[2024] Compilation of translated interview articles with Yuzu

[yuzurujenn]

2024.05.11

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2024 #羽生結弦 SPECIAL pg 56-59
Info: https://x.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1790023081739575501

 

 

Quardruple Axel May 2024 Issue: Tanaka Keiji - On the basis of solid techniques

 

Tanaka Keiji is expanding his activities by appearing in numerous ice shows, including “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2024”. As an irreplaceable friend of Hanyu Yuzuru, who inspired each other in the men's single competition during his amateur career, we asked Mr. Tanaka to talk about the evolution of “Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu” as he sees it.

 

Spoiler

--The second year of the "Notte Stellata" show has celebrated its opening day. What was it like being on the show?

I am of course happy that we were able to hold the show for the second time, and I'm glad that we were able to make the show even more exciting with the addition of new member Javi (Javier Fernandez).

 

--Mr. Hanyu created this show with themes of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake and hope for the future, but this year a large earthquake occurred on the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day. I think it left a profound impression in the hearts of both the performers and the viewers.

I think this is a day that we really should not forget, and I think there are people who actually suffered from the disaster, people who know the hard times, and people who may not want to remember, but I feel that this show is performed with a very important concept in order to show hope for the future.

 

--After the show opens, Mr. Hanyu skated ``Notte Stellata'' by himself, which is also the title of the show. It is unusual to have a solo number before the opening, but this makes the concept of the show clear.

I think it is very important that the chairperson of the show skates first to clearly convey the meaning of the show to everyone before the show begins. By having Yuzu skated at the start, from there subsequently, I think the essence of the show was expressed well. It was a really important time for the show, and it felt like everyone were embodying the chairperson’s thoughts through their skating.

 

-- Did Mr. Hanyu say anything to his co-star skaters, such as, “Please skate with these thoughts in mind”?

Since it was being held at this time of year, everyone was aware of the atmosphere since last year. Last year, the performance date coincided with 3/11, so we understood the weight of that and the feelings that must be put into the skating. However, I also understand that it is even more difficult for the chairperson than for us. I think the other performers are also accepting of that. Or rather, we all stand by each other and support each other. I think everyone understands that, even if we don't say it in words.

 

--Did you have any thoughts about Mr. Hanyu that you felt during rehearsals?

Last year, I think there were a lot of times that he wondered, ``Is it okay to do a show at this time of year?'' This year, it may just be my own personal thought, but I felt that he’s spending this day with a slightly softer expression than last year.

 

--Indeed, last year, he expressed his thoughts very seriously when he greeted the audience.

It was the most difficult time for him, so I think he took the meaning of holding the ice show on that day very seriously. He puts his thoughts and feelings in various places, and although we do not see all of them, I think there are parts that are conveyed through each of his actions.

 

--This year, the collaboration with Mao Daichi became a hot topic. It was a co-starring performance between top entertainers. What did you think of "Carmina Burana"?

It was a magnificent stage. Both of them were truly divine. I only saw it on the monitor (in the backstage), but the power was conveyed even through the screen. It felt like they were showing something far beyond anything I could have imagined on the skating rink and on stage.

 

--At the end of the performance, Mr. Hanyu skated “Danny Boy” as a solo. How was your impression of this poignant and graceful program?

After Yuzu’s solo, the flow of the song leading to the finale is very fitting too, and I think it is a performance that is very typical of him. I think he expresses it very beautifully, and the sense of “the show is coming to an end, but there’s still hope from here on” is very much connected to the overall theme of the song.

 

--Some of the choreography seemed to express the theme of reaching for hope in spite of the hard times.

Yes. I only had one practice time with him, as I watched him perform, even though it was a rather difficult piece, I got the impression that he was taking each note seriously. I felt it was really amazing.

 

-- This time as well, I was able to once again feel the range of Mr. Hanyu's expressions through his collaborations and solo performances.

I think the fact that he is touring solo is a big factor. He is able to create a show by performing many different things on his own. Depending on the show we perform in, we usually have at most two solo numbers and one or two group numbers, but even that is a lot of work. So, to connect a show by oneself, one really needs to perform different things and learn many things. I think it is because he is exposed to so many opportunities all at once that he is able to create such a variety of expressions.

 

--Was it a surprise for you that he put together a show like this by himself? Or did you think that Mr. Hanyu would be able to do this much?

I thought it was possible for him to do it. Of course, at first I was like, “All alone!?'', but when I really thought about it, I realised, “It sure looks like he can do it.'' I guess there was something he wanted to do that much. Really, that part of him is amazing.

 

--How has Mr. Hanyu evolved since becoming a professional?

He already has world-class jumps and skating skills, so I think he has been thinking a lot about how to use them since he became a professional. In competitions, advanced techniques were incorporated into programs within the framework of rules, but now that the framework has been removed, we can use them in a variety of ways and present them in many different ways. In that respect, I think it's amazing that he is further honing his already high-level skills and working on even more advanced things.

 

--Have you ever been surprised by something that he does?

Of course, his technical prowess is amazing, but I focus on how it fits with the music. It is not so much about him doing something very difficult, but rather that he is using the choreography and program structure in such a way, or presenting it in such a way, that I admire. For example, it could be a part where he moves in sync with each note, or conversely, he might suppress that technique and just dance. He uses them in various ways. Since he already has all the advanced skills, I think the challenge now is how to use them. After all, if he just uses the technical skills, it will end up being something similar to a competition program, so the key is to subtract and add things and how to incorporate the correct elements into a new program. I feel like that is how he is presenting his style now.

 

--Since Mr. Hanyu has turned professional, what are the things you feel have remained the same or have changed in your opinion?

The part that has not changed is his concentration. The way he concentrates before he starts his performance is always amazing to watch. In fact, I think his ability to concentrate has become stronger than when he was a competing athlete. On the other hand, the things that have changed since he became a professional are, as I mentioned earlier, the range of his performances and the vision for what he wants to do. He has achieved many things through the new productions that he has pioneered in his solo ice shows, and I really feel that he is stepping forward and wanting to do many different things to showcase skating in new ways.

 

--I think it must be really difficult to have to deal with so much, are there times when Mr. Hanyu is relaxed and back to his true self?

I wonder. I only meet Yuzu during the show, so there is no time for him to relax. But during meals, etc. we see each other, and at those times, I think he takes care of himself.

 

--What do you mean by that specifically?

I think that for skaters, our body is the only means to express ourselves. Of course, we are here as professionals, so we take care of our bodies, diet, and many other things, but I feel that he takes even more care of his body in places we can't see. What I see is only a small part of him, but I think he is doing a lot more behind the scenes.

 

--As a professional skater, I think it is really wonderful that one can give courage and convey thoughts through their performances. Keiji-san, do you yourself see any difference between when you compete and when you perform in an ice show?

In an ice show, you have to have a theme and think about what you are going to do, so it is very difficult to choose the songs. In competitions, I think the order is fundamentally reversed, as I think about the theme after the music is decided. In competitions, the premise was to choose a song that could benefit us. However, when it comes to skating professionally, you have to first create a theme and then think about the music, costumes, and choreography, or things will go awry, so I think it's quite interesting but also demanding in that sense.

 

-- At this show, you performed “HOPE”. Please tell us about the theme and choreography of this performance.

I chose the song. The choreography is by Kohei Yoshino. The title is ``HOPE,'' but it is not about being full of hope from the beginning, but to push forward even though there are many hardships. You may experience a setback once, but you have the strength to get back up from that, and that’s what is being conveyed through the rap music.

 

--Did you have in mind that it would be performed at the show?

I had been thinking of doing this song for a long time, but the choreography only started after it was decided that I would be skating here, so I thought about what kind of feelings I would have if this song were to be performed here. I was working towards that since it would be performed for the first time in ``Notte Stellata''.

 

-- Even from the choreography, I could feel the determination to face hardships.

Really, it would be best if you could listen to the lyrics one by one (laughs). Mr. Kohei also carefully looked at the lyrics during practice, so I really felt the meaning of the lyrics and the song itself as I skated.

 

--Also, the collaboration number ``Saturday Night Fever'' with Mr. Mura was also a big hit.

This was also a pretty good choice of song (laughs). After all, Mura-kun is my senior, so it's interesting to work together with my senior and aim for something that's dorky and cool.

 

--I thought the collaboration with Mr. Mura was a great fit.

Even in the skating world, I think we are both on the larger side and the power type. It's not like we clash with each other in that aspect, but it's fun to be able to perform together like that.

 

-- Did you and Mura-san talk about something like, “Let's make it exciting here!”?

No, we were both really nervous, so it wasn't like that at all (laughs). Moreover, after the opening, after my solo number and group number, we skated towards the end of the show, so it's pretty tiring. I was quite tired when it was our turn (laughs).

--I see. So it was like you were giving it your all at the end.

That’s right.

 

-- Did Mr. Hanyu say anything when he saw it?

No, I’m not sure if he was watching or not. After that, he has his own performance, so I think he was concentrating on warming up. We just warmed up the venue for him (laughs).

 

--Speaking of warming up, there was a group number “Permission to Dance” at the start of the second part. It was a collaboration with a video of Mr. Hanyu. How was it?

In short, it's a fun time, and we did it with the idea of ``bringing as many smiles as possible'' to energize each and every one. Speaking of dancing, his movements truly have a unique vibe that only Yuzu can bring out. In a way, we were probably lucky because it was a collaboration with a video. Because if we were to dance side by side on the ice, only Yuzu would be in a different dimension… It's hard to dance next to him. I don't want to dance next to him too much, because I can't keep up with him if the music is too lively (laughs). Of course, this is a compliment!

 

-- Mr. Hanyu is so sharp.

That’s right. My movements are slow, while Yuzu floats around. That's how sharp he is.

 

-- Thank you for your valuable story. What have you learned from professional skater Hanyu through shows like this?

It's his "figure". I think it's amazing how he keeps coming up with new ways of expressing himself, the ability to tackle all kinds of new things without having restrictions.

 

--Lastly, please tell us what you expect from Mr. Hanyu in the future, and your own words of determination.

First of all, I would like to go to the venue myself and see the ice show. I am also a professional skater, so I want to see and absorb a lot of things, and I want to go see more solo shows too. I also want to absorb what I can and improve my range of expression. I would like to do my best to grow and develop so that when we perform again together, I can show new and evolved things and be worthy of standing on the same stage as a fellow professional. Also, as friends, I think it would be nice if we could spend some relaxing time together off-ice, outside of shows.

 

 

 

Tanaka Keiji talks about “Yuzuru Hanyu Notte Stellata” 2023 performance

 

--How did you feel when you received the offer to appear in the first show last year?

I felt very grateful to be invited to the show. Moreover, since the show was held on a very important day, it also meant that I would be skating a program with a concept appropriate for that day, so I strongly felt that I had to carefully select the songs to align with the theme.

 

--The show is filled with Mr. Hanyu’s message of wanting to deliver a ‘light of hope’.

At this time of year, I think the more you think about it, the more painful it becomes. Therefore, holding an ice show on that day was quite an experience. This cannot be done without determination. We put on a show after thinking carefully about the meaning of what we were doing on this day, so I felt that everyone put a lot of emotion into this show. There weren't that many skaters performing, but I felt the message of ``connecting many things together'' and that we all understood the meaning of doing it at that time and took on that challenge. I got the impression that everyone was skating in an atmosphere different from the usual shows.

 

--I feel that the experience of this earthquake has had a big impact on Mr. Hanyu’s outlook on life and how he approached competition. Having spent time with him, have you ever felt this way?

I think that at that time of year, he’d remember various things. I imagine that he’d realize again “I guess I’m alive”, and a resolve to “become even stronger”. Although he doesn't directly show us that, everyone around him is working toward recovery, and I get the feeling that he too is becoming stronger as he overcomes that day every year.

