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Yuzu posted a message for his 4th anniversary of turning pro! Machine translation: "It's been four years since I turned professional. Thank you so much for all the support, and for coming to watch. From before I turned pro until now, Nothing has changed—I'm still fully committed to skating with all my heart. If anything, I'm starting to understand skating and my body even more now. For those of you who come to watch, So that I can deliver something to you, With even greater passion, I'll keep sliding forward! Thank you always!"

Let's go (row) into a fantastic 5th pro year with big cheers, power, and joy! Happy 4th Pro Anniversary!

Okay. I can now see some connection between "YOLO" and his "changing layout on the fly" skill, but the connection is not straightforward to me. Didn't he also break the Zayak rule in the SP at Skate Canada 2015? He popped 4T to 2T, which invalidated the 3Lz+2T combo. Did I misunderstand the rule?

Yuzu will soon upload Prequel to YouTube and it will be available for everyone to watch for a week:

Happy 4th Pro Anniversary, Yuzu!

Machine translation of the caption: July 18–19, 2026 Large-screen tribute in Tianjin, China, organized by Cfanyus 🥳 "FLY YUZU! Soaring High in Pursuit of Dreams Four years ago, you chose the unknown. Four years later, you have proven that passion transcends all boundaries. Thank you for always staying true to yourself and bravely chasing your dreams. May every future leap soar into an even more expansive sky. May every landing touch down firmly upon happiness. Happy 4th Anniversary of Yuzuru Hanyu’s Professional Career!" Thank you, CFanyus! Happy Yuzu Pro Day!

Yes, Yuzu was clear-headed; he was careful not to broke the Zayak rule. One of the many extraordinary things he did was to repeatedly modify the layout of his free programs to correct a mistake, but he only broke the Zayak rule twice: once when he was 13, in a novice competition, and once when he was 15, in his second senior competition. But both could be true. He was clear-headed in understanding how to modify the layout, but the determination to try that risky layout came from the thought, "I either do it now, or I'll give up the competition." He still didn't win because Chen's PCS were inflated (and it wouldn't have been the last time, nor the worst time), but he tried.

Thank you. I thought the first letter "Y" would be Yuzuru, but I was wrong. I still don't quite get it. It sounds to me that YOLO is something impulsive, adventurous, or reckless. One does it since he only lives once. However, Yuzu changed his layout with calculation, not quite a YOLO thing.

For some time I too struggled to understand this. YOLO = You Only Live Once. There are moments in which, if you want to achieve something, you have to take risk.

Can anyone tell me what the 4 letters YOLO in "YOLO jump" represent? I guess "YOLO jump" means that Yuzu changes his jumping layout on the fly in a competition, like in 4CC 2017 or in the FS in 2018 Olympics, but I don't know what the 4 letters YOLO mean.

Extra Issue [Access via QR Code] Photo Shooting Behind the Scenes Report from the Cover Photo Gallery Shoot The “Side Silhouette” Captured by a Photographer Taking His “First Shot” When the window was opened, a pleasant breeze flowed in. On April 18, a gravure photo shoot of professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu took place in a hotel room located on a hill in the suburbs of Sendai. The person in charge of this shoot was photographer Takaaki Miura. For Miura, who has pointed his lens at numerous artists and athletes, photographing Hanyu was his first experience. During the approximately 25-minute shoot, he captured various expressions full of sensitivity and delicate movements of Hanyu, accompanied by the sound of the shutter. Through the lens of Miura, this report follows a photo shoot in which fresh and unprecedented scenes were being captured. Interview and text: Mitsuru Tanaka (Sports writer / Associate Professor, Shobi University)

Hi and welcome! Always nice to see new fans here. Jumps are part of the overall expression, so if they don't fit into the program and story, he won't add them now. Of course, injuries and age are factors too, but he only recently reaffirmed that he wants to work on every aspect including the jumps, because he believes he needs to become an even better professional performer than he was as an amateur. We'll see.

[2026.07.14] *Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist and some nuance and tone might be lost.* [P. 100-103] Special Talk Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu Video Director Eri Sado × Creative Producer Mamoru Inagaki × Video Producer Yosuke Sato Behind the Scenes of the Video Production for "REALIVE" and "Prequel" To Tell the Story Prequel: Before the WHITE took on a new challenge: an ICE STORY that does not tell its story through words. The reason audiences were able to become so immersed in that world was because every aspect of the visuals had been so carefully conceived. The elite video production team, who built the world Yuzuru Hanyu envisioned through outstanding technical skill, look back on the creative process. Interview & text: Satoko Sawada NOTES

I have never watched him alive, but since I am quite a new fanyu, I must confess that watching the videos of his shows (practice and all) again and again, every time he jumps, my heart stops a bit before he lands safely. I know it is selfish but I love this thrill. Though, actually I don't mind if he chooses never to jump again. At many of his performances I feel like I am sliding or flying too, along with him. It is more than enough. He is much more than an athlete, an artist or an haute-couture icon. He is both gentle and fierce, masculine and feminine, childish and philosophical. A synthesis of many identities right in front of our eyes.

Save The progam chans are sleepy because of the heat wave

*Machine translation from Japanese to English. Inaccuracies exist* 『Notte Stellata』 The opening is the exhibition program “Notte Stellata”, which in Italian means “a sky full of stars.” Wearing a costume reminiscent of a swan, Hanyu moved gently, as if carefully enveloping each fragment of pain and sorrow. Ice Show Report 2 Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026 Yuzuru's Message “That we were all able to become one like this, I hope we will never, ever forget it.” Live Voice ‘Happy End’ and ‘Yae no Sakura’ In a press scrum held after the opening day performance, he spoke about the feelings he put into the programs. The fusion of “technique and emotion” gained through maintenance

*Machine translation from Japanese to English. Inaccuracies exist* Special Interview Shae-Lynn Bourne-Turok “Yuzuru Hanyu” as a gift, spoken by a longtime ally Shae-Lynn Bourne-Turok, a close confidante of Yuzuru Hanyu and his long-time ally, reflects on their renewed collaboration at “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026,” and the bond between the two. Interview and text: Akiko Tamura

*Machine translation from Japanese to English. Inaccuracies exist* Special Interview David Wilson Thoughts behind “Notte Stellata” and “Yae no Sakura” We spoke with choreographer David Wilson about his work on two symbolic programs in “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata”: Notte Stellata and the new program Yae no Sakura. Interview and text: Akiko Tamura

*Machine translation from Japanese to English. Inaccuracies exist* [P. 08-27 ] Special Interview Yuzuru Hanyu “In the middle of growing pains.” — The stirrings of evolution seen in REALIVE — In April, Yuzuru Hanyu held his solo performance “Yuzuru Hanyu ‘REALIVE’ an ICE STORY project,” his first in about one year and two months. After a “maintenance period” beginning in August of the previous year, and following this latest solo show, what is he thinking now? A long exclusive interview delves into his current state of mind. Photo / Marco Perboni Styling / Minako Orihara Interview & text / Motohiro Matsubara Yuzuru Hanyu Behind the Scenes A photoshoot featuring Yuzuru Hanyu, captured in Sendai, Miyagi, during the spring season. This feature focuses on his natural, unadorned self—offering a different side from the images selected for the magazine pages. Photography by Ryo Harusaki

[2026.07.14] *Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist and some nuance and tone might be lost.* [P. 96-99] Special Guest Speaking about Yuzuru Hanyu Marihiko Hara Where "Sound" and "Color" Melt Together on the Ice The theme song and score Marihiko Hara composed for the film Kokuho (National Treasure) received two Japan Academy Awards. Feeling the depth of Yuzuru Hanyu's understanding of his music, Hara gladly accepted the opportunity to collaborate on "Prequel: Before the WHITE." The music he composed specifically for the show is filled with a deep understanding of expression through the body. Having worked with many performers across different fields, Hara speaks here about what makes Yuzuru Hanyu so compelling. Interview and text by Satoko Sawada

[2026.07.14] *Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist and some nuance and tone might be lost.* [P. 90-95] Special Guest [Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu] MIKIKO The joy of expression that expands infinitely In April 2026, another new legend was carved into the ice. REALIVE, in which Hanyu revived his previous programs as “living beings,” and Prequel: Before the WHITE, the prequel leading into ICE STORY 4th.MIKIKO, who led the direction and production, spoke at length about the intentions behind the works, the process of creating them, and what she felt about “the astonishing evolution of Yuzuru Hanyu.”

[2026.07.14] *Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist and some nuance and tone might be lost.* Photo & Column Yoshiki Kogaito “Photographing the Heart” A single ray of “light” descended Yoshiki Kogaito No matter how deeply wounded someone may become, no matter how many tears they shed, as long as a person has “life,” they can still face forward— A single moment captured of Hanyu Yuzuru conveys both the fragility and the strength of human beings. This photograph captures the opening of Yae no Sakura, performed together with the special guests, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, at “Hanyu Yuzuru notte stellata 2026,” the ice show where Hanyu-san serves as chair.

[2026.07.14] *Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist and some nuance and tone might be lost.* [P.74-77] Special Talk Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu Tohoku Youth Orchestra Aiko Chiba × Minami Suzuki Performing with soul across the ice This March, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra appeared in Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026, moving the audience with passionate performances filled with heart. Founded at the initiative of the musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, the orchestra has continued to bring hope to Tohoku through its various musical activities. What was it like to collaborate with Hanyu, who shares the same ideals? Violinists Aiko Chiba and Minami Suzuki spoke passionately with us. Interview and text by Tatsuya Murao (this magazine) NOTE

[2026.07.14] *Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist and some nuance and tone might be lost.* [P. 68-73] Special Guest Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu David Wilson A Fateful Encounter of Destiny and Passion David Wilson choreographed the opening and finale of Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata, the ice show for which Hanyu serves as producer, and this year he also choreographed Yae no Sakura. The show's title, Notte Stellata, is itself the name of the exhibition program David choreographed for Yuzuru during the 2016–17 season. The meeting between these two artists, each blessed with extraordinary artistic sensibilities, truly feels like destiny. Here, David shares an interview filled with affection, insight, and thoughtful reflections.