Umebachi

OMG, there seems to be quite a number of Canadian health workers on the Planet relying on Yuzu to keep them motivated and continue to work! As a burnt-out health economist (yes, economists get exhausted, too) who recently moved to Canada, I can't say enough about how much I appreciate your dedication to serve. And 感謝 gratitude to Yuzu for playing such an important role in keeping the healthcare system in Canada running. Health Canada should acknowledge his contributions and dedicate a monument (or at least a webpage) to Yuzu for his inspirational role! I once wrote a paper on health workforce skills, one of which is resilience / self-care (emotional and physical), and the other on team support. I hope the Planet can provide a safe and caring space for all the stressed out space kitties of the world! BTW, there is an ACUTE doctor shortage in BC, and I will probably not find a family physician for months/years to come. Will be going back to Japan for my regular health check-up (despite doctor shortages in Japan, access to medical care in Tokyo remains very efficient, at least for now... not so good in rural areas).

On Sendai local news. Love the way the elderly gentleman says emphatically how much he adores this expression/pose: "Tottemo suteki" (Really cool).

We have opened a floodgate for the new series: "Yuzuru and the Sea Turtles".

Although drinking is part of our culture, many of us do not have very high tolerance for the drink. Many Japanese lack the genes or have fewer copies of genes required to metabolize alcohol (Alcohol Dehydrogenase). As a biochemist I used to do some research on this enzyme. My brother and sister are typical examples of zero alcohol tolerance - my brother cannot eat even a Japanese pickle - "Nara-zuke", which has some fermented alcohol - without turning bright pink and feeling nauseous. I was born with the active genes for the enzyme (evidently) and therefore am able to drink without throwing up. This lack of tolerance for imbibed alcohol is separate from the allergic skin reaction to alcohol. Sorry for going off topic! But it's not so unusual to hear that Yuzuru was easily affected by drinking alcohol.

Before the cute fan arts, herebelow we have the Thing Itself - the ANA Sea Turtle planes. I am not trying to advertise for ANA - I don't like commercialization of valuable things - but you have to admit this plane is "kawaii" adorkable. And while riding one of the most intense carbon emitting transportation device, you could take some solace that you are bringing global attention to the plight of the Sea Turtles. I expect we will see @Henni147 on board very soon.

As always, a beautiful and moving tribute from our favorite artist runrun, closing the 2018 - 2019 season and welcoming the start of the new season. It's still the old season here on Pacific coast - wishing everyone a Happy New Season!

He is introducing the new ANA flight from Tokyo to Honolulu - with a Sea Turtle design! He says sea turtles are kawaii (cute), joining the bees as the Yuzu designated beloved creatures. He encourages us to visit Maui island, where you can meet the cute Sea Turtles and enjoy the beautiful coastline. So, in addition to visiting Sendai, you can travel to Maui and meet the turtles. You will need a large travel budget to keep up! Alternatively, you can become more environmentally conscious and learn all about the life of sea turtles on Nat Geo.

Team Orser has come through: what a beautiful overlay of Notte Stellata - Hanyu and the ballet dancers!

He is speaking with a very correct diction but with lilting intonation that gives the voice an empathetic turn of expression. He could be giving an enunciation lesson for NHK children's show MCs: very crisp and precise but with a gentle smile in the intonation. He is really not saying much in terms of the content - hello, I'm going to be blogging, blahblah. But his voice says so much more. It reminds me of Pygmalion but not the version where the Victorian snoot gives diction lessons to Eliza (about "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain"), but rather the version where Pooh gives lessons to Piglet on the correct way to say honey: Huunnyyiiu. Lol.

Here is an explanation of the significance behind the 20% threshold:

I think he was talking about passing through the Duty Free Shopping area in airports. Generally referring to the strong perfume smell in this area which he and other athletes find rather off-putting (he used a word "nigate" which means something for which one is not very good at doing or tolerating - diplomatically putting the blame on oneself and not on the offending scent). This interview was a masterclass in diplomacy. He basically said he doesn't like the smell of roses and jasmine (too strong) but compliments how Sekkisei has achieved a delicate balance which results in a fragrance he can appreciate. He is also allergic to alcohol - it will lead to redness etc on his skin - but he quickly turns attention to how Sekkisei can cool down an overheated skin, e.g., when he gets very hot even on the cold ice rink. He is never explicit about it but he seems to be trying to compliment the cooling effect of alcohol on his and other athletes' skin... He would do better than most UN and World Bank officials at negotiating around a delicate subject matter. Addendum: I also find the DFS area overwhelming and my skin breaks out in welts with wool and alcohol - connected with asthma, hypersensitive epithelial cells.

I am on Vancouver Island, near the famous Butchart Gardens. The air quality is excellent, and my asthma has cleared completely after a month of living here - in good sea air. Yuzu should stay in Canada (except where there are forest fires) to manage his asthma! I recall that he did select Toronto over another US-based city because of the better quality of air given his asthmatic condition, amongst other considerations...