 

--At “Notte Stellata” held last year, he collaborated with gymnast Uchimura Kohei. It was very a groundbreaking attempt for an ice show.

It was really amazing. It was my favourite performance in “Notte Stellata”.

 

--What did you think of if when you saw it?

When I first saw Mr. Uchimura’s name, I was excited and wondered what kind of collaboration it would be. At the same time, I couldn’t imagine what the program would be like, wondering “What will they prepare?” and thought, “Maybe he’ll put in a horizontal bar or something”. In fact, there was a gymnastics floor next to the rink, and I was surprised, saying “This is really an amazing venue for a competition”. At that time, I couldn’t imagine how Yuzu would collaborate with Mr. Uchimura’s gymnastic routine. However, in the actual performance, the mood of the song and the costumes matched perfectly, and the two performers matched their timing in various ways, which was amazing. I was really overwhelmed.

 

--I thought the idea of a collaboration between two gold medallists from different sports was amazing, but to able to make it happen was also amazing.

That’s right. I think it must have been really difficult for the two of them to match their timing, since I don't think Mr. Uchimura usually competes in time to the music. However, during the actual performance, it didn’t feel like that at all and I was surprised to see how well it turned out, as if they had been doing it from the beginning. I feel that this is a performance that could only have been done by two people of that calibre.

 

-- I could sense a pride in both parties, as if they were saying to each other, “I'll match you”.

Yes, it felt that way.

 

[yuzurujenn]

 2024.05.11

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2024 #羽生結弦 SPECIAL pg 52-55
Info: https://x.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1790022696480235669

 

 

Quardruple Axel May 2024 Issue: Takahito Mura – The Evolving Athlete 

 

Takahito Mura often co-stars with Mr. Hanyu, including in ``Notte Stellata'' and ``Fantasy on Ice.''  From their amateur days to the present, they have deepened their relationship from time to time as two comrades. ※ We asked Mura to talk about Hanyu's evolution as a professional athlete.

 

(Text by Tatsuya Murao)

 

Spoiler

--You performed in Notte Stellata last year, and you have just finished the second day today.

Just like last year, I had a very fulfilling time. The theme of the show is "Reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake", so when we skated, we were conscious of the concept of the show when selecting the opening, finale, and even solo numbers. I may have mentioned this last year, but I really feel that the skaters are very cohesive in this ice show.

--Continuing from last year, the opening was choreographed by David Wilson, and the skaters looked like twinkling stars in the night sky.

Yes, the opening and finale both have that kind of image. This time, we have a new member, Javier (Fernandez), so he has lengthened the song a little and changed some parts, but the overall flow and base is the same as last year. It seems that David has brushed up on that.

--What kind of guidance did you receive from David?

For each movement, there is an explanation: 'This is what it means, so this is how you move'. This is especially true for the finale, since the lyrics are in Japanese, I think the audience can listen to the content of the song directly. With that in mind, David asked Satton (Miyahara Satoko), who can speak English, "What do these lyrics mean?", and said, "In that case, the direction of the hands should be this way", or something like that. The finale ('Song of Hope') is a song that brings everyone together and I really like it. It was the same last year, and I could still hear that song playing in my head for a while after the show. It's very moving, and I like how it ends on a high note. I was glad to hear that the song would not change for this year's show. The opening song, combined with the lighting effects, starts from a very fantastical place, with an image of the ``night sky and stars,'' and builds into a magnificent feeling. That song is also the theme of "Notte Stellata", and it fits the image that Yuzu has in mind. Because the theme is so clear, it's easy for us to imagine it, and it's easy for us to skate to it.

--Regarding this ice show, does Mr. Hanyu, the chairperson, have any thoughts on the initiative or any advice given to the performers and staff about how they should skate?

At the opening, there was a quote that said, ``The skaters have put their thoughts into this show,'' and I think that's exactly that, and the feelings of each skater were reflected in the songs. The theme of the show was shared in detail last year, so I wasn't told anything in particular this time. But we could see what Yuzu himself was working on, because we were also rehearsing together. It would be a bit strange to say that we understood his thoughts and that we met his expectations, but I think it's because we're all firming up together, because we're all heading in the same direction, that we're all coming together as one. We are no longer amateur athletes, we are working on the show as professionals, so it goes without saying that we understand this aspect as well.

--Did you get a glimpse of Mr. Hanyu's strong commitment during rehearsals?

I feel like he puts a lot of emphasis on the direction and presentation. This is true for the opening and finale, the collaboration between Yuzu and Daichi Mao, and Yuzu's own program, but he really worked out the details in rehearsals, like the timing of the lighting and sound, and how bright it should be to start from. When he was interacting with the staff, I got the sense that he was very particular about the timing, saying things like, ``It's too late at the moment, so can you please try again?''

--Since turning professional, Mr. Hanyu has been appearing in a number of solo shows, and it seems like that experience has been put to good use in this show.

That’s right. In the case of "Saturday Night Fever", a collaboration between Keiji and myself, Yuzu himself told MC Gamada (Ken), "You can hype it up a bit more. I think it would be good if we could get the audience more excited before the show starts".

--I saw it yesterday on the first day of the show, and the whole venue was extremely excited.

The audience was really excited. Keiji and I said, "‘Saturday Night Fever’ is the most nerve-wracking" (laughs). Of course I'm nervous about my solo, but I'm more nervous about this one.

--I was thinking that it might be a bit more relaxing for two people to do it together, but on the contrary, it's nerve-wracking.

Quite the opposite really, I get really nervous (laughs). In a sense, a lively, danceable number like 'Saturday Night Fever' shouldn't be uncool, right? Keiji and I were saying to each other, “Are we going to be OK, are we going to be OK?”. I was also worried about the jumps, so there was a sense of tension in that aspect. But I'm very happy that the audience enjoyed it and I could skate while feeling that they were having fun. Today was the second day, so I was grateful that there were many people who knew where the excitement was. There’s one more day left, so I'm going to go all out there.

--As for the collaboration number, there was also ``Carmina Burana'' by Mr. Hanyu and Mao Daichi, which became a big topic this time. What did you think of it?

When I first saw him skating, I asked him, "Isn't it really hard?" He replied, "No, it's actually only about 5 minutes", but he also said, "While the movements seem to be slow, there are very detailed parts that require effort to express them, so it can be difficult at times because I have to hold my breath during those parts." I was watching Mao Daichi's movements as if she was picking up Yuzu, like he was being picked up by a god, that kind of expression is amazing to see in real life. After all, Mao Daichi's divine demeanour is amazing, isn't it? I think it's interesting because it's a combination of two top performers from different genres, and when I watch the program that brings those two together, I think, ``Wow, that's amazing.''

--It feels like Daichi on stage and Hanyu on the ice are working together as one.

Really, it's just overwhelming. At first, I wondered how the collaboration would go, but when I saw them rehearse for the first time, I was speechless. Something like, “… wow, that's amazing…”. “What the hell!” I thought. First of all, Yuzu has a huge presence. On top of that, Daichi's presence was also incredibly large behind Yuzu. Daichi-san's performance changes from the dark atmosphere in the first half to the scene where she changes quickly and becomes pure white in the middle made me think, ``Wow, she's a professional.''

--Mr. Hanyu's performance skills are amazing as he faces Daichi-san.

Yes, I agree. For example, if I were to perform Yuzu’s part, Daichi’s presence would be too strong and I would simply disappear. But I think the reason he can keep himself from being absorbed is because Yuzu has such a tremendous presence.

--It is true that just by standing alone on the rink, in that large venue, Mr. Hanyu gives off the impression that he is in control of the entire place.

At first, when Yuzu starts to skate, I think everyone’s wondering what's going to happen now. As Yuzu skates and Daichi-san suddenly appears, her presence is overwhelming at first. However, as Yuzu's movements become stronger and stronger from the middle, his presence becomes as big as Daichi’s. When I look at that, I think, "As expected."

-- Mr. Hanyu said that the program conveyed the message of experiencing the natural disasters and suffering that humans have no control over, and of resisting it, accepting it, and moving on.

That's how I felt when I first saw it. After all, it’s been true since the “Prologue" stage, his ideas were way ahead of us. When he tried to use games as the theme for RE_PRAY, I was blown away, and I think it would be very difficult for other people to fully express such an idea. In the first place, I think it is truly an extraordinary feat to be able to turn that idea into reality. The same can be said for his quadruple axel challenge. He was also an elementary school kid who said, "I'm going to win a gold medal at the Olympics!” and achieved that goal. Before we knew it, he has reached a truly amazing level and is creating a new era. I guess it’s something he was born with.

--During his amateur career, he has achieved numerous feats in the world of competition, and has defied conventional wisdom. I feel that turning professional has given him more freedom in his ideas.

I think that what we are actually seeing from him now is what he originally wanted to do and wanted to try. My simple impression is that I'm very happy and grateful to be able to see that part up close.

--After such an astonishing collaboration, in the second half, Mr. Hanyu performed a new piece, "Danny Boy".

Yes. I was talking with Akko-chan (Akiko Suzuki) about it, and she said, ``I'm really into programs with this kind of tune that Yuzu skates to.'' His movements really stand out.  During the actual performance, the finale was right after that and we were behind the curtain waiting for our turn, so it was a shame that we could only see a glimpse of the performance. So, the only way to see him doing it at 100% is in the video, but even watching him in practice, there was a part of me that thought it was really great to see Yuzu skating a program like that. Today's open practice was after my own practice, so I went to the rink side and watched it. It's amazing that he can skate songs from various genres, and the way it connects to the finale's “Song of Hope”, it’s like a story.

--Did you have a chance to talk to Mr. Hanyu during the performance?

Well, we do talk a bit during rehearsals and so on. Yuzu has been working on his training and various other things, and he says, “It's tough”, but I’m like, "No, it doesn't look like that at all!" Considering my age, Yuzu is still young, but essentially, performance declines with age. That is the fate of athletes, but he is working hard to build his body to do what he can. I think that's the theme he talked about when he turned professional, his attitude as a “professional athlete”.

--He said that he will continue to evolve physically as well.

In fact, I think so. I think it is extremely difficult to do this without compromising the technical aspects. People tend to think that athletes' bodies are strong because they train hard, but in fact, when the body starts to decline, the rate of decline is huge and fast. Because they are prone to strain at this stage, they may end up with more physical injuries after they retire. So, we have to be careful and make sure that doesn’t happen, but Yuzu is doing the opposite and trying to increase his level. I thought his body and his jump skills were well-honed even when he was competing, but now I feel like he’s in a slightly different realm. That's really what I think every time I see him skating in various places. It was the same when I watched Notte Stellata last year, and it was the same when I watched Fantasy on Ice. I think now, after the "RE_PRAY" performance, his body condition has improved considerably. I really feel that.

--Is there anything you feel that Mr. Hanyu usually pays attention to when it comes to taking care of his body?

When I met him at the dinner hall and so on, I thought that he seems to be eating better now. I haven't seen much of his training since he does them elsewhere, but looking at his physique, I think it's really well-balanced and toned. When you look at him from the side, he looks very thin and slender. However, you can see from the way he stands that he has a really strong body. I would say it's very solid. I feel like his body is perfect. When I met him, I asked him, ``Have you grown taller?'' and he replied, ``I haven't changed.'' But he kind of looks bigger. I feel like he’s taller than when he was competing, and I think it’s because his body has gotten stronger. This is what I thought when we met together for the first time in a while.

--In Mr. Hanyu's documentary program, he said, “I just want to make sure that oxygen gets distributed to my muscles.” “I have to stop thinking in order to get oxygen to my body”. I feel that he is reaching an amazing state.

