[2024-2025] Compilation of translated interview articles with Yuzu

[yuzurujenn]

2025.06.29

 

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629163418/https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202506280002219.html

[Figure Skating] Yuzuru Hanyu × Rei Nagai — "Philosophical Dialogue" Deepening Reflection Through Conversation — Living in a World Full of Questions

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) took on the challenge of a "philosophical dialogue," where participants deepen their thinking through conversation.
His partner in this dialogue was Rei Nagai (33), a writer and philosopher.

 

Hanyu, who says he has been interested in philosophical questions since childhood, began reading Nagai's books while producing his ice show. From questions such as "What is consciousness in competition?" to reflections on "Who counts as a person directly affected?" during disasters, the dialogue brought to light parts of Hanyu’s inner explorations developed on the ice.

 

Spoiler

At his first "philosophical dialogue," Yuzuru Hanyu began by saying, "I came here pretty much empty-headed."

 

Nagai, who holds philosophical dialogues in various regions, values words that arise in the moment.
Without deciding on a theme in advance, the two freely put their questions into words.

 

▽ Who counts as a person directly affected?

— To talk as equals without being confined by names or titles, Nagai has a style of using nicknames. “I had bad bedhead,” so she chose “Neguse” (“bedhead”).
Hanyu decided on “Maegami” (“bangs”). He began to speak about the questions he’d held during his competitive life:

 

Maegami (Hanyu):

“People always said that if you’re too conscious of something, you can’t perform well.
But what is consciousness? I’ve thought about that since I was little.
Things you can see are easy to describe with words, and you can share them with others.
But I’ve always wanted to express the things you can’t see.
Even if I’m aware of them, I can’t always put them into words,  but maybe with sound or the body, I can express them.
Why is that, I wonder?”

 

— In philosophical dialogue, the rules are: “Listen carefully,” “Speak in your own words,” and “Don’t give up by saying ‘everyone’s different.’”
Nagai, who leads dialogues in disaster-affected schools and other places, voiced her own lingering question about the idea of being an “affected party.”

 

Neguse (Nagai):

“I’ve always carried this deep feeling of ‘Who exactly is a person directly affected?’
Sometimes when I share things I saw or heard in disaster areas with students in Tokyo, they say, ‘I don’t understand because I’m not one of them.’
I get where they’re coming from, but I still wonder: what exactly does it mean to say that, to not understand because you’re not directly affected?”

 

Maegami:

“During the Great East Japan Earthquake, I was in Sendai practicing when the disaster hit.
But I didn’t see the tsunami up close, and I didn’t lose anyone close to me to it.
So there was a time when I really struggled with the thought that maybe I wasn’t a ‘directly affected person,’
and that maybe that meant I couldn’t truly understand.
Even now, when I visit affected areas or meet people who went through it,
I still think about what it means to truly 'stand with’ someone.
I want to, but you can’t become that person. It’s really difficult.”

 

▽ My boundaries

— Staring at a whiteboard covered in questions, Hanyu spoke a line that became the theme of the second half of the dialogue.

 

Maegami:

“All of these questions seem connected by a common thread, how we draw boundaries.”

 

Neguse:

“Have you ever had an experience where you drew a boundary, or had one drawn on you?”

 

Maegami:

“I’m sure I’ve drawn boundaries before.
When they’re drawn by others, it’s passive.
When you draw them yourself, it’s active.
Saying ‘I’m a figure skater and you’re the audience’ is an active boundary.
But something like ‘we’re family’ is a boundary drawn for you from birth, so it's passive.
There might also be unconscious boundaries, ones you can’t avoid.”

 

Neguse:

“Lately, people often say they’re scared to talk to those with different opinions.
But when we say ‘different opinions,’ where exactly does ‘different’ begin?
And what even is ‘same’? It starts to become unclear.”

 

Maegami:

“When we talk about ‘same’ or ‘different,’ is the act of drawing a line meant to find the differences,
or to find the similarities?
Even things like ‘happiness’ and ‘envy’ are alike.
If you define happiness as ‘I’m happy’, that’s one thing.
But if you think, ‘That person is happy’, you might end up comparing yourself and feeling like you’re not, which can create a negative feeling.
But maybe it’s through those moments that you begin to see your own outline.”

 

Neguse:

“When someone says, ‘I’m not a person directly affected, so I can’t understand,’ I feel like they’re isolating themselves.
The more you define yourself through negatively drawn lines, the more you end up shut inside them.
I’m thinking about whether it’s possible to cherish our personal boundaries, and still find ways to connect, even while remaining a little disjointed.”

-----------------

 

Philosophical dialogue does not seek clear-cut answers. Looking back, Nagai said: “I thought I’d be nervous, but we were able to think together.” The real pleasure, she added, lies in discovering questions and ideas that wouldn’t emerge on your own.

