims for back-to-back titles as he heads into the short program. The men’s figure skating competition, which begins on the 16th, will feature defending champion Yuzuru Hanyu (23). Having overcome an injury to his right ankle sustained in November last year, he is aiming to become the first skater in 66 years to win consecutive Olympic titles in the men’s event. Amid a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, people who knew him during his time in Sendai are watching over him with confidence, saying, “There’s no need to worry about Yuzu.” Hanyu began skating at the age of four at Ice Rink Sendai, located in Izumi Ward, Sendai. The rink closed in 2004 due to financial difficulties, and Hanyu, who was then in the fourth grade of elementary school, moved to Katsuyama Skating Club in Aoba Ward, also in Sendai. Tatsuyoshi Matsuda (73), who was a coach there, recalls his first impression of Hanyu, who was already among the top skaters in his age group: “He was a slender, frail-looking boy.” However, Hanyu had exceptional natural talent, and Matsuda says he was convinced that “he could win an Olympic medal.” Matsuda attributes Hanyu’s success to the fact that “he simply hates losing.” At the time, Swiss figure skater Stéphane Lambiel, who was known as a “master of spins,” visited the rink and demonstrated his high-speed spins. The children were delighted. However, Hanyu stood alongside Lambiel and showed off his own spins, as if to say, “I'm not going to lose to you.” “He was already driven by a competitive spirit, even against the world’s top skaters. I suppose he was looking toward the world stage even back then.” Although Hanyu was returning to competition for the first time in about four months, Matsuda was not worried. “He’s an optimistic kid, and I actually feel that he performs even better when faced with adversity. If he can deliver everything he’s capable of, I think he can aim for gold.” Kazue Chiba (62), who served as the figure skating club adviser at Hanyu’s alma mater, Sendai Municipal Nanakita Junior High School, is also among those watching over him. The school’s skating club resumed activities in the same year Hanyu enrolled. “He was a cute boy with a mushroom-style haircut,” she recalled. Hanyu was outstanding even off the ice. At an award ceremony at his junior high school, he reportedly stood with one foot placed forward, like a ballerina. When Chiba asked him why he stood that way, he replied, “My sport is one in which people watch me, so I’m always conscious of how I present myself.” Chiba fondly remembers, “Just as he looks on television today, he was always neat and well-groomed.” When Hanyu graduated, Chiba made him promise, “If you win an Olympic medal, you have to give me your autograph!” While other teachers received his autograph, Chiba waited for the right moment. At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Hanyu fulfilled his promise and returned to Sendai in triumph. Chiba received his autograph and was even allowed to hold his gold medal. When Chiba said, “Next is Pyeongchang, right?” Hanyu reportedly replied with a smile, “Sensei, are you going to come to PyeongChang to watch me?!” Unfortunately, Chiba was unable to get tickets to the PyeongChang Olympics, so she will cheer him on from home this time. Concerned about the condition of his injury, she says, “Perhaps he doesn’t need to push himself to land so many quadruple jumps.” However, she also recognizes that “he always wants to deliver his very best performance, so he probably wouldn’t be satisfied with that. I hope he’ll skate beautifully again this time.” Hanyu is scheduled to skate 25th in the short program (SP) on the 16th. The free skate will take place on the 17th.