Lol - "We the North" must stick together, eh? Hope to see you in Kelowna! But I'm discovering it will not be not easy getting there, even for someone living in BC (on the "islands")! I have to take a flight and an hour drive to get to this town in the "interior" of our province. It's a gorgeous area and I am praying for the forest/grass fires to be kept to a minimum this year. Yuzuru and I both suffer from ASTHMA and we can't handle heavy smoke..!!

Thank you! My sister is persistent and has been practicing the art of ticket acquisition in Japan for many years, so here's to hoping for good results. She has also applied for multiple tickets for the family for Tokyo 2020 Olympics - which is another bloodbath! At least, I have the tickets for SCI at Kelowna, BC, so I am covered on the Canadian end of the season! I might be getting too greedy to wish for both the SCI and the Japan Nationals. Still, worth a try, eh? (that's my Canadian side coming out)

The OP says Jason was at this fourth visit but that he had also participated in the first visit (seminar). He is fast becoming an indispensable TCC staff member!

The tickets are sold through Lawson or "Pia" ticketing services, in several stages. We should probably discuss this on the community/ticketing section but here is a website showing the available info from last year's tickets. There is no info yet on tickets for this year's event. It's not a lottery, but will probably be tough to get a ticket. https://scramble-talk.com/zennihonsensyuken2019-62186

This year's Japan National Figure Skating Competition will take place in Yoyogi Stadium, Tokyo. The old stadium is undergoing earthquake-resistant structural enhancement construction, which will be completed by end of November. The first live competition I attended was in this same Yoyogi stadium back in 1977, for the World Championship. This was the event where Sano Minoru medaled (bronze) - the first time for Japan in the men's singles division. I remember more clearly the performances by the Soviet team - Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev for Pairs, and Kovolev for men's singles. Don't recall much of others - I am sorry, it has been such a long time! It's a beautiful stadium designed by Kenzo Tange, with an exterior that resembles the resting wings of a gigantic mythical bird and an interior filled with light filtering through the soaring ceiling (see the description and photos on this link). Surely a fitting setting for the Return of the King! https://www.archiweb.cz/en/b/olympijske-haly I am hoping that this year, Hanyu-senshu will stay healthy and finally be able to compete in the nationals. Yoyogi stadium will be a special place for him to perform, especially in this run-up to Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike were to attend the medal ceremonies. Since I am planning to be home in Tokyo around this time, I asked my sister (living in Tokyo) to do her best to obtain the tickets for us. It will certainly be a challenge, but well worth the effort. If we do get the tickets, I will do my best to report to you from the field! https://www.jiji.com/sp/article?k=2019061900887&g=spo

Congratulations to @cvdnce for the lovely tribute to Yuzuru!

I agree, I hope he stays healthy! Anyway, after a month with Eteri he may very well turn tails and run back to his old coaches! lol. I am also hoping (unrealistically) that by spending some time in Russia he will get exposed to different artistic expressions and expand his choreographic vocabulary. Ofc, Eteri camp may not be the place to do this, but perhaps he will go out and see other forms of art...? Well, perhaps if they served a good shashlik on the side? Frankly, I would like to see him graduate from his right-handed exclamation mark (he said he can only do expressions with his right hand). Anything to get him out of the funk, please...

Yes, but if he continues to rely on them, even tangentially, he will probably not be able to make that psychological break that he is seeking in order to get himself out of his current stasis. At least, this is how it appears to me, but then again I am biased: when I left Japan at 18 to go to uni in the US, my father did not really want me to go. But once I made up my mind, my family let me go and supported me all the way. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel and work in many countries and to have a job that I loved - and I could never have achieved them had I stayed in Japan. I suppose I am projecting onto Shoma-kun my own experience and wishing him "bon courage" as he steps out of his comfort zone.

Don't be fooled by his occasionally "dopey" lost look. Shoma is a young man of iron will (and iron stomach), and also he is surrounded by loving and supportive family and friends (including his coaches) who are willing to release him into the wild. He knows he needs to break out of the old pattern and is seeking new experiences but on his own terms. As I mentioned earlier, I am struck by his choice of words (in Japanese) that shows a new sense of direction and firmness that I had not heard from him before. He may or may not succeed in his quest, but I respect his courage to go forth into the unknown without a safety net. I look forward to following his journey, whatever the outcome.

Figure skating, like any other sports or art, is a study in human interaction, and as fans we enjoy observing the emotional interactions displayed at K&C. Please let us be kind to each other and enjoy the different perspectives brought forward by fans from so many different backgrounds! BtW, I am Japanese and at times, I find my own compatriots to be too much into "sweet and warm" - perhaps as an antidote to the severity of our workplace, especially for the women...

According to NHK, Shoma will train in several locations overseas to test out the atmosphere/environment before deciding on the final location. On his own website, Shoma expresses deep gratitude for all the support he has received from his coaches and others, and will never forget that they were the ones who pushed him forward and are now sending him on this new beginning. His careful selection of words reveals a strong resolve and new level of maturity. https://shoma-uno.com/archives/1017

Shoma has not announced the final destination. The article seems to suggest that he will be going for his summer overseas training camp this month (in the US?) and will be looking around before making his final decision.

Wow - Shoma just announced that he will be changing coaches and moving to a training location overseas. He has not yet announced the final location. It sounds like he is still looking/considering where to go.