 

Where is the line between envy and happiness? What does it mean to “stand with” a person directly affected? None of these are unrelated to us. “Dialogue is open,” Nagai said. In an age of strong and divisive language, this conversation between two people may offer a hint on how to live in a world full of questions.

 

“It was fun. But it left me feeling really, really reflective.” Hanyu left the dialogue smiling.

 

 

■ Yuzuru Hanyu
Born 1994, from Sendai. Two-time Olympic champion in men’s figure skating.
After turning professional, he has been creating “ice stories” that combine words and skating.

 

■ Rei Nagai
Born 1991, Tokyo. Alongside her writing, she holds philosophical dialogues across Japan.
Winner of the “Watakushi, Tsumari Nobody Prize” (Ikeda Akiko Memorial Prize).
Author of The Philosophers Underwater, Sorry for Being Lonely, among others.

 

[yuzurujenn]

2025.07.08

 

Source: Newsweek Japan August issue 2025.07.15 pg 26-27

 

Gifted Words
Written by Yuzuru Hanyu : “I was saved by this song.”

 

Special Contribution-

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu has long openly expressed his admiration for Mrs. GREEN APPLE. In February 2023, during his GIFT performance at the Tokyo Dome, he featured a video of himself performing to their song “Boku no Koto” in the end credits, incorporating their music into his artistic expression. For this feature, we asked Hanyu to reflect on the power of the lyrics written by Motoki Ohmori, who writes all the songs for both the band and his solo work.

 

Spoiler

Ever since the release of Boku no Koto, I’ve always been saved by this song. It’s a song that allows me to project myself onto it, but also gives me affirmation that it's okay to be who I am. It has continued to push me forward, making me want to do my best so I can be someone’s hope.

 

When I was little, I jumped simply out of sheer determination. But as I grew older and came to understand the world more, “jumping” came to carry all kinds of meanings. I started to think more deeply about the technique, and began assigning greater significance to my skating as well.

 

I worried, struggled, and tried my best to figure out how to do a quadruple axel jump, but my efforts were unsuccessful and unrewarded, and I was worn out both physically and mentally. I was scared that my dream would remain just a dream, and that I wouldn’t be able to live up to people’s expectations.

 

But when I heard the lyrics about knowing “how to fly to the sky,” I thought, “Oh, haven’t I already made so many jumps?” I realized I had known how to fly all along, but I had just been overthinking and caught up in too many things, and ended up forgetting along the way.

 

The scenery that I saw as a child and the scenery I see now are just too different, and I myself have changed too, but people are such that we sometimes forget even the important things. But even as I tremble inside, even as I pretend to be strong, I want to believe and say "what a wonderful day." That’s the feeling I have when I listen to this song. And it’s that feeling that I’ve tried to pour into my skating.

 

The first song by Mrs. GREEN APPLE that I listened to was “Samama Festival!” From there, I got completely hooked and soon started listening to all of their songs. During the Beijing Olympics, I think I was probably encouraged by “CHEERS” and found myself humming it.

 

I remember breaking down in tears alone after the competition, listening to “Aonatsu.” I was already 27 at the time, so maybe a bit old to still call it “youth,” but it felt like the time I had spent recklessly pushing forward, hungry for victory, and desperately striving for perfection was finally coming to an end. I thought, “Ah, my skating journey up to now really was my youth,” and “I don’t want it to end.” That said, I guess I’m still living days I can call youth, even now (laughs).

 

If you asked me what my favorite song is, I wouldn’t be able to decide since it always changes. But right now, I often listen to CONFLICT, Nachtmusik, and Darling.

 

I was able to listen to two songs recently released by Ohmori-san as a solo artist. With “Kaiga” (絵画), the music, lyrics, and singing felt as if I were being drawn into his core essence, stripped of the outer shell known as “Motoki Ohmori.” Although it’s sung as if for someone to hear, it really feels like it’s sung and written just for himself. At the same time, I felt that people struggling in society, including myself, could empathize with the song, and that it brings together our individual feelings of loneliness.

 

As for “Kotaeawase” (こたえあわせ), I felt it was a song that doesn’t sing about special days but rather stays close to and walks alongside people who are simply doing their best in everyday life. It feels like someone singing beside you, expressing the confusing emotions and things you can’t put into words, and delivering them for you. It’s not just for tough times but like a friend you want to be with even without saying anything.

 

Ohmori’s lyrics never leave anyone completely alone and give the feeling that it’s okay for everyone to live. They embrace loneliness, support those who are doing their best, and sometimes comfort memories. The way the words flow is pleasing, and the singing style and tone of the music, which smoothly touch the heart, are truly the best!

 

—Yuzuru Hanyu (Professional Figure Skater)