Maya

That hand! It's more expressive and intriguing than the entire face and body of the great majority of other skaters.

I find it worrying, too. Seeing the behavior of some of Yuzu's fans at ACI left me with no doubt about his popularity. I just wish people would respect his privacy and personal freedom so he could live a normal life, go where he wants to go and do what he likes to do without being mobbed. I think most fans do, but there are enough who don't, otherwise he wouldn't have to have body guards. I can't image what his life is like. It's good that he has been so focused on skating. At some point, though, he'll start dating and need more space for himself and his family. For the moment, it seems very difficult, at least in Japan. Hopefully after retirement he'll get more breathing room.

How can 4A be only 12.50? I don't get it. Sorry it's

I'd guess Helsinki (or Moscow, at the latest.) He's most likely landed 4A in practice, but he wants absolute confidence he could land it successfully in competition. 4A is so sacred to him I don't think he'd include it in a program if it's not perfect in his book. On the other other hand, he also wants his 4A to be the first to be rectified. Imagine his kuyashi if someone were to officially land it (no matter the GOE) before he does. Who knows? We may even see it at ACI. It's Yuzu we're talking about, after all.

Is there an English version of this article? https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2018/08/31/___split_10/index.php

This "no need to stake it better than Plushenko" mentality might actually relax Yuzu and produce excellent results. Regardless, it'd be hard for him not to skate better than Plushenko by any standards except for his own. I've always been amazed by how deeply he fully owns his programs, from his involvement in all the details and choreography to his expression, etc. The fact that this FS and the SP have been percolating in Yuzu's mind for so long makes me highly anticipate the new season.

I recorded the screen: https://photos.app.goo.gl/P9rHqB9DiBH9VfB36. The resolution is low, and the recording missed the beginning several seconds and a few times when the screen was frozen.

Doesn't Yuzu's leap here look reminiscent of a delayed single axel?

Seimei, Ballade, and Notte Stellata are immortal. Just like R&J I is, and the other programs Yuzu has done. Each of them occupies a special space in my heart. I have no doubt his new programs will leave their marks, too. What I like most about Yuzu is his range of expression and his devotion to really own his programs. The meaning he's given to the new programs makes me full of anticipation and excitement. I love this "skating as if I were a child again" sentiment. It's like a perfect full circle. It says so much about his journey and his character. I'm just glad that the weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he's given permission to reward himself. Way to go, Yuzu!

This "first pancake" thing got me thinking. I'd venture say he hasn't peaked in terms of artistic maturity, judging from his performances in Continues with Wings and Fantasy on Ice. He is someone who delivers a mesmerizing, sublime performance even when he falls. Heck, even his practice looks hypnotizing, even if you turn off the amazing music in the video below: I'd choose a Yuzu program that's not fully baked or has imperfect jump(s) over others' programs any day. It's also nice to see him evolve.

Years ago I used a bibliographic management program called Procite, which was a powerful program that might be useful for building the kind of system you have in mind. It was essentially a database. Sadly it's bought and then killed by the company that makes Endnote. It'd be very handy if PH could have an area with a master list or database of Yuzu videos, interviews, books, & translations that's searchable but the search results would have the option of not having other things (e.g., chats from forums) mixed in.

Can't wait to see Yuzu's new programs. With his physical condition in a good shape and the two world records last season (albeit a truncated one,) I have high hopes. He said before that when his physical condition is not the best his mental condition is primed optimally and together they produce good results. I hope he will produce satisfactory outcomes when he's physically well, too. Might we see you at ACI, Yuzu? Please ...

Thank you! That tumblr site does have lots of full-size Yuzu photos. I didn't see "tools" under google images, though. The photos I was able to download after selecting "extra large" under "sizes" still didn't give me good enough resolution for large prints.

Where can you find Yuzu's photos with high enough resolution for large prints? I'm thinking about making a banner (3 or 4 feet wide) to take with me to ACI, Helsinki, and GPF.

He looks more slender in my eyes, too. In one of Yuzu's interviews he said his body fat normally reduces to 4% during ice shows. He feels 5% is optimal for jumps.

What a beautiful and moving story. Thank you for the translation, which shows us once again Yuzu's noble and pure heart. Considering the intense attention the mass media have paid him since a tender age (14? Or even younger?), if he had shown any problematic behavior, it would have been caught. And yet, I haven't never seen anything of the sort. It's incredible given how much pressure is on him. I also love how people from his hometown have firmly supported him over the years. The videos of them holding hand-written messages to him prior to both Olympic games are so heartwarming, not to mention the turn out in Sendai for the parades after both games. I'm in awe.

That left hand deserves a hashtag of its own.

Thanks for translating this article, which I just read today. In fact, I wasn't aware of Yuzuru until just before the Olympics this year. Since then, I've not been able to do much else other than catching up. I've also gotten quite interested in Brian's coaching and coaching in general. I like Brian's sensitivity and seeing Yuzu as he is. Instead of trying to fit Yuzu into a certain mold, Brian listens and observes and tries to find an approach that's best for Yuzu at any given time. That's what good coaches do. Peter Jensen, a sports psychologist working with the Canadian Olympic team back when Brian was competing, writes about coaching athletes and leaders. He talks about a major job of coaches is facilitating the development of the person and keeping this end goal as the big picture. With Yuzu, I think what sets him apart is that he fully owns his development as a skater and a person. So, the former is not an issue. However, when it comes to the latter, he sometimes seems to lose sight of it with somewhat of a tunnel vision and gets hyper worked up. Several interviews he's given suggest he's aware of at least the intensity part of this tendency and is trying to find a way to tackle it. I'm hopeful because of the calmer Yuzu we saw in the 2017 Worlds. I'm also hopeful because Brian was able to convince him that it's totally doable for Yuzu to win his 2nd Olympic gold with one set of strategy given his physical condition prior to the event, but such strategy is not designed for him to break another world record. Or, rather than convincing him, Brian helped Yuzu see the path to his 2nd gold medal. Knowing how tempting it probably was for Yuzu to do more than "just" winning a 2nd gold metal, I think Brian is spot on in using "victory" to describe what Yuzu achieved in the interview Brian gave to the Olympic channel recently. Just like honing his control over foundational skating helped taking Yuzu's figure skating to a new level back when he first started training in Toronto, I firmly believe when Yuzu's awareness and control over his mental state is better developed, it will be his biggest "weapon" (to use his own word) and he'll blossom beyond what we've seen. When was it when he said he had reached only 20% of his potential? I believe it.

Thanks for translating this article. It's interesting to know about these behind-the-scene work. I recently watched the film Onmyoji. Only at the very end where the film credits came up did threads of tunes sound familiar, but it's very different from Yuzu's Seimei soundtrack. I can imagine the work put into Semei. I wonder if Mr. Yano is the sound producer of CiONTU, which sounds fantastic.

This (from Yuzu's movie appearance) is cute! If only there was a Yuzu store selling everything Yuzu-related - his books, CiONTU merchants, etc.

Thank you very much! I like how relaxed Yuzu is in this interview. Kenji is a wonderful host. Without your translation, I would have understood only a small fraction. I think it's in episode 4 where Yuzu talks about 2014 CoC. Even though I got a sense about how serious the injury was based on the falls during the FS and the fact that he could hardly walk after it, listening to him describe it still boggles my mind. I appreciate just about everything he does even more now.

Thanks for uploading this video! I didn't know until watching it that Yuzu changed 3A+2T to 3A+1L+3S on the fly during the 2nd half of his FS after he failed the 1L+3S part of the 4T+1L+3S combo. That was gutsy! It's also noticeable that his right ankle was shaky when he landed the 3S in the 3A+1L+3S combo. I just couldn't imagine the pain. His will is super human.