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4789962032 *machine translated, inaccuracies exist Source: https://weibo.com/5224452744/GCffaEq9G Johnny Weir's "Fashion Check: Japanese Men's Edition" —Last season, you designed his costume and it became a topic of conversation. As a designer, Johnny, what kind of "model" was Yuzuru Hanyu for you? Yuzuru, you know, is perfectly suited to both skating and fashion. That’s because he’s tall and very slim. With that slender build, you can try all sorts of things with his costumes—even things you couldn’t do with other people. His arms and legs are so long! Also, I feel that, among Japanese skaters, Yuzuru is the one most like me. That’s why, when designing for him, I wanted to create something as beautiful as possible. At the same time, I thought about something appropriate for his age. I wanted the costume to show that he was now in the process of becoming a grown man from a boy... That’s why I placed pink against dark colors like this (for his 2010–11 free skate, Zigeunerweisen). His mother handled the sewing based on my design, and she did a wonderful job. It was such a fun project. —It was a costume where you could immediately tell, “Ah, this is a Johnny design.” Somehow, it made me happy just to look at it. But, you know, that design was very simple. I think he could pull off so much more, including many different looks. He has the ideal physique and appearance for fashion, so I think his costumes will only continue to get better from here on out. —So, Yuzuru is the Japanese skater most like you. Interestingly, this autumn, he’ll be training in Russia, a country you admire so much. Who will he be training with? Bobrin and Bestemianova! Yes, I think training in Moscow is a good thing. Japan doesn’t have as deep a tradition in ballet and dance as Russia does, does it? It’s also quite difficult to learn how to express passion in Japan. [omitted] I’m sure training in Russia will be very meaningful for him. —It sounds as though we can expect him to make a big leap forward this year. Yes, I want Yuzuru to become the Japanese national champion. He’s one of my peers, and he’s my favorite male skater. He’s talented and has a very fresh quality about him, along with a distinctive style that other skaters don’t have. He has extraordinary potential, too, and the ability to compete in three Olympic Games from here on. It’s rare to find someone with all those qualities... I want him to become Japanese national champion, world champion, and Olympic champion. —But he might become your rival at the Sochi Olympics. That’s true (laughs). But I don’t mind. I’ll compete for my fans, my family, and myself. The time when I should have been able to win an Olympic medal has passed. In 2006, I made mistakes. In 2010, I felt that I should have won a medal, but... well, that was the result. So, at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, I intend to compete in order to support the sport of figure skating. Yuzuru, on the other hand, will surely be competing to win. I think we’ll be in very different situations. That’s why, in Sochi, I’ll be cheering Yuzuru on and shouting for him.

* machine translation, inaccuracies may exist Japan’s Rising Stars Take Flight Young skaters aged 13 to 18 who will shape the future of Japanese figure skating. Here, we introduce excerpts from comments made by nine of the junior skaters who participated in the training camp. YUZURU HANYU Born December 7, 1994, in Sendai / Miyagi FSC / 3rd place at the Japan Junior Championships, 1st place at the Japan Novice A Championships "My short program (SP) and free skate (FS) programs have only just been put together, but during this training camp, I received feedback on elements such as the step sequences and transitions between jumps in my free skate. As I prepare for the upcoming season, I want to focus on improving those areas. My short program is set to the ending song from the film Moulin Rouge. My coach told me not to worry about the plot of the movie, but rather to listen to the music repeatedly and perform based on what I personally feel when I hear it. As for my free skate, set to Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, I also want to deliver a performance that reflects my own interpretation and the image I have in mind, just as I do with my short program. If I get the opportunity to compete in the Junior Grand Prix this season, I want to approach it as a challenge and give the best performance I possibly can." https://i.imgur.com/nV0RwwL.jpeg