“I want to get my body moving rather than thinking with my head”, I think that's what you have to strive for in order to handle such a long challenge by yourself. He is definitely doing things that an average skater can't do. Yuzu himself did one performance of his "RE_PRAY" and said, "It's really hard. My body is a wreck." However, compared to “Prologue” in the beginning, he’s definitely able to move better now till the end. 

--That's how he has evolved as a professional athlete.

I think so.

--It's really interesting to see the body from an athlete's perspective. I would also like to ask about Mura's performance. How did you choose the song for your solo performance "West Side Story"?

As expected, I chose it with the theme of the show in mind. In particular, after the Noto Peninsula disaster on New Year's Day, I was struck by the fact that those affected by the disaster definitely have someone they call their "loved one". I chose this song because I wanted to express my feelings towards that person in 'West Side'. I wanted to show that people are not alone. It's like the feelings you have for your friends, lovers, family and each other.

--Who did the choreography?

Mihoko Higuchi-sensei. I had a chance to meet her and she choreographed it last year.

--That's also a new collaboration.

Yes, that's right. When you change choreographers, you also get the characteristics of the choreographer, so there are a lot of movements that aren’t in previous programs. For example, the intervals between steps can be different from what I am comfortable with. So it was very refreshing. There are a lot of turns at the end, but I put in three clusters. I jokingly said, “I’d like to add a step-like feel towards the end”, and Mihoko-sensei said, "That’s it". And the cluster that came out was another difficult one (laughs). It’s not a typical rocker counter loop, but a back-in rocker, a back-in counter and finally a bracket. It's quite hard, this cluster. There are some combinations of turns that I would never have put in if I were competing.

 

--In that sense, Mura is still evolving.

Well, technically, I think it's really bad. I feel it every day. I normally teach as a coach, but when it comes the time for me to move, I sometimes feel a decline and think, ``Oh, that's not quite right.'' 

--I am reminded once again how amazing it is that you are able to perform so well even though you do not practice all the time, unlike when you were actively competing.

No, no, there is always a sense of crisis. I just can’t find much time to practice on my own.

--On the other hand, by teaching your students, do you have any feedback on yourself?

Teaching athletes has helped me to think about various aspects, such as “How should I improve my current physical condition?'' and “How can I compensate the weak areas with movement?''. My students have various characteristics, each with different qualifications and different jumping styles. I keep this in mind as I teach each of them to help them move more easily. Things I had originally imagined in my mind during competing times, after I started teaching as a coach, I was able to connect them to actual movements and made new discoveries. Sometimes I jump with the kids I'm teaching now, so I think there are some positive aspects there.

--Thank you for your valuable talk. Lastly, please give some words of encouragement to Mr. Hanyu.

Well, it's the same with "Notte Stellata" and the same with "RE _PRAY," and I think there are so many things that only Yuzu can achieve and embody. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you’ll do next, and I'd like you to show us a new world. One thing I'm a little worried about is that you might overdo it someday and break down. That's the only thing I want you to be careful about.

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.05.11

 

Translation by Pep on: https://x.com/pep_on_/status/1802375123640705109

Source: Quadruple Axel 2024 #羽生結弦 SPECIAL pg 46-51

 

 

Quardruple Axel May 2024 Issue: Shae-Lynn Bourne – Ascension to Artist

 

Following last year, Shae-Lynn Bourne appeared in "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2024" again this year. This time, she choreographed the first part of the collaboration number "Carmina Burana" between Mr. Hanyu and Mao Daichi. She talked a lot about the behind-the-scenes stories behind the new choreography that has become a hot topic, as well as Mr. Hanyu's activities as he challenges new frontiers as a professional skater.

 

Spoiler

-First of all, please tell us your current feelings about "Notte Stellata," which you just finished the other day.

S-L: This was my second time participating in this show after last year. So I was happy to be invited back. And simply, I was happy to see him again. Yuzu kept the same format of the show as last year, and the skaters were the same as last time, with the addition of Javier Fernandez. It was great to see them again. I also enjoyed the time I spent with everyone. Since there were not many performers, the locker room for the women skaters was very intimate, and there was always great conversation and a positive vibe. Everyone was so positive and mature, and it was great to spend time with them. I was also very happy that my husband and son were there this time. My husband and I performed together last year and he joined in the performance while I skated, but this time he was a spectator so he was able to enjoy himself as much as he wanted (Laughs). In addition, our friends came to see us, so in addition to being able to come back to Sendai, interacting with them was also a fun memory. I am getting to know Sendai better each time I visit. It is a very nice city and I discover something new every time I visit. And then there was the fact that the opening and finale, as well as the cast, employed the same numbers as the previous production. I myself have very little experience with such things, so that was very refreshing. I think the audience enjoyed it as well. The warm atmosphere of the full house made it a wonderful experience. It was a very fun show for those who participated. And of course, Yuzu always puts 100%, 3 times or even more than 100% energy into what he does. It's very professional. For this show, I am also participating in the choreography, which was done via ZOOM in December, so I was thrilled to be able to actually see his performance this time. It was like, “He's actually here, not through a screen" (laughs). It was also moving to be able to see what we had created together in the show.

 

-You choreographed the solo part of "Carmina Burana," a collaborative number with Mao Daichi.

S-L: That's right. We created it by meeting several times on Zoom. It's a sweet little part in the first half of the show number. The story depicts him as a naive and curious boy who discovers a beautiful garden.

 

-How did you go about the choreography?

S-L: First, I sent him a video of my own performance, and when he was at the rink, I connected with him online and watched him perform it on the screen. I was doing choreography like this during the coronavirus pandemic, so I'm used to working from a distance (laughs). Besides, he and I have been working together for many years now, so we know each other very well and it doesn't matter if we are in the same place together or not. There is no barrier between us, and we work well together.

 

-"Carmina Burana" was one of the highlights of the show.

S-L: Personally, I was concentrating on the introduction part. In the second half, there was a collaboration with actress Mao Daichi, so I think Yuzu had a very clear vision in his mind through the program. He shared with me his feelings about the part I was in charge of, what kind of world he was portraying and how he wanted to feel and skate.

 

-What was the content like?

S-L: There is an innocent boy with shining eyes. He is curious and fascinated by the world around him, the flowers and beautiful things that surround him. "Innocent" fits perfectly, don't you think? The song used here is a part of "Carmina Burana" that you don't often hear. When many people hear the words "Carmina Burana," they think of the majestic melody that follows. I was also more familiar with them. So, it was even more fun to work on this different part. It's a really varied song, going from bright to dark and then back to bright again.

 

-Along with the request for choreography, Mr. Hanyu also talked about the story.

S-L: Yes, he did. It's about the feeling of what he is experiencing, the character, the overall feeling. It's a visual image, like painting. That's usually how we work when we do things together.

 

-How do you think about the movements of your choreography?

S-L: When I create a program with him, I always try to imagine myself skating as Yuzu, which is also a fun process. I create it while imagining how I would feel if I were him. In reality, I'm not skating on the same rink as him, but I feel his presence, his behavior, his body movements, and the lines he draws. Once I have fully felt that feeling, I use my body to draw that feeling on the ice. At that time, I tried to come up with some different movement ideas. When you actually try acting with his body, you can compare how it looks and which one is best. No matter how naturally an idea comes to you, there may be other patterns that suit him better. So, I always have two or three options with different movements. Generally speaking, this completes the natural movement.

 

-How was it to see him skating on the rink for the first time?

S-L: This time we had a few days of rehearsals before the show, so I was able to see him practicing. I saw him on the rink for the first time at that time, and he is very professional, so between the choreography in December and the show, he practiced by himself and made it completely his own. So at the rehearsal, I only made a few changes to the choreography that I thought would make it look better. Ms. Daichi also came to the rehearsal, and I saw their collaborative performance for the first time. I was told that Ms. Daichi has been at the forefront of stage performances for many years. I think it was a very interesting idea to fuse the worlds of these two people this time.

 

-Have you seen the new program "Danny Boy"?

S-L: We only got to see one part of the show. As is always the case with shows, this number was right before the finale, so when everyone was standing by, I opened the curtain and caught a glimpse. That's the frustrating thing about shows. Not being able to see the entire performance. I had to change my clothes in a hurry. I can't see the whole thing until the video version is completed (laugh). But everything he does has the power to move hearts. What is especially noteworthy is that he approaches everything he does seriously and wholeheartedly. When he believes in something and dedicates himself to something, it touches the hearts of those who see it.

 

-And Shae-Leen, you performed "WAKA WAKA".

S-L: Yes it is a very old number, but it was fun to dig it up and perform it. I think it was good to have an energetic number to balance the whole performance. After a series of slow numbers, it is good to have something up-tempo. This is a song that makes you feel happy, and makes you want to dance, so it was really fun to perform. Also, the audience got into the song and clapped their hands from the moment it started. They kept clapping from the beginning to the end. I was happy to see everyone in the audience getting excited along with me.

 

-Shae-Lynn was also in high spirits, high-fiving people in the audience!

S-L: That's right (laughs). Whenever I perform an entertaining number, I like to explore how to draw the audience in. This time there were three performances, and I was always curious about who I would go to, and how they would react. I look forward to that kind of interaction with the audience every time. It's really nice to see people relaxing, clapping along to the music, and enjoying themselves.

 

-It is wonderful to see the same cast members creating a reunion-like atmosphere for the show.

S-L: It really is. Besides, this is a special once-a-year event. Even if it is repeated every year, it will never be exactly the same. Each time is special. Not only for the skaters, but also for the audience. The crew, the cast, and the audience are all involved in creating a special atmosphere and a special experience. As was the case last time, I feel sad when the show is over. 3 performances are over in a blink of an eye, so the week including rehearsals passed like an arrow. This show would not be possible without anyone from the audience, cast, or production side. That's why I feel that every moment leading up to the creation of this show is important. Everyone gathers for this one special show, and once it's over, each person returns to their own path. So I feel a bittersweet feeling. I'm very happy to be participating, but when it's over, I feel lonely... and grateful. It's become a special part of my life. I think it's probably the same for everyone involved. So I'm filled with gratitude to everyone who made this show possible.

 

-The finale, Song of Hope," was also very moving.

S-L: I would be very happy if you could feel something. It was a song that we performed last year, so I think it was a good idea to repeat the number that both the people watching and us who performed it knew. When performing a show, there are times when I have to remember things in a hurry, so there are times when I have to use my head and think while doing it. But in that finale, everyone was able to enter that world. I didn't have to think about it, so I was able to immerse myself in my emotions. Also, a number like that song that stirs emotions can be performed at any time.

 

-Did you have any memorable moments with Mr. Hanyu during this show?

S-L: When I perform in a show like this, my schedule is packed with rehearsals and soloist practice, so I don't often get a chance to talk with him in detail, but this time I was able to sit down with him at the main venue. I had time to relax. I was waiting in the skater lounge during the rehearsal for "Carmina Burana." At that time, we were the only ones there and it was quiet. I was able to connect with him, and talk a little bit about life and things like that. It wasn't a long time, but it was enough time for us to feel connected over something other than skating.

 

-This show is a tribute to the Great East Japan Earthquake. What is the significance of this show from your point of view?

S-L: He is a very open minded and compassionate person. He gave a speech after each opening. I didn't understand exactly what he was saying, because it was in Japanese, but I could feel the sincerity and emotion that he was expressing from his heart. Everyone was looking at him and listening intently, and his speech was like a spiritual event. His reason for putting on this show, his wonderful desire to "bring happiness and hope into people's lives," meant so much to them. I couldn't help but feel how special it was to be a part of this special event with him. Last year's show in particular was held on March 11th, so we held a moment of silence on the rink before the show. This year, it was not held on the same day, so there was no silent prayer, but it was still very important, and I think he carried that enormous weight on his shoulders to evoke the feeling of that time. This time, I feel like the focus was more on "joy." It is a feeling of joy that gives the audience hope, and hopes for good things in the future. At the same time, I think it was a way to relive that event, and never forget it. It's amazing, isn't it? Looks like Yuzu. He is a special person. I think his very existence is a gift to many people.

