Umebachi

And now, for something totally light and amusing: Shoma is starting to "learn" English from his manager, and he had a hilarous video about their first attempt at class. The long and the short of it is that Shoma couldn't spell his coach, Stephane's name - and ended up writing "Stepen". So a creative soul produced a vision of the real "Stepen". Those of you familiar with Stephane's famous zebra costume will understand (hehehe). (The OP says: please don't look too closely because the construction is a bit rough.)

[NEWS} From a Japanese blogger YuzuChopin about some reflections on Lord Kenshin's life and its relevance for Yuzuru Hanyu. She notes that Kenshin "left the world" = became a Buddhist monk when he was 27 years old. Later, at the insistence of his followers, he returned to "this world" of warfare and became known as one of the fiercest warriors in Japanese history. What were some of Kenshin's thoughts behind this transformative process? How do these relate to Yuzu's competitive life? I have translated selected parts from this article, below. Here is the original Japanese text, and translation, below: 戦は仏の教えからは一番遠い場所です。それなのになぜ、出家を決意された謙信公がそこに舞い戻られたのか・・・。 ”・・・そこで景虎（謙信公）が思い至ったものこそ、「戦乱を収め、仏の教えが妨げられぬ世を導くために、われが守護神たらん、毘沙門天の化身たらん」という生き方ではないかと思うのです。自らの手を汚してでも邪（よこしま）な者を討ち、世に安寧（あんねい）をもたらすという決意でした。もちろん生身の人間が武神たらんとするなど、生半可な覚悟ではありませんが、迷い続けた末に景虎がつかんだ、一つの結論であったのでしょう。上杉謙信が毘沙門天の化身と畏（おそ）れられた理由は、ここにあったと考えます” Warfare is the farthest place from the teachings of Buddha. Yet why did Kenshin - who had decided to enter into Buddhist priesthood - flow back (maimodoru = dancing back) there? "... This is what Kagetora (Lord Kenshin) came to realization as the way of life: 'In order to constrain warfare and lead the world toward a place where the teachings of Buddha are not disturbed, we must be the Guardian Deity, we must be the incarnation of Bishamonten (god of war).' I wonder if this is how he viewed his way of life: Determined to strike down the evil ones even by getting one's own hands dirty in order to bring peace and security to this world. Of course, this was not a half-hearted attempt at turning himself from a living human being into a divine warrior, but this was a conclusion that Kagetora (Lord Kenshin's earlier name) reached after a very long period of wandering doubts and reflections. I think this is the reason why Uesugi Kenshin was so feared as the incarnation of Bishamonten. " オリンピックを二連覇してなお、戦いの場に戻ってきてくれた結弦くん。コロナ禍の孤独の中にあってどん底から這い上がり、全日本という戦いの場に挑む決意をした結弦くん。 27歳の時に出家を決意したのに再び戦場に舞い戻られた謙信公の決意というものに、26歳の結弦くんの決意が重なって感じられるのは私だけでしょうか・・・。 全日本に出る、という決意をした結弦くんの気持ち。意味のない戦はしなかったという謙信公の価値観と、毘沙門天の化身となって再び戦地に舞い戻られた謙信公の決意とが、何かあの全日本の「天と地と」の演技に重なり合い、伝わってきたような気がします。 After winning the Olympics for the second time in a row, Yuzuru-kun had returned back to the battlefield. After falling to the bottom in the loneliness of Covid pandemic, he has crawled up again to challenge the battlefield of All Japan Nationals. Is it only me who feels that this determination of the 26-year-old Yuzuru-kun overlaps with the determination of Lord Kenshin, who decided to go into Buddhist priesthood at the age of 27, but returned to the battlefield again? Yuzuru-kun's feelings when he decided to return to the All Japan Nationals. Lord Kenshin's principles not to fight meaninglessly and Kenshin's determination to return to the battlefield as an incarnation of Bishamonten. (These two visions) appeared to overlap and were transmitted through the performance of "Ten to Chi to" at the Japan Nationals.

Top Illustration- Nobu approaches Yuzu saying “I watched it - a divine performance!” On the left side bubble he says “You are godly!” as his hand grabs Yuzu’s shoulder with the sound “Gussa!l” which is the sound we make when something gets impaled on a sharp object. Bottom illustration- Nobu is shown zooming away to the sound “Zusaaaaa” as he cries out “(I knew it) you are a Satan after all!!!” and the top text says “Iteeeee” which means “That hurts!!” Yuzu turns around innocently saying, “ Ah, Nobu-kun! Look, my new SP costume! It’s Toge-toge (full of thorns).” So much drama and action packed into two simple illustrations. The power of manga!

Roman - So happy to see him skate so well! FS was not perfect but shows great promise, and his 3A has stabilized so much! (Costume: Mmm, I wish the Canadian skaters would commission Japanese costume designers - but assume they are very expensive... ) I really loved his SP, so fittingly elegant and such gorgeous skating! Nam - Love the choice of music for his FS - powerful and emotive, it highlights the smoothness of his movements and the potential for emotional skating. I wonder why he chose to skate in his training gear? To feel less nervous? Lovely performance but the casual look didn't help with the overall look... Corey Cirelli - Beautiful dancer! I hope he can raise BV and start to include harder elements without negatively affecting his other skills. Conrad - Oh, his mental game needs to be upgraded, such a pity for someone with great technical potential!

Yay to Canadian men! Finally, we have a growing crop of very fine and skilled skaters, with both artistic and technical capabilities! Also, good to see tall men succeeding in this competition. Diversity is important! And so, so happy for Roman - he skating is majestic and elegant! He projects well and appears to be mentally centred and focused. I just mentioned in the Yuzu livestream section, but Roman's Short program may become one of the legacy performances that I will watch and rewatch for years to come. Looking forward to the next season when he can bring this forward!

YouTube has a number of uploads already. here is Roman!! Nam Nguyen Conrad Orzel Corey Cirelli

Fabulous skating by Roman Sadovsky - his spins show his incredible flexibility and elegance, especially the A-spin which usually doesn't look so aesthetically pleasing on most men but Roman manages to turn it into a thing of beauty! The top four skaters ended up all in the first group! Corey Cirelli - what a fabulous, artistic skater! His lay-back Inabauer is gorgeous! And Conrad Orzel finally manages to skate clean and with confidence! Nam is always fun to watch. These are all fabulous skaters! I am not watching the US Nationals.

I meant on Planet Hanyu, there isn't a separate event section...

Elanvital has been compiling information on the original Taiga series - of which only one episode - the last one, #50 - remains in the NHK archives. On YouTube someone uploaded just the sound track of episode 2, which ends with the start of the battle of Kawanakajima where Lord Kenshin exhorts his troops to go after Lord Shingen. It evokes the dramatic battle scene which directly leads into the opening segment of Hanyu's Tenchi Free Program. Elanvital's blog: https://pulchrebenerecte.com/?p=134 Start around 47:10 for Kenshin's battle cry.

So many Japanese frontline healthcare workers are responding to Yuzu's message of encouragement with gratitude. This tweet is transmitting the message from a hospital worker who has taken care of the OP. The hospital worker says - To Hanyu-senshu, We have received your message. From the Frontline. Thank you. In this time of suffering we should be working closely together, let us join our efforts for the future of Japan.

This is a bit off-topic, but that 100 minute program on NHK Educational TV was terrific and profound - and dealt with all kinds of socially difficult topics, and how Hagio Muto pushed the boundaries of cultural and ethical moraes. I hope NHK will translate this program for their international broadcasts. It's too long and complex for amateur translators to handle... To bring it back to topic, I think this shows how much Yuzu's performances and human qualities are beginning to become part of the Japanese social and cultural fabric. So many artists and writers are reflecting on his performance and are being inspired by them. And he is continuing to widen and deepen the scope of his artistic expression. I hope he will continue to do so for the rest of his life and be embraced by people around the world.

I think he could bring 4Lz into LEMY since the feeling of the jump fits with the tempo and rhythm of the music. But not for HE, which requires edge jumps to create the feeling of flowing through. In this context, 4A would potentially be a good opening jump for HE since the program starts with the intense "in the midst of battle" choreography and the quick build up to the first jump would fit well within that narrative. This will certainly give a tremendous "wow" factor, and for the rest of the program he can rely on edge jumps to calm the nerves and gently waft his way toward the ending, which again ends with that sudden dramatic pose. The breathing spaces during the program will also allow his energies to be conserved after the dramatic start, to maintain the continuous flow of energy. Let us see if he can build up his strengths to make this happen next year...

I should add that it was particularly significant for him to create that flow and oneness at this event - Jnats at Nagano - because the location of the event is so close to the famous battle of Kawanakajima, and also because Nagano people still revere Lord Kenshin as their famous historic lord. In other words, he was dancing on sacred land for people who would appreciate the significance of the dance.

In one of his post Jnats interviews, Yuzu stated that he did not include flip or lutz in HE because they did not fit the choreography, which called for edge jumps. For example, after the 3A2T, he thought about other types of jumps but 3Lo felt the most appropriate to create the feeling of the flow - that I mentioned above. At least for this performance at Jnats, he chose the jumps not to *water down* or to *avoid risks* but for the artistry and to create the feeling of one-ness.

Are we going to have a section on this competition? I was looking for it...

I fully agree. I had always hoped he would take one of the Taiga historic figures / themes into his program, but I wondered how he would be able to interpret the Japanese style music that would appeal to international judging panel as well as develop the complex story behind these historic figures/themes. I think his experience with Hope and Legacy and Seimei helped to prepare the ground for the creation of Tenchi technically and artistically. In retrospect, I feel that neither of these earlier programs was fully developed as an artistic statement. HL creates a feeling of natural breeze coming and going, like the breathing of Earth, with echoes of his early life experience resonating throughout these movements. Seimei takes on a character of a mythical healer who battles negative spirits through internal strength and through the process, he learns to integrate the traditional movements and breathing cadence of Japanese dance. It was a valuable experience, but I still consider it an experimental piece, in preparation for a more fully developed program. Here, I will bring the translations that I made for our Streaming Party from Mansai/Hanyu interview from 2015. Hanyu absorbed a great deal of knowledge from his conversations with Mansai. Searching for the unique form of expression that only he can perform, Hanyu revisited the entire program (Seimei) from the very beginning. Seeking to find that overwhelming sense of invincibility, he underwent multiple stages of excruciating (blood-sweating) effort. November – NHK Trophy. Hanyu will win the event with the World Record breaking performance. On the day of the Free Skate, Hanyu surveyed the entire arena, throwing his gaze to each and every corner. Hanyu: “I need to do to find that (unique) expression is to harness the overflowing energy emanating from nature and to receive (that energy) as though I were donning a sacred robe (纏う). If I can achieve that, then I hope I to approach the image I have of ‘Seimei’. For each element, I want to pay even greater attention to every detail to give deeper meaning to each choreographic element and by mastering these details, it becomes possible to embody the spirit of ‘Seimei’. I think I have been very mindful and aware of going through this (process). If I could give a tangible form to a choreographic sequence, then just by (the simple act of) assigning a meaning to each motif, I am able to observe my own image/vision of the program expand and grow in totally unexpected ways. Then, even the roar of encouragement or the sound of applause begin to feel/sound very different, and things I had previously not given much attention to... like the feel of air flowing over (my face) when I am skating... suddenly I become aware of a much larger presence /being of the natural world, and that I am inside it and part of it. We use the term “Ten-chi-jin” (Heaven, Earth, Human) to express this sense (of harmony). So it is that I find myself much more aware of being/living within this natural world.” “How am I able to capture this feeling while skating? Well, it’s very difficult to explain…Through Mr. Mansai’s guidance, I am now able to find many more moments of ‘meaningfulness’ during my skating performance. There are things I find very important at certain moments, and feelings that I want to share at those moments. These are very precious things for which I want to create a meaningful expression and use my body to narrate the story. These (intangibles) are what I wish to pursue - of course, technical aspects are important, too – but if I can continue to pursue these goals through my skating, I would be very happy and grateful.” After doing the translation, I shared the following thoughts in the private exchange with Ladylou, long before we saw his new program Ten to chi to; That segment was such an important and revealing moment when he starts to find the "language" of skating - thanks to Mansai's nudging - and as usual, he tries to articulate that creative process with concrete words. Like he says about the Seimei movements, by giving physical form to abstract feelings it becomes possible to share and shape the narrative. I particularly love how he describes the moment of finding himself in harmony with the natural world by feeling the flow of air while skating - and becoming part of the ebb and flow of nature. He was truly able to find this zone in 2017 Worlds Hope & Legacy. I enjoyed Origin & Otonal but he knows that he will need a different type of music to find that feeling of one-ness with the world. Looking forward to his new programs! Well, we now have Ten to Chi to - which is a perfect vehicle for his exploration of this great theme of Ten-chi-jin. What is more, he can connect with the actual historic figure of Uesugi Kenshin-ko whose life story and personal qualities overlap so much with his own. It may take time for some of the international judges to get used to this type of music and be able to appreciate the unique cadance of this masterpiece that offers this maverick skater the space to breathe (at last, free from asthma) and become one with heaven and earth.

More on Shibuya "Ai" screen (Jan 9 in Japan), from health care professionals responding to Yuzu's message. It keeps coming... This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

I appreciate this description by the OP: "Even at the moment of landing his jump, his expression remains in character as though Lord Kenshin had possessed him, with his eyes brimming with sorrow. He doesn't go off character and say, 'Yahooy, I did the jump!' - that is genuine concentration!"

Thank you for sharing!! The biwa performance captures the emotion perfectly. The tragic stories around Heike Monogatari are my earliest memories from home. I hope some day that he will get to perform Yoshitsune, especially the famous battle with Banken on the Gojo Bridge. That feeling of sadness followed by peaceful resolve pervades Hanyu-senshu’s free program.

so now we have GPA vs PPS!

In the JNats Fuji TV commentary, Honda Takeshi noted during the SP that Yuzu seemed to have too much energy going into the jumps and ended up slightly over-rotating them. Yuzu commented after the SP that his landings were not good and he will adjust them for the Free. Which he did, in spades. His pants are made a bit baggy to accomodate the movements, so they probably didn't impede his movements. Would be great if the pants could be more form fitting. Too bad they don't have a shiny faux leather material that is also extra stretchy. Asking Uniqlo to take on a new textile development challenge!

Wow that’s terrible! Didn’t know the context as I was not following these events. The adults / organizers should be severely reprimanded. Shame on them, after all that Yuzu tried to set a model behavior at Jnats.

Rika Kihira explains below (see second tweet) that they took off the masks only briefly during the photo shoot. I am somewhat relieved, but still they are too close together.

More from Elanvital. I agree that the better translation is “Between Heaven and Earth”. The triumvirate of 天地人 heaven, earth and human is a foundational motif of Japanese aesthetics. We learn that in Ikebana - finding the three points in the arrangement of flowers 🌺 helps to create a sense of dynamism and complexity in the simplest forms. This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

One of the Japanese fanyus has provided an English review of the book "Ten to Chi to" - on which the NHK Taiga Drama was based. She captures the highlights of Lord Kenshin's life which resonates with Hanyu-senshu's perspective on life and competition. Elanvital has provided a blog with resources to help international fans to understand the spirtual and cultural significance of Lord Kenshin's legacy in Japan. I also found a wonderful blog by the President of the Uesugi Kenshin society, who watched the Free Program and was moved to write about it. I will translate and share if the usual fanyu translators don't get around to it soon... This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].