* Machine translation, inaccuracies may exist Info: https://www.kazi.co.jp/icejewels/backnumber/vol14/vo14.html Yuzuru Hanyu’s Vision for the Future During the 2020–21 season, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of numerous competitions and ice shows, Yuzuru Hanyu remained a guiding light in the world of figure skating. Even in such challenging times, he participated in three competitive events and various ice shows, demonstrating the brilliance of a true pioneer who continues to lead the sport. Looking back on the programs he performed in competition that season, Hanyu also shared his thoughts on his deep attachment to ice shows, in which he has been performing since the age of 13, as well as his ongoing efforts to master the much-anticipated quadruple Axel that everyone has been eagerly awaiting. Reflecting on This Season’s Programs —Your second competition of the season was the World Championships, followed by the World Team Trophy. Looking back on the season now, could you provide an overview of both your short program and free skate, which you performed three times each this season? Hanyu: I think I felt quite nervous during every short program performance. While the music provided great support, there were also moments when I got caught up in it and became a little too carried away. But overall, it was a valuable learning experience. Although my balance wavered at times, I managed to complete all three performances without any major errors on my jumps, which left me feeling relieved each time I finished. And with a piece like this, the part after the final jump is especially fun. I could feel that the audience’s tension was easing and that they were enjoying the performance along with me. It made me feel truly glad that I chose this program. As for the free skate, since my performance at the All-Japan Championships went so well, I’m left with a strong desire to push even further. That said, I was able to skate cleanly with a fairly high degree of consistency even during practice. I think it was precisely because the atmosphere and energy of this music suit my rhythm and skating so well that I was able to make it all the way through the World Championships without any major stumbles. At the World Team Trophy, I was surprised when my quadruple Salchow (4S) went wrong, but I felt that the program itself quickly brought me into a good state of concentration. Before the World Championships, I had been working hard because I wanted to incorporate the quadruple Axel (4A) as soon as possible. But it’s not something that can be achieved that easily, so I want to work through the steps properly and aim to include it next season. Progress toward the quadruple Axel —You were practicing the 4A during practice at the World Team Trophy. It looked like you’d made considerable progress with the jump compared with when you were practicing it at the 2019 Grand Prix Final. You’ve surely encountered many obstacles along the way, overcoming them through various adjustments to your training. Could you elaborate on that process? Hanyu: Honestly, I’m frustrated, because I know I’m capable of performing it much better. Leading up to the All-Japan Championships, I trained quite hard, but I ended up injuring both of my feet. I also struggled to get the necessary rotation, which negatively impacted my other jumps and my programs as a whole. About a month before the All-Japan Championships, I decided to set aside the 4A to prioritize perfecting my programs. After the Japan Championships and leading up to the World Championships, I trained with a firm resolve to land the 4A. I continued working on my programs until early February, but realizing that approach wouldn’t get me to the 4A, I shifted my focus exclusively to the 4A until about a week before the competition. In the end, I wasn’t able to land it, but I feel I’ve come closer to it than ever before. —When taking on something unknown, I imagine you repeatedly ask yourself, “Can I do it? Can I not?” But by now, you must have a fairly strong sense that you’re getting close, don’t you? Hanyu: When you ask me whether I believe I can do it, it’s a strange feeling. I’m practicing because I want to be able to land it. Of course, I’m eager to land it as soon as possible, but first I want to take care of my feet and lower back, and then continue training in a way that avoids unnecessary injuries. —You made your 4A practice public, and I think you received a lot of messages of support. How do you feel about that? Hanyu: Of course, I’m happy about it. Honestly, I really wanted to land it successfully right there, but the physical toll of competing was greater than I had expected… It’s frustrating. I know many people are concerned about me. I did injure my knee during that practice, and there are considerable risks of injury, but I no longer feel the same fear I did around the time of the 2019 Grand Prix Final. Rather than just throwing myself into it recklessly, I’m able to approach my training while thinking things through. The Essence of "Yuzuru Hanyu" in Ice Shows —After returning to ice shows for the first time in two years (shows were not held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic), what feelings came back to you, and what did you come to realize anew? Hanyu: I enjoyed it so, so much. Given the situation the world was in, I was still struggling right up until just before the show with whether it was really okay for me to perform in an ice show. After all, it's not a competition. However, as I also felt at the World Team Trophy and the World Championships, I came to realize that through my skating, I could offer support not just emotionally, but in more direct, tangible ways as well. That realization was a major turning point for me, and it’s what led to my decision to perform. With no knowing how ice shows would be able to take place from here on, I was keenly aware that I had been given this special opportunity to skate. Perhaps there is no such thing as perfect infection prevention, but I skated with an even greater awareness than usual of the importance of making the very most of that special time an ice show provides. —I heard that you choreographed the opening number for the ice show yourself. You’ve been involved in the choreography of your own programs before, but how do you decide on a theme and prepare for the choreography process? Hanyu: Now that I think about it, the first time I created choreography in the proper sense was for CHEMISTRY’s “PIECES OF A DREAM” at Fantasy on Ice in 2018. It started when Jeff (Jeffrey Buttle, who choreographed the opening number) told me, “I want you to skate this part, and Nobu (Nobunari Oda) will join in partway through, so please work on that section too.” Until then, I’d already had my own sections and would think up various movements to match the music. But once Nobu was going to skate alongside me, I felt I had to turn those movements into proper choreography. I even had some sleepless nights over it! (laughs) I downloaded the music and spent the whole night thinking about it—considering the meaning of the lyrics, how to interpret the rhythm and dynamics, and how to express the distinctive harmonies between CHEMISTRY’s two members. There were so many things to think about. Ever since then, for every exhibition, I’ve made a point of recording not only my own sections but also the parts I don’t skate myself, including the opening and finale, so I can practice them and think carefully about the choreography. For this show, the choreography changed quite a lot from the first day to the last. On the first day, I arrived at the venue that very day, and the opening and two finales were explained to me verbally in about 15 minutes. After that, during roughly an hour and a half of group practice, I watched everyone’s movements, worked out where I needed to be, and memorized the choreography. While doing that, I played the music on my iPod and worked out the movements for my own parts. The actual performance was just an hour later, so I had to somehow draw on my rather limited repertoire of movements and come up with choreography on the spot. After that, every night, I listened to the music over and over, reworked the movements, checked how well they fit the music, worked on making them feel more natural in my body, and practiced things like arm positions and how to use my body. When working on choreography, I place the greatest importance on the music, the lyrics, and the rhythm. This time, the song was in English, so I thought the meaning might not immediately come across to the audience. For that reason, I focused on the music and rhythm. Also, since it was originally a North American show, I made a conscious effort to improve my posture and adjust the lightness of my skating. But what I thought about most was, “What kind of choreography truly embodies Yuzuru Hanyu?” and “What kind of choreography brings out Yuzuru Hanyu’s strengths?” It wasn’t simply a matter of doing movements I liked or performing flashy tricks. I focused on whether the choreography would reveal the essence of "Yuzuru Hanyu" to an outside observer. I place great value on creating choreography that is uniquely mine, something that wouldn't necessarily work as well if performed by someone else. —At the ice show, the younger skaters who performed alongside you said that they learned a great deal from the experience. What kinds of things have you learned from senior skaters yourself? And are there things you still put into practice today? Hanyu: I’m not sure if I’m really someone they should be learning from… but I’m happy if that’s how they feel. I believe my first ice show was "Medalist on Ice" when I was 13. I used “Sing Sing Sing” for my short program, and because I loved the song so much, I also had an exhibition program choreographed to a different version of it. I was nervous, but I was also happy to have the opportunity to perform for people, so I think I did my very best. I may have gotten a little carried away, though (laughs). The ice show where I learn the most is "Fantasy on Ice." In particular, the way Jeff [Buttle], Stéphane [Lambiel], and Johnny [Weir] approach their practice and programs, and how they focus when it’s time to perform, is truly remarkable. Even now, when we’re taught choreography for group numbers and everyone has to perform the same movements, I watch Jeff and the others to learn how to make the movements look more beautiful and how to present them more effectively. —Finally, could you share your goals and aspirations for the upcoming season with our readers? Hanyu: Thank you very much for supporting me this season as well. I myself had worries and struggles that were different from usual, but right now, I feel happy to be able to do figure skating, whether in competitions or in ice shows. I will continue to skate with all my might. And next season, I will give it my all so that I can finally land the 4A!

Source These 2027 calendar shots are so gorgeous! 😍

Yuzu is preparing for the show in Saga. 💪

Yuzu is practicing and working hard. 💪