 

-Mr. Hanyu actually experienced an earthquake while [he was] on the ice. The impact this experience had on his career is hard to imagine.

S-L: I agree. He is truly a person who gives out what is inside of him and cares deeply about others. I think he really values his fans and his passion for skating. I think he links all those things together in creating the show, and he puts a lot of thought and meaning into what he does. I feel that way when I watch him.

 

-Also, in Shae-Lynn's acting, each movement is filled with emotion and thought, and you can really feel the excitement. Apparently, Mr. Hanyu was attracted to Ms. Shae-Lynn's passion, and thought, "I would like to ask her to choreograph my program."

S-L: Thank you for your kind words. I'm just so happy to have this opportunity. I once told my husband, "I'm definitely happier when I'm skating," and when I hadn't skated for a while, he looked at me and said, "Maybe you should go skating?" (laughs). I think everyone has something called "this" in their life. When you're doing it, you lose track of time, and become completely immersed. For me, that's what skating is. It doesn't have to be a show, just go to the rink, put on some music and simply skate. As I skate, the music slips into me, and I express it. That's what brings me joy and what I'm passionate about.

 

-I think the people watching can sense this from the expression on Shay-Lynn's face while skating.

S-L: I would be happy if that were the case. Above all, I'm the one who's having the most fun with it (laugh). Being there and seeing the reaction of the audience. Being able to do something like this, feels like a truly wonderful gift.

 

-I think you share the same sensibilities as Mr. Hanyu. The two of you are a good match because you have similar feelings.

S-L: I agree. It's like energy. I had no trouble connecting with him, and I think that's probably why we work so well together. That means we have the same energy. Regardless of the geographical distance, I understand him in my own inner world, and I think he probably does too. I think it's because we feel connected that we can work together so easily. I think we both respect that. It's very exciting to work with people who give so much of themselves and love what they do and are passionate about it. It must be a gift from heaven to be able to work with someone like Yuzu.

 

-As is the case with this show, his performance seems to have improved even more than during his active days.

S-L: I think it's because of his mindset. When most athletes retire from the competitive world, they usually feel a little more relaxed, if not relaxed at all, don't they? I think it depends on the person how much of a challenge they are willing to put themselves through. But as for Yuzu, I

am not surprised (by his current situation). He is a very hard worker, and always wants to be challenged. He will not accept himself not being challenged. He will not accept himself not to try, because he has the desire to "get better!" That's why he is able to give such a great performance, regardless of whether it's a competition or not. And now that he is out of the competition, he is able to focus more on the artistic side of skating. He can perform what he wants to express, to the fullest, without having to count how many jumps he jumps, or how many elements he puts in this or that. And the fact that it's not a competitive arena gives him more freedom, which he feels he enjoys even more. It's not that it's "easier," but that it's "different." He has always excelled artistically, but now that he doesn't have to worry about the elements, he seems to be able to refine them even more freely. But he still pushes himself, and in some of his numbers, he does quadruple jumps and triple axels (laughs). But I feel like he is doing it from a different angle, a different point of view, a different approach. And the level is not going down, but rather up. As a professional.

 

-It's exactly as he said when he announced that he would turn professional, that he would "evolve further." I feel like his turning professional has even changed the perception of figure skaters.

S-L: I think he wanted to set himself a challenge. He is on a new quest. In addition to continuing to skate and participate in existing shows, he also produces new shows. It feels like he is just moving on to the next step. He has worked very hard to obtain such an opportunity. And now, by creating shows and exploring his artistic side, different styles and different things, he is using the foundation he has built up to do something worthwhile. He takes on new challenges. "I think I've found a range," he says. Trying things out, exploring, "Can I create something that didn't exist before?" I think he is playing with his artistic side. It's wonderful. I think it's very good that he has found that path.

 

-Mr. Hanyu announced that he would turn professional in July 2022, after the Beijing Olympics. How did you feel when you heard the announcement?

S-L: I found out about it at the same time as everyone else. However, there were no surprises. Because after winning the first Olympics, it was no surprise that he made that decision. Many skaters would be satisfied with that, and think "I've done it." But he stayed on, and won yet another gold medal. After that, he continued to compete. As long as he had a clear vision and a challenge he wanted to take on, I think that was the driving force that drove him forward. I feel like (turning pro) means he was ready to take on a new challenge. It's fun to watch him find his path, and I'm happy to be a part of his life as a professional skater. What on earth will he do next?? I can't imagine it either, but I'm looking forward to it. Plus, it's a joy to see him so sincerely dedicated to things and working so hard.

 

-Do you feel there are any differences in communication between you two when he was a competitor and now?

S-L: No, there aren't. He has always been passionate and dedicated. When I was choreographing when he was still competing, he would skate late at night, and sleep during the day. It was a sign of his competitive attitude that he adapted his life time for skating. Now, I think he has found a new motivation by knowing what he can do through his shows. And he is putting that energy into his new skating. His passion and dedication are the same, but the direction in which he directs them is different. I think that's all.

 

-Mr. Hanyu has held three solo performances so far. Have you actually seen it?

S-L: I haven't seen the whole show except for parts of it online, but when he told me how many times he had skated the program at those shows, I was astonished and said, "How is that possible?" I was astonished (laugh). But, as you all know, that's what Yuzu is all about. He is a person who gives every ounce of what he has. There is no such thing as half-heartedness. It's either all or nothing.

 

-How difficult is it for a skater to skate a show alone?

S-L: I have never seen anyone else do it, so I can't even compare it (laughs). That in itself is an amazing feat, but the process of taking care of your health, and keeping yourself in the best condition to complete it is also a tremendous undertaking. It's a huge undertaking that takes a toll on him physically, mentally, and emotionally. But he is doing it. It's wonderful. I would like to see the show he created in person.

 

-Do you feel nostalgic for the days when you choreographed programs during your competitive days?

S-L: Whenever a skater leaves a competition, it is always both a happy and a painful

experience. But I think the happy part is stronger. The sad part is that it won't last forever. Now I am thankful for all the memories and the months that we have spent together. I am also excited to think of his new life. When I look back on his retirement, it was necessary. And he needed new experiences too. We all need to grow, to experience new things, to step into a new chapter of our lives.

Because that is part of growing up. This. With the skaters I've worked with, I'm always very excited to see where their lives take them next. If they have a good experience, whatever they have done in skating, it will certainly help them in their future, in their next choices. Whether it's skating or something else. Some may become parents, some may become coaches, some may go down a completely different path. For many years, I was also involved in competitions, and a lot of the reason I was involved in competitions was because it gave me a chance to perform, and that's why I wanted to perform. And the reason I want to perform is because I just love to skate and be in the moment. There is a famous saying, "Dance as if no one is watching, sing as if no one is listening" (meaning to let your passion take over and go all out, without worrying about what others think), and for me, that is skating. I don't think about what other people are thinking, I just am what I am. And I enjoy it very much. And I feel really lucky that I am still healthy and able to keep skating. That's what I try to convey to skaters when I work with them. The beauty of skating and the feeling of freedom to do what you want. I wouldn't go so far as to say that all my tension goes away when I'm skating, but I find that I channel my energy into something very positive and beautiful. And that relieves tension. Because you are living in the moment. I understand that it is difficult when you are competing, because there is a lot of stress, like scoring points, or making jumps, and so on. But when skaters can lose themselves, be in the moment, and enjoy the music, only good things can come from that. It is something that connects you to other people and to the audience, something that we can all relate to and feel united with. That is my joy, and it is also the joy I feel now as I work with skaters, hoping that I can help them discover the same thing. What he left behind is eternal, and will never change. What he has experienced in skating will always stay with him, and become part of his next experience. It was great, and I'm grateful to have been able to share my time with Yuzu at the rink. It was so special that I think about it every time I see him. I'm so proud to see him continue to pursue his life as an artist on the ice. Not all skaters are artists. Some are great athletes and some skaters are both. He always had the soul of an artist. And now, he is able to move in the direction of further mastering that part of himself. That's wonderful. I hope he continues to explore other aspects of his life and lead a wonderful life.

 

-What do you expect from Mr. Hanyu, who continues to pursue the path he believes in?

S-L: What I told him was, "I want you to make time for yourself and go on a journey." He said, "I want to learn different styles of dance, and bring that onto the ice, and be inspired by art and music." I said, "Okay, that's great, but traveling and seeing different places is also a great source of inspiration." Of course, I understand his situation. It's not an easy task for him, who has many fans all over the world. Besides, he's always busy. However, I hope that he will make time for himself. I am sure that when the time comes, he will do so himself.

 

-Thank you for your wonderful story. Lastly, please send a message to Mr. Hanyu and your fans.

S-L: Konnichiwa, this is Shae-Lean. Yuzu, I want to tell you that you are loved. I love you too, and am always happy to see you. I wish you success, joy in life and a good journey. I hope you continue to see the world, and do what you love most. I feel so blessed to be able to meet you, work with you, and simply see you shine every time. You are such a beautiful person and so loved. And to all of Yuzu's fans, thank you for all your support. It was a special experience to meet you all at the show in Sendai. It was so wonderful. It was a wonderful experience. Thank you so much for supporting Yuzu and all of us skaters. Thank you for your support, your continued support, and your love over the past years. Without you, the show would not exist. Your participation is invaluable to me and to all of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

[yuzurujenn]

 2024.05.11

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2024 #羽生結弦 SPECIAL pg 92-93
Info: https://x.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1790029567777763837

 

Quardruple Axel May 2024 Issue: Shoichiro Tsuzuki’s Words

 

Shoichiro Tsuzuki who watched RE_PRAY in Yokohama. 
Written by: Naoko Utsunomiya

 

Spoiler

His seat was at the front on the ground floor. There were many spectators from China around the seats. 

 

"Then, one after another, they came to me and asked me, "Can I ask you to sign your name?", "Can I take a photo with you?" Well, I was also surprised. I must have written "Tsuzuki Shoichiro" more than 200 times that day just before the ice show started and during intermission. I think everyone originally wanted Hanyu’s autograph. But after all, there was no such opportunity, so they came to me. It’s inevitable.” 

 

Tsuzuki laughed and spoke. Then he started gushing about Yuzuru Hanyu as usual. 

 

During the conversation that day, he referred to Hanyu as "god." Also calls him "Universe". At times like this, Tsuzuki always looked proud. 

 

"Hanyu is really full of fighting spirit. His movements are no different from those currently competing".

 

Tsuzuki’s overall impression of RE_PRAY is this. 

 

"In terms of the overall composition, I think Hanyu was thinking "Let’s do it!" and wanted to present everything during this period of time (during the performance). This is the same side as when he was competing, a side that challenges the new world. I think he probably wanted to show everyone that "it's possible to do figure skating like this without being bound by the rules." His figure skating is really amazing. Not a note off at all. It can be said that he is expressing the notes one by one. 1, 2, 3, 4, all the notes are represented.  Hanyu is truly a professional. I think he himself also wants everyone to see 'This is what Pro is like'."

 

I (note: columnist Naoko Utsunomiya) watched RE_PRAY at the movie theatre. What Hanyu does is figure skating that makes people feel his soul. Or should I say, it is figure skating that cuts off all escape routes. I think I got a glimpse of his way of survival. 

 

"He must have gone through a lot of practice. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to do such moves. After all, it’s such (high-level) skating and technique. The same goes for jumping. Even when jumping in a very intense performance, there were almost no mistakes. Although the current athletes are also performing difficult elements, from a performance perspective, I think Hanyu is better. That kind of performance is what Hanyu has mastered since he became a professional skater, and it has become a brand-new weapon for him. Moreover, he has to skate for 2 hours straight, which requires a lot of physical strength. I can only marvel at that. Looking around the world, no skater can do what he does. Even skaters who have achieved great results in the past will have a decline in their level after retirement. Hanyu would not allow this. He always gives people the best performance. Therefore, he also has to make a thorough effort. There is no room for error. When I watched the ice performance live this time, I thought, "Oh, it turns out that he can already do such a thing," and tears welled up."

 

In Yokohama, Hanyu mentioned in his speech, "Thank you everyone for your support." My power is so small." Tsuzuki commented on this. 

 

"I think it’s because he feels a sense of unity between all the viewers and himself. There was a feeling of spiritual connection between the audience and the performers in the venue. It is not often possible to create such an atmosphere during ice performances. I felt something beyond the soul. Hanyu, he has become a god. I feel like the god of figure skating is performing".

 

Not a king, but a God. Tsuzuki looked full of pride. I also interjected from time to time: "Yes, it is true." 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu’s figure skating can be said to be a blessing for viewers. And this is especially true after he left competitions. I think the audience has also broken away from the rules and become freer. 

 

Regarding Hanyu’s statement, “I have no confidence in myself,” I asked Tsuzuki what he thought. 

 

"How to put it, I think what lies behind "lack of self-confidence" is actually the idea of "I could have done more", which is a confrontation with himself. I think it is precisely because he is so unwilling to admit defeat that he would say this. No matter in the past or now, he is working very hard to cultivate himself. Then, he will continue to challenge the future from now on. In what way will he create? Really looking forward to it. Hanyu now interacts with people from various fields. Ultimately, I think this is because many people are surprised by Hanyu as a person, impressed by him, and also have expectations for him. Hanyu has the ability to make top people think, "I want to try this next time." Because of this, there are people who continue to provide him with various opportunities to challenge. People who feel Hanyu's charm naturally gather around him. Isn't that what he is like now?"

 

During the interview, Tsuzuki always smiled. He couldn't help but raised his voice several times and laughed out loud. 

 

"So, Yuzuru Hanyu has become a person who can become a god in figure skating. He has gone far beyond my imagination. It’s already infinite. It’s the universe. The world of the universe", Tsuzuki said.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu has the power to make people happy. He probably knows this himself. Because of this, he always "pours his soul into skating." I think so. I wish him the best of luck.

 

 

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2024 #羽生結弦 SPECIAL pg 120-127
Translation by Pep: https://x.com/pep_on_

 

Quardruple Axel May 2024 Issue: Special Feature - Yuzuru Hanyu x Phiten

 

Interview & Text by Editorial Division

 

For the Best Performance

In August 2023, Yuzuru Hanyu participated in an advertising shoot and product meeting with Phiten, with whom he has an advisory contract. He passionately discussed his personal use and experience with the "Kenko-yoku Shower" that he regularly uses. He suggested matching the limited-edition colour of the "RAKUWA Necklace Wings Gold," which he wears during his performances, to his ice show costumes. Additionally, he provided active feedback as an advisor, discussing new product ideas related to the five-finger socks he has used since his competitive days, while checking the texture of the materials.

 

Spoiler

"Kenko-yoku Shower" Greatly Contributing to Thorough Health Management

 

The product meeting was held in Sendai City. As this was the first meeting since Yuzuru Hanyu turned professional, the staff greeted him with a sense of excitement. Hanyu entered the room calmly, as usual, and greeted President Yoshihiro Hirata and the staff present with, "Thank you for creating this opportunity today." He seemed eager to explore Phiten's products after a long time, and soon started exchanging opinions as he picked up the new items.

 

At the beginning of the meeting, Hanyu showed interest in the "Kenko-yoku Shower," a light device that combines Phiten's technology. "Kenko-yoku" refers to a light emitted by shining light on silicone or resin materials infused with Phiten's proprietary MCC (Metax Carbon Ceramic) substance. It has been confirmed that applying "Kenko-yoku" light to the body relaxes muscles in the exposed area, and it is also suggested that it helps reduce wrinkles (For more details, visit: https://www.phiten.com/official-news/ys-02-bodycare/). This device allows for both body and skin care in one unit, addressing physical discomfort and skin troubles. It is used in medical settings and for athlete care as well.

When asked by President Hirata about his experience with the product, Hanyu responded, "Thank you. Of course, I use it to relax, but it's also convenient during travel," explaining how he incorporates it into his daily life.

 

"What I use it for the most is actually before practice. It quickly improves circulation during warm-ups, helps loosen the adhesions between muscle tissues, and it heats up the body quickly. Another advantage is that it doesn't restrict movement while I'm using it during warm-ups," Hanyu revealed, discussing the benefits he's noticed from using the product.

 

Having transitioned to being a professional, Hanyu faces the tough challenge of solo performances, which requires more training than during his competitive days in order to express the details in over 10 programs. Proper care is essential, and thorough warm-ups are necessary to avoid injury. Hanyu, with his athlete's perspective, also mentioned using it for recovery after practice or training. "It's also easy to use for relieving the day's fatigue or for starting the day off comfortably as a body care item," he said with a smile.
 

"The improvement where you can switch between 'sound on' and 'sound off' is really convenient. When using it while traveling or during sleep, you really want to avoid noise," Hanyu added.

Hanyu primarily uses the "Kenko-yoku Shower Belt," which wraps around the waist or abdomen to apply the light, and also the "Kenko-yoku Shower Multi-Belt," which allows for the light to be applied to various parts of the body. The multi-belt can be wrapped around areas like the neck, knees, waist, and elbows to secure the light in place, directly targeting the desired area for care. He mentioned that he found it especially useful during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which was his third appearance at the games.

 

"What I appreciate is that it comes with Velcro on the back of the light," he commented, adding, "The multi-belt is easier to carry around." He pointed out the convenience from a user's perspective.

 

"Since I'm slim, the belt length sometimes ends up being too long, but the multi-belt fits perfectly, so I was really glad when it came out. When using it for warm-ups, it doesn't move around once you wrap it all the way, so I think this option might be better," he explained, showing his familiarity with the product's features and mentioning that he sometimes uses up to eight lights simultaneously. "At home, I'm always walking around with this (Kenko-yoku Shower Belt) on. Especially during the winter, I was using it all the time, so I would end up with a jacket over it and my stomach would look really big (laughs). It's also easy to use on the knees and the back of the thighs. I've even placed it on my calves and gone to sleep," he shared, noting that the area he finds it most useful for is his lower back. That day, he demonstrated wrapping it around his waist and taking a stretch pose. President Hirata was surprised by how skillfully and comfortably Hanyu used the product. Hanyu mentioned specific joint names, adding, "I sometimes loosen this joint a bit before stretching, or for example, if I have stomach issues, I apply it to both the front and back at the same time. I also have asthma, and my thorax tends to get tight, so sometimes I sleep like this (placing the belt on the area from the throat to just above the chest), or like this (placing the belt vertically from the throat down to the abdomen). Additionally, after consuming energy drinks or other caffeinated products, which put stress on the body, I find it helpful, and I also think it can be used for diaphragm care," he explained, sharing various ways he incorporates the device.

 

Hanyu is proactive in reading overseas papers, learning about body parts, movements, and care techniques, and has established his own methods for training and adjustments. "When I first got this device, I researched how to best use it for myself. I started by imagining the area I wanted to warm up and thinking about how to best activate it. I would also look at anatomy charts to understand what tissues surround the area-whether it's bone, muscle, tendon, or internal organs and then I would think about the best way to apply the Kenko-yoku light, testing and feeling the effects as I used it," Hanyu explained, with the staff nodding in agreement.

 

When Hanyu asked, "Basically, is it okay to use it on any part of the body except the eyes?" President Hirata responded, "You can use it over the eyes with an eye mask or with your eyes closed. You should notice a difference in 10 to 20 minutes (of use). I believe it will aid in your body's recovery, and I hope it will be helpful in your future activities," he advised.

 

Additionally, President Hirata surprised Hanyu by revealing plans for a new product. "It should be completed soon, so please look forward to it," he said, prompting Hanyu to exclaim in excitement. President Hirata also expressed his desire to seek Hanyu's feedback on the new product, to which Hanyu responded, "That's exciting. I'm really looking forward to it," expressing his enthusiasm.

 

Limited Edition Necklace with "Red" Components Now Commercialized

 

Next, Yuzuru Hanyu picked up a necklace. Noticing the texture, he commented, "The texture has changed," to which the person in charge responded, "Yes, it has changed." They added with a smile, "The feather motif is very popular with customers."

 

When Hanyu saw the design featuring a predominantly red colour scheme, he shared, "This is off the record for now, so it's a bit difficult to talk about, but in one of the climaxes of my upcoming show (the 'Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2nd RE_PRAY,' which started in November 2023), I'm actually using a colour very similar to this."

 

A cheer of "Ooooh!" rose from the meeting room.

 

Hanyu commented, "I haven't really used a lot of red tones before, so I think it's interesting," noting that the colour blue is strongly associated with his image. Phiten was well aware of this association, so their attempt with red was a deliberate challenge. "We've always had a strong blue image, so we decided to take on this challenge," said one of the staff members.

 

At the same time, Hanyu picked up a white design, which is close to the image of "RE_PRAY," and remarked, "White is beautiful too. I think white is also nice." As he was deliberating between the colours, President Hirata mused, "If your costume is red, then white might stand out more."

Right then, the person in charge [T/N: it seems this refers to Yuzu as the person who is testing the products?] checked whether it was possible to change the colour of the top part of the necklace. A staff member explained, "Yes, we can do that. For example, we can change the top part to red or any colour combination you like. We would love to get your advice on this." Hanyu immediately began experimenting with different colour combinations, imagining how it would look with his costumes. He tried on a version where the surrounding decorations were red and the top part was white, and smiled as he said, "I think this could work. If we match it with the costume, I think it would be a good option." He continued, "This colour combination is really rare for me since I haven't worn it much before. Though there are time constraints, it might be interesting to change the necklace according to the costumes during the show," letting his imagination run free.

 

The staff then proposed providing Hanyu with parts in all colours, allowing him to mix and match according to his costumes. Hanyu smiled and said, "They're all beautiful. It might be a good idea to change them between the first and second parts of the show."

 

The model that Hanyu wears is extremely popular among his fans. On the day of his solo performance "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome in February 2023, the 1,660 necklaces prepared for sale at the venue sold out in about 15 minutes.

 

Hanyu commented, "For me, the fact that people's awareness of health might change because they like something I use, design, or create according to the concept of the show or program is really gratifying. Of course, some people may initially come for health reasons, but I think there are also those who discover that they can improve their health through design. I hope they enjoy it," expressing his anticipation for the positive effects of this combination.

 

Hanyu also picked up another model, saying, "I think this one is interesting too," referring to the special 40th-anniversary commemorative model "RAKUWA Necklace REVO." He was impressed by the substantial feel of the beautifully cross-motifed top design. The top part contains an LED lens that emits "Kenko-yoku," allowing the wearer to benefit from it just by wearing the necklace, a product that incorporates Phiten's top-notch technology. President Hirata, proudly introducing it, said, "This is one of Phiten's most confident technological achievements," to which Hanyu, leaning forward with excitement, responded, "I really like gadgets like this."

 

Hanyu then mentioned the weight of the necklace, saying, "If I had to point something out, the weight might be a concern." President Hirata acknowledged this and said, "Yes, our next challenge is to see how compact we can make it while retaining the same functionality. We'll be considering it from both a functional and structural perspective moving forward," leading to a constructive discussion.

Hanyu also showed particular interest in the colour options. While eager to start using it immediately, the current colour is silver, and Hanyu expressed his preference, "I don't like wearing silver on my chest, so I'd prefer it in gold," making the request on the spot. President Hirata responded, "Understood, we'll take your preference into consideration," showing a willingness to explore the idea.

Note: The "RAKUWA Necklace Wings Gold" limited edition model commemorating the sponsorship of "Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2nd RE_PRAY" was released on April 30th (priced at 39,600 yen, tax included). Both the "red" and "white" top parts worn by Hanyu during his performances were made available, and they can be swapped with existing "RAKUWA Necklace Wings Gold" (sold separately).
 

 

New Socks: The Keywords are” 羽 · 生 · 結 · 弦”

 

Next, Yuzuru Hanyu picked up four types of socks, which had just been released in May. The staff member explained them with enthusiasm.

"This time, we have incorporated each kanji character from Yuzuru Hanyu's name into the concept of the product. The first one,' (hane - feather), represents lightness and ease of movement, which is the theme. The second,'' (sei - life), focuses on warmth and care for everyday living. The third,'' (yui - tie), emphasizes compression and recovery. Lastly, the character (gen - string) conveys protection and elasticity, with the concept of impact absorption."

 

Regarding the first sock,' (hane - feather), the material uses lightweight washi (Japanese paper) fibre. After listening to the explanation, Hanyu, with great interest, checked the texture and also looked at the product pamphlet. The staff member said, "Thin socks tend to tear easily, but washi is highly durable and resistant to abrasion, so it can be used for both sports and daily life for a long time." Hanyu responded, "That's true. It feels great. Many skaters prefer to skate barefoot, and this thin paper material might give a similar feeling. It's nice. I definitely want to try it," expressing his enthusiasm. The new product is also designed to be lightweight, with each sock weighing about half of what Hanyu's previous socks weighed (his previous socks weighed 60g). Hanyu was amazed, saying, "Wow, they're incredibly light!"

 

Additionally, the socks have excellent moisture-wicking properties, making them less likely to cause discomfort from sweat. Hanyu commented, "Skate boots are generally made of leather, so even in the design of the boots themselves, ventilation is considered. Compared to the socks I'm currently wearing, these seem better," giving a favourable impression.

 

The socks designed under the concept of '' (sei - life) for warmth and care use a blend of wool from New Zealand and Australia, making them thick, warm, and soft. These socks are similar to the type Hanyu has long favoured, and he remarked, "They look comfortable."

 

The fourth sock, '' (gen - string), is designed for high elasticity and impact absorption, even on hard surfaces like concrete or flooring. The material is organic cotton, and the staff explained, "The concept is to be gentle on the skin and the environment."

 

Each of the four types-Performance, Relaxation, Recovery, and Protection-covers essential aspects that are crucial for athletes.

 

Among all four types, the washi material socks caught Hanyu's interest the most. "I'm really curious about these. I'd love to try them," he said, picking them up again. Reflecting on the possibility of switching from the five-toe socks he had been wearing since he was 8 years old, he added, "I never thought the day would come..." The room erupted in laughter.

 

Hanyu's fondness for five-toe socks is closely tied to his life as a skater.

 

"The inside of figure skating boots is incredibly cold. I used to wear regular socks (without separated toes), but because the boots are so tight, the combination of cold and moisture from sweat caused my toes to stick together. However, with five-toe socks, each toe is separated, allowing them all to move like they would when barefoot. I find it easier to control the fine movements, which is why I use them."

 

While Hanyu often spends his days barefoot, he remarked, "It's fascinating to see that there are so many types of socks, each with its own functions for different scenarios. Just thinking about and seeking out the functionalities of socks is really interesting," indicating that he thoroughly enjoyed the meaningful time spent exploring these products.

 

[yuzurujenn]

  2024.05.15

 

Source: https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309405034343457489072

Info: https://www.kazi.co.jp/icejewels/backnumber/vol19/vo19.html 

 

 

Ice Jewels Vol. 19 - 360° Yuzuru Hanyu (56 Q&A)

 

Spoiler

Q: Do you still remember the first time you stepped on the ice? What was it like to take those first steps?
A: I don’t remember. I have basically no memory of it.

 

Q: When you started skating, did you have any fear of falling and did you remember the pain?
A: Although I don’t remember feeling pain from falling down, I do remember the fear of the teacher (laughs).

 

Q: Why do you want to learn figure skating?
A: Because my sister started learning, I wanted to follow her. I felt like I wanted to do the same thing as her.

 

Q: When you could do all kinds of jumps, what was your best jump?
A: I don’t remember much. Although it feels like the double jump is closer, 1A is what I’m better at.

 

Q: How old were you when you succeeded 2A?
A: I think I was 9 years old.

 

Q: What are your memories of your first competition?
A: I can’t remember much. Anyway, it was like what I saw in the videos, I was focused in my own world.

 

Q: What are your memories of your first international competition?
A: I was the youngest, but I completely refused to admit defeat and ended up winning the tournament.

 

Q: Were you nervous about competing as a child?
A: I was nervous to a certain extent. I still wanted to give a good performance because I didn't want to be scolded. But other than that, I had a strong feeling of excitement to be able to get people to look at me.

 

Q: When you were a child, was there anyone in your life that you wanted to be praised by?
A: Teacher, right? I think so. And then there’s also family.

 

Q: When was the first time you chose your own song? Why did you choose it?
A: "Ultraman!". I just simply liked it (laughs). I often come home from school humming (Ultraman song) by myself.

 

Q: After turning professional, what are the criteria for selecting songs? Intuition?
A: For example, I will consider whether there is an image that comes to mind when I listen to it, whether it is necessary for my skating, and whether what I want to perform exists there. But there are also times when I decide to skate to this piece of music based on my intuition.

 

Q: Is there any difference in the difficulty level of skating between vocal and instrumental music?
A: It doesn't matter which one, there is no change in the music. So there is no difference. I will consider whether the nature of the music is suitable for figure skating.

 

Q: When you were a kid, what did you find most painful about continuing to skate? (getting up early, not having time to play, cold, etc.)
A: I used to think that I wanted to play, but the most painful thing was that the teacher was really scary. Also, it’s painful when I tried hard but didn’t get results.

 

Q: Now that you have turned professional, what is the most difficult part of your daily practice and management of physical condition?
A: Adjusting the amount of practice and training intensity. It’s not like practice for free skating or anything like that, now I have to practice a lot of programs. If I want to master all of them, I will be overworked, and although I can recover my body in time, it is very difficult to achieve the goal of being more efficient and having a manageable amount of training.

 

Q: Other than illness and injury, what's the longest consecutive days of rest you've had so far?
A: I think the longest is 4 consecutive days off. (Except when there was an earthquake and when there was too much work.)

 

Q: Looking back on your career as a competitor, which performance was the most satisfying?
A: 2020’s 4CC short program and Jnats free skate.

 

Q: For Hanyu-san, what is the biggest attraction of figure skating?
A: I think the range of performance through the integration with the music that can only be done on the ice, and the feeling of tension and heightened emotions that can only be achieved precisely because of reaching the limits of physical strength and technique.

 

Q: Is the tension different between the competition and the ice show?
A: No change. Maybe it's better to say that the ice show is more intense. It's because I have to skate without 6 mins practice, and feeling the tension of not being able to create the perfect feeling as on land, and having the responsibility to deliver it.

 

Q: What do you like about being a professional figure skater and what do you find difficult?
A: I feel happy to continue the challenge of including what I want to express with my technique, and to create it together with people who are serious about creating. To fully create something, it is necessary to perform accordingly. And I think it is very difficult because I have to exceed everyone's expectations every time.

 

Q: What is the thing you cherish most about being a professional skater? (attitude, words, actions, etc.)
A: Teamwork, I guess. I can’t do it alone, and it’s only because of everyone that I can accomplish it, and I cherish that very much. I'm going to do my best to make everyone feel happy to work with Hanyu.

 

Q: What has changed the most since you became a professional skater? (Things you have experienced) What else have you started doing? (performing, including privately)
A: As expected, I have started to devote myself to (physical fitness) training. I think it has changed a lot recently. I can also truly feel that I still have great potential.

 

Q: What is the end goal of being a professional skater?
A: There is no goal or end point. I just want to give the best performance every time. How long and whether the ice story will continue, I don't know. I just kept thinking about putting my soul into performing every time.

 

Q: After the second Notte Stellata, tell me your thoughts about Sendai again.
A I skated with the idea that I can feel more hopeful than last year and be able to give hope. Even after 13 years, there are still people with painful thoughts. I think it would be nice to get closer to those people.

 

Q: Is there a sport you want to try?
A: Ski jumping. Archery.

 

Q: Do you prefer the sea? Or the mountain?
A: I like mountains. Although I don’t want to encounter bugs (get bitten), I love to enjoy the scenery and feel a sense of accomplishment from climbing a difficult mountain.

 

Q: What is your favourite event in the sports day?
A: Tamaire. I love throwing balls.

 

Q: You don’t want to lose even in sports day?
A: Should I say that I refuse to admit defeat? I’ve never done anything that I didn’t give it my all. But I have a deep memory of being very motivated and wanting to take first place in the jumping event.

 

Q: What's your favourite thing lately?
A: Exploring music that I like with cheap headphones (between 1,000 and 5,000 yen), which I bought by chance, is something that has been making me happy recently.

 

Q: Regarding the games you often play recently. (such as a favourite place)
A: パワフルプロ野球 栄冠ナイン クロスロード Powerful Pro Baseball Eikan Nine Crossroad (note: a baseball-related mobile game) Because it takes a lot of time, I can’t play it often. Also, I bought the Reload version of Persona 3 and wanted to play it asap. I also want to go into the ancient cave in Lufia II (laughs).

 

Q: What made you start playing games?
A: There may be influences from my sister, cousins, and grandparents. Before I knew it, I started enjoying games.

 

Q: What do you do on your days off? Do you watch dramas or movies?
A: Get plenty of rest, stretching and training. But I also watch live game commentary and cooking videos on Nico Nico Douga.

 

Q: Which one do you dislike more, cold or hot?
A: It must be hot. Because I sweat a lot. If it's cold, just wear more clothes and you'll be able to get through it. But if possible, it is better to have a suitable temperature. . . If it's too cold, your movements will be sluggish.

 

Q: Do you sing in the shower?
A: Although I want to sing, I won’t as it disturbs others (laughs)

 

Q: Compared with electronics (high technology, tablet computers, etc.), do you still think that things like ancient analog integrated circuits are better (Note: questions about old-fashioned lifestyle)
A: Like notes, I still use paper and pen when writing stories.

 

Q: Do you have any hobbies or habits that you think, "This is an occupational disease"?
A: I started doing imagery training suddenly. Even if I watch any video, I will suddenly get into the mood to dance and do choreography.

 

Q: How would you compare yourself to an animal?
A: Cat? But there are people said I’m like a dog.

 

Q: Do you find any person that you think is cool? (Even if there is no specific person, regardless of gender, you just think that person is so cool)
A: People who can conscientiously do what they decide. Do it completely seriously. Someone who can become serious for someone.

 

Q: What is your favourite bento dish?
A: Fried chicken (karaage). I like it even if it's frozen.

 

Q: What is your favourite dish in school meals?
A: Milk, Reito Mikan (frozen orange), gyoza.
** Reito Mikan- Mikans are a winter fruit, so most Japanese historically would peel and eat them sitting around a kotatsu. However, to get them to last until the summer, they would be frozen and stored to be enjoyed later half-frozen, like the world's easiest sorbet.

 

Q: How about eating fried potato and beef patties? Dip or soy sauce?
A: Dip!

 

Q: When eating tamagoyaki, do you put a lot of sugar in it, or do you make an egg roll without sugar?
A: It’s more delicious if you add more sugar.

 

Q: Favourite ice cream flavour.
A: Vanilla, mint chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, strawberry.

 

Q: What do you dip into your favourite gyoza? (What is the golden ratio between soy sauce and vinegar?)
A: Ponzu sauce. Instead of vinegar and soy sauce, it’s ponzu sauce and chili oil.

 

Q: What do you want to eat for the last supper?
A: Delicious zunda mochi. And gyoza (laughs).

 

Q: How do you overcome temptation when restricting your diet?
A: Willpower. Because it’s more painful to feel guilty. Another thing is to use things that are good for the body. "If you use this, it will still be okay (diet). I can endure it by relying on this."

 

Q: How many hours of sleep do you usually need? How many hours would you ideally like?
A: The ideal is more than 8 hours. But because there are many times when I can’t fall asleep, so the actual hour varies. There are times I couldn't sleep for 4 hours, but I could sleep for about 10 hours the next day. However, before the official competition (or ice performance), I will try my best to get as close to 8 hours of sleep as possible.

 

Q: Are you the type of person who can fall asleep easily anywhere?
A: I’m the type who can’t sleep anywhere or anytime. Although I try very hard to do various things, but when I can’t sleep, I really can't sleep at all.

 

Q: Do you listen to music when you study or do some work that requires concentration? Or would it be better to be in a silent environment?
A: It depends on what I am doing. It would be difficult without music when creating. For example, when learning, I want to listen to music until I get into the mood, but there are times when I want to stop halfway. But basically, I often work while playing music videos in order to concentrate.

 

Q: What is your mantra? Yoisho? (laughs)
A: よいしょ(Yoisho). よし(Yoshi)。よっしゃ(Yossha)。えっと(etto)。だから(dakara). I feel like I’ve been using them more frequently these days.

 

Q: Is there anything you would like to learn, master, or try as a hobby?
A: I want to learn bioethics again. Still a bit uncomfortable with reading, I can't do it no matter what. So I want to learn. There is also the desire to try specialized programming languages. I learned a little bit about Python when I was doing my graduation thesis, so I still want to learn it properly.

 

Q: If you are not a figure skater, what kind of job would you like to have?
A: Anything is fine. Whether I am engaged in sports or choose a path of study, I will probably go all out. Even if I am not adaptable to it, I think I will want to work hard to reach the top to some extent.

 

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn figure skating as an adult?
A: Because everyone is different, it will be difficult, but once you have the speed, skating will be more stable. And there is only the accumulation of time! But even if you’re not skating, if you do some imagery training in advance, it’s better than nothing, I think it will be overwhelmingly smooth in terms of efficiency. When I was a child, I relied on my feelings, but as I grew up, knowledge becomes more dominant than my feelings. But because this is human nature, use knowledge to become stronger!

 

Q: Please give some advice on how to enjoy an ice show.
A: As long as that person enjoys it, I think that's okay. But I also want the surrounding people to enjoy it, so if they observe the unspoken rules, everyone will be happy, and then it will be easier for me to skate and I will be happy too, I think we can create a cycle like this.

 

Q: At the finale of the ice show, can you clearly see the faces of the fans and the banners?
A: I can see it! It all depends on the lighting, but at the end of the RE_PRAY tour, they were shining lights on the audience, so it looked really beautiful. Thank you!

 

Q: Please say a few words to the fans.
A: I will work hard every day to make everyone feel that no matter what happens or what state they are in, it is great to come and see my ice performance. I will practice hard every day and I will work hard for my performance. I hope everyone will be happy and healthy!

 

Q: Now that you are 29 years old, what would you say to your 9-year-old self?
A: Although twenty years have passed, I’m doing better than you (おまえよりうまいよ). But it’s thanks to you that I’m here now. I will work harder.

 

[yuzurujenn]

 2024.05.15

 

Source: https://weibo.com/6473801248/OeXHp49US 

Info: https://www.kazi.co.jp/icejewels/backnumber/vol19/vo19.html 

 

 

Ice Jewels Vol. 19 - “RE_PRAY” Summary

 

"RE_PRAY" was held at 4 venues nationwide. After the final performance in Miyagi, he gave a summary of himself, what he saw through all the performances, and talked about his future plans.

 

Spoiler

Q: This season you have successfully skated four performances in Saitama, Saga, Yokohama and Miyagi. Looking back at your first solo tour, you have something special for every performance. What do you think? In addition, half of the performances you performed were choreographed by yourself. 

 

A: I didn’t expect that I made up half of it! I really worked hard... I want to praise myself (laughs) 

 

Saitama: 
As for Saitama, I was filled with fear and nervousness about how people would interpret me. Although I tried my best to put on a perfect performance and reached a level where I was able to make just few mistakes during the training, I was sure that the nervousness from the official performance and the exertion from it were very strong, and since I had to skate along with the ice projections until the very end, I felt that I was constantly depleted, and it felt like I was just exhausting my physical strength and energy to put on the performance. But I managed to put all my strength into it. Although I felt good at the end of the performance and was wrapped up in a sense of accomplishment, looking back now, I think, "Was it really any good…?", and I can't be satisfied with it... But I did my best at the time, and I did my best within the time limit. I am very grateful to the staff for being able to show the final shape of RE_PRAY like that, even though I had to work very hard to produce it within the limited time. It was really hard for me too, but compared to me, I think the team members had a harder time than I did.

 

Saga: 
Saga... is just very sad. I don't think there's anything I'd like to look back on, but I think that is a world of performance that can only be shown with the physical condition at the time. In my heart, it was a really regrettable performance, but even so, there were people who were willing to support me and watch me, and it was in this way that the story was able to be established. This performance made me feel that again a little. And I can think that it is because of this pain and everyone's support that not only made the next performance possible, but also forged my way of thinking that is the cornerstone of who I am now. But that’s just it, it’s only today that I can think about it this way… 

 

Yokohama: 
I think Yokohama was a RE_PRAY finally presented in its full form, a full-fledged show. Not to mention my performance, the video team, the choreography team, the photography team, and the ice team, it felt like all the gears clicked together perfectly, and on top of that, the thoughts of the people watching the show also came together to make RE_PRAY a success. In a way, if I may use the content from RE_PRAY, it was as if Saga was a fork in the road, and Yokohama was a performance where the team and fans had made their choice with utmost determination.

Miyagi:
I can say that I have no regrets about Miyagi's performance. There were no mistakes on the first day, and the performance was almost perfect. On the second day, even though I had a day off before, I still felt that there was not enough time to adjust and recover, so it was quite difficult from the beginning. I tried my best to fully immerse myself in the character, but I was in a very bad state and was very tired. I was thinking to myself, “Ah—can’t I surpass the level on the first day? "While I was rapidly preparing for the second half, I was still very frustrated. I also understood that it was not easy to surpass the performance on the first day. It took more than a month to complete an almost perfect work, it was impossible to surpass it in just one day. And I have done my best on the first day, so I could imagine how difficult it was to surpass that. Everyone in the "RE_PRAY" production team had the same expectations and nervousness, and they all hoped to have a better performance on the last show, so they had been making various adjustments for me. Because of everyone's efforts, I deeply felt the responsibility for not completing the performance perfectly, which also consumed a lot of energy and made me exhausted. 

Before the start of second half (after Dark Messenger), I only had about two minutes to rest before I took off my skates. During the intermission, I rearranged my hair, spent five of the remaining 10 minutes warming up, and then, in a state of breathless nervousness, changed clothes, put on my shoes, threw on my cape, and immediately stood back on the sidelines to get ready. My legs were shaking and my knees were weak, making a "clicking" sound if I relaxed even slightly. But miraculously, when the music started and I stepped out onto the ice with a prayerful heart in echo to the projection of the feathers, the pain faded away and I instinctively and naturally expressed myself the way I wanted to express myself. Of course, there were also costume mishap on the stage, which caused the backstage to become busy, and at times even getting oxygen-deprived or distracted, but it was really a great event that infused prayers and wishes into skating in the most intense way.”

 

 

Q: What did you notice from this tour?
A: In this tour, generally speaking, there are two things I realised. The first is the importance of constantly getting familiar with skating and dancing, and the importance of the quality and quantity of basic physical strength. It’s not that I’ve gotten better with each tour, but rather, since Saga, I’ve spent a lot of time in my daily life developing training methods, strengthening my physical fitness and muscle strength, gaining training knowledge, doing image training and brushing up on my choreography. I had almost no time to play games, and though I often relied on sleeping pills, but considering the burden on my body and nerves, I tried not to take them and tried my best to focus on getting enough sleep, making significant changes in my lifestyle. I felt that the improvement of my basic physical fitness and muscle strength led to improvements in my jumps and rotation speed, and by performing the skating and dancing carefully for a considerable amount, I was able to maintain my form even if I skated with emotion, as I did on the final day of the performance. 

 

The second thing is the power of fans. I'm really happy to see people analysing RE_PRAY from various angles, trying to relate it to themselves, or starting to play games… They're really enjoying RE_PRAY deeply, and that makes me happy. Of course, just watching the performance, seeing the images, and somehow feel moved by the words, even if they can’t express it well in words, that also makes me really happy. These things are the driving force that keep me going no matter how tough my daily practice and training were. Recently, I've been able to express my gratitude, though not directly, through X and YouTube, but once again I would like to express my gratitude to you. Really, really, really thank you so much!

 

[yuzurujenn]

 2024.05.15

 

Source: https://weibo.com/1746783312/OgJ0XkzPN

Info: https://www.kazi.co.jp/icejewels/backnumber/vol19/vo19.html 

 

 

Ice Jewels Vol. 19 : MIKIKO - Hanyu-kun seems like a boy, a sage, and a man of faith all at once.

 

MIKIKO, the choreographer who teamed up with Hanyu again after "GIFT", spoke in detail about the difference in concepts between "RE_PRAY" and "GIFT", how amazing Hanyu Yuzuru is after participating in the long tour, and what she expects from Hanyu in the future.

 

Spoiler

——What did you think when you first read the script written by Hanyu-san for "RE_PRAY"? 
Not to be misunderstood, my reaction at the time was, "Huh? So dark!" (laughs). At the same time, I think he is a very interesting person. Although Hanyu-kun has already revealed his inner world a bit in "GIFT", this time he went deeper into the personal part to create. Therefore, I was fully aware when directing, I must truthfully and completely convey Hanyu-kun's intentions to avoid misunderstandings. 

 

——It seems that Hanyu-san's script is quite difficult. How did you understand it, MIKIKO? 
Although the players in this game are the audience, after all, it is the language woven by Hanyu-kun himself. I believe these words also come from his own life experience and understanding. On the other hand, because he has studied psychology seriously, he was able to incorporate messages with universal meanings from a bird's-eye view of life. I interpreted it with this in mind. 

 

——After "GIFT", you wrote that "the opening performance is very important", so what kind of thoughts did you have about the opening of "RE_PRAY" this time? 
The opening is an image of offering prayers in a secret place that is closest to heaven and belongs only to you. Also, from the concept of the game's 8-bit graphics, the scene where the main character is trapped in a Rubik's Cube naturally came to mind, so I thought about that kind of choreography.

 

——In the video part, there were both realistic scenes and 8-bit scenes, and in Hanyu’s skating, there were also new programs and old programs that have been skated many times. In order to bring together all these different elements in the ICE STORY "RE_PRAY", what were the areas that you paid special attention to? 
At the time of ‘GIFT’, the approach was to present Hanyu-kun's life in an anthology format, but this time, from the beginning of production, we wanted the audience to feel like they were watching a movie, so we created it in this way. Therefore, during the production process, we paid special attention to the seamless connection between the videos and the skating performance. 

 

——MIKIKO-sensei formally choreographed ‘Chicken, Snake, and Pig’ for Hanyu-san for the first time. What was the process like and how was the choreography done? 
(omitted, the answer to this question is more detailed in the previous interview in Quadruple Axel magazine) 

 

——In the stage performance after ‘Chicken, Snake, and Pig’ and ‘Haru yo koi’, as well as in the second half of the video where he asked "God, do you hear me?", Hanyu-san danced not to the accompaniment of music but to "language" (recitation). What did you think of this? 
Seeing him dance in an improvisational way while expressing emotions like this, I once again deeply felt that he is not only an outstanding figure skater, but also a performer with outstanding abilities. 

 

——After watching the choreography of "MEGALOVANIA", "The Messenger of Destruction" and "Estpolis Chronicle II" choreographed by Hanyu-san himself, what do you think of the current "choreographer Yuzuru Hanyu"? 
Because he choreographs from an objective point of view, he is able to convey the concept of the choreography clearly, and he has a great sense of how to use space and how to arrange the pauses, so now he is very good at choreography, isn't he? I think I'm starting to feel his style (laughs).

 

——The last time, "GIFT" was a one-night-only performance, but this time it is a long tour. Please share with us any feelings you have about the differences between this performance and GIFT, or any interesting aspects of this tour.
Because each performance is always slightly adjusted according to the venue, each performance looks special, which is really interesting. As the number of performances increases, Hanyu's performance becomes more sophisticated, and as his performance changes, the arrangement of the entire performance will also change accordingly, which is also interesting.

 

——Please tell us about the scene in "RE_PRAY" that impressed you the most (it can be a scene you like, or a scene that you can't forget because you put a lot of effort into it). 
In my opinion, "Chicken, Snake, and Pig" can be said to be a work that is closest to the idea I had in my mind. In addition, the sky lanterns in "Requiem of Heaven and Earth" were also realised through trial and error, and eventually became a scene full of emotional impact. 

 

——What were your thoughts at the end of the final performance? 
During the MC session, Hanyu-kun himself said that it would be great if he could perform it again somewhere someday. In fact, from the moment I entered the Miyagi venue, I was thinking in my mind, "What else could we create if we continue next time?" 

 

——After "GIFT", you said, "Although I have put 120% of my efforts into the creation of "GIFT", after all, this is my first attempt at directing a figure skating performance, and there are still some areas that I am exploring. In addition, there are many things that cannot be confirmed until the actual performance, including the audience's reaction. However, after the actual performance, I think that there are still many areas that can be improved." How do you feel now after completing eight performances of "RE_PRAY" in four cities? 
I am still a newcomer in the world of figure skating, and though I may have broken away from the traditional ice show model, I am sure that I can create interesting works and performances that are not restricted by genres. I sincerely hope that the performances that Hanyu-kun worked so hard to produce can be seen by a wider audience who has not been exposed to them so far. 

 

——Are there any new anecdotes that made you feel "Hanyu Yuzuru is really amazing" again this time? In addition, if you have any happy and unforgettable stories about Hanyu-san, please share them with us.
In the script written by Hanyu-kun, in addition to the story scenes (video part), he also wrote corresponding texts for the programs, and also changed the interpretation of past programs, which really amazed me. In addition, he actively participated in the important video production discussions this time, and I think his bright personality also deepened the bond between the staff. 

 

——After the collaboration of "Prologue", "GIFT" and "RE_PRAY", what kind of person is Yuzuru Hanyu in MIKIKO's mind? 
He seems like a boy, a sage, and a man of faith all at once.... He is an incredible person who has always lived in a special world but able to empathise with ordinary people. And it’s clear to me that he has so much talent that he hasn't even tapped into yet. It's truly terrifying.

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.05.15

 

Source: https://weibo.com/1746783312/OgzomvYei

Info: https://www.kazi.co.jp/icejewels/backnumber/vol19/vo19.html 

 

 

Ice Jewels Vol. 19 : Toby Fox - "RE_PRAY" is the freedom to try new things

 

Toby Fox is a game creator and composer who developed the game "UNDERTALE" and also worked on the game's background music. His own songs "MEGALOVANIA," "Bergentrückung," and "ASGORE" are used in "RE_PRAY," and he said that the entire story and some scenes were inspired by "UNDERTALE." He talked about the points that impressed him and made him feel "in sync," and the interpretation that expanded from there.

 

Spoiler

Hello everyone! I am Toby Fox, the developer of the game "UNDERTALE" and the composer of all the original soundtracks in the game. This time, Yuzuru Hanyu used the music I composed, "MEGALOVANIA", "Bergentruckung" and "ASGORE" in the "RE PRAY" performance. I am really honoured and I still can't believe it.

In fact, although this is my first time to watch an ice show live, I am still amazed by Hanyu's superb skating skills. I think every move Hanyu showed must be extremely difficult, but the smoothness of his moves makes people completely unaware of the difficulty... I don't know much about figure skating, and if I were to give an evaluation of the performance, I'm afraid it would be "super awesome, so awesome", so this time please allow me to write my thoughts on other elements of the ice show.

◆ Inspiration from my "UNDERTALE"?

Having said that, a special warning! What I'm going to talk about next is not only "UNDERTALE", but there will also be spoilers for the "RE PRAY" performance, so please be careful...

I heard that the story outline and some scenes of the "RE PRAY" performance (especially the first half) seem to be inspired by "UNDERTALE", right? I actually watched it and I think there are indeed some similarities. For example...

First, about the "replay" structure of the story. As we all know, "UNDERTALE" has two quite extreme routes. One is the killing route where you defeat all enemies to gain experience points and sacrifice everything except yourself to become stronger. The other is the pacifist route where you advance in the game world without hurting anyone.

Although the content of the second half of "RE PRAY" is not quite the same as the pacifist route of "UNDERTALE", the "destructive" route in the first half is very similar to the killing route of "UNDERTALE". Defeating all the enemies he encountered, gaining strength and making sacrifices, and finally reaching the incredibly difficult level, this journey made Hanyu-san suffer a lot. This part really reminds people of the final battle in "UNDERTALE" when you choose to defeat all enemies. After that, just like the plot in "UNDERTALE", Hanyu-san's game save was deleted and he had to start from the beginning. The title "RE PRAY" also means to perform "re-prepare" (start over) in order to change the ending of the story.
 

There are also very similar parts in the expression of the image. The scene of a red heart appearing in the middle of the black screen appears several times, which is the symbolic picture of "UNDERTALE". As a game character, Hanyu-san's eyes are also like hyphens, which is also very similar to the protagonist of "UNDERTALE". Also, the scene where Hanyu-san, the game character, finds a flower that looks like it is illuminated by a spotlight is also reminiscent of a scene in the beginning of the game "UNDERTALE".

 

In addition, the corridor that serves as the stage for the scene “where Hanyu-san is in agony when reaching a difficult level" mentioned earlier is exactly the same as the location where the boss battle that "tortured" most of the players of "UNDERTALE" took place. The "final boss" that Hanyu-san fights looks very similar to the final boss in "UNDERTALE".

In this way, I found many similarities and was extremely excited to watch. When I was at the venue, I thought, "Eh? Could this be the one from "UNDERTALE"!?", and in a positive sense, I smiled (laughs).

◆ What is the meaning of the story...?

Based on this, there are many things in the first half that remind people of "UNDERTALE", but I think the story of this performance can also be explained in another way.

Of course, what Hanyu-san meant by "gaining experience points" and "making sacrifices" was not just about defeating the enemy literally. The enemy to be defeated was probably the tournaments he had participated in so far, and the scene of him struggling in the corridor probably symbolized the long years of hard training to achieve a perfect performance. In other words, this was a route that sacrificed all of his private life in order to become the world's number one. However, his time as a competitor ended, and that route also came to an end.

Then began the second route. Every performance began with being locked behind a fence, and Hanyu-san realized that his way of survival had trapped him in a small space. He walked out of the cycle of tournaments and refused to play this game over and over again. In this way, he would reach a space where there was nothing. But even so, he was still not free. He was still controlled and trapped by some existence. However, he didn't know what that existence was. So he began to pray. To gain freedom, he prayed to the "god". But who exactly was this "god"?

In my opinion, isn't "God" Hanyu's audience? He is just a game character, a puppet controlled to please the audience. He cannot live a normal life and is often forced to play the role of "Hanyu Yuzuru". Then, Hanyu, who began to doubt that he was just a game character, stood on the stage and began to pray in a literal sense in front of the audience. Finally, he found a place he had never seen before. It was an unknown and incredibly beautiful place. "God", that is, the audience, has always regarded Hanyu as a "character". But it is also thanks to the grace of "God" that Hanyu has found new freedom. That is the freedom to challenge new things and keep trying (just like this performance). In addition, Hanyu also used this opportunity to call on the audience to cherish and protect their own freedom and daily life.

Of course, this is just my own interpretation, and it is not the result of in-depth research. However, I think the wonderful thing about this performance is that it can be interpreted freely in any way. So, it would be great if everyone could come up with their own interpretations!
 

 

◆ The power I felt through his performance

What moved me the most was that I could feel the power of his performance even when he wasn't performing any difficult moves. Here are some scenes that left a deep impression on me:
 

■ In "A Fleeting Dream" program of "Final Fantasy X" that appeared in the beginning of the ice show, there was a scene where he skated along the curve extending from the huge trees drawn by lights on the ice. That performance instantly moved my heart... Although he was just skating, I felt a sense of nostalgia. The moment I saw it, I thought "This is the best thing I have ever seen in my life" (sorry for the exaggeration).

 

■ Before "MEGALOVANIA" started, the venue went dark and silent, and Hanyu-san took his time to slowly enter the ice. The only sound echoing in the venue was the sound of his skates, raising anticipation for the next program.

■ As a fanservice, he put his face close to the camera and covered it with his hand. Everyone couldn't help but cheer and scream. I did the same. The audience around me was mostly female, and I was the only foreign male voice. This development seemed a little strange...

■ He took a tissue from the Pooh tissue box and blew his nose several times. After blowing, he checked his snot for a while (no, this kind of thing doesn't matter at all, I'm so sorry...).

Anyway, it was a really wonderful performance. It would be great if we could see the recording someday... If so, I hope everyone will watch it! But... maybe you can hear my cheers from the audience... I'm sorry everyone!

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.05.24

 

Source: https://weibo.com/5437806211/OfMSSBAGU
Info: https://fantasy-on-ice.com/goods.html 

 

[FaOI Makuhari] 2024 Show Guide · Latest Interview with Yuzuru Hanyu 

 

Spoiler

Q: FaOI will start the new year’s performance this year with the Makuhari performance as usual. Everyone is also full of expectations and interest in Yuzuru Hanyu's joint performance this time.
Hanyu: This time I will be collaborating with T.M.Revolution/Takanori Nishikawa. I have been listening to his songs since elementary school. So, when I heard that he would be performing on this show, I was really surprised and thought, "No way, how is this possible?" 

Q: Do you think his songs are listened to by people of your generation? 
Hanyu: I may be a little bit behind the times (laughs), but I am of the same generation as my sister, so I often listen to his songs. When I listen to them, I think he is really amazing. I often listen to his songs when I warm up. 

Q: In some ways, this joint performance is also a dream come true! 
Hanyu: Of course. I didn't expect that I would be invited to skate this piece, and Mr. Nishikawa's singing has always given me strength, so it was a surprise for me to be able to work with him this time. Personally, I was so happy to hear his singing live. I was very excited and looking forward to how I could work with Mr. Nishikawa while skating along with his singing, in an atmosphere full of power and tension. My skating style is very light and airy, or to be more precise, I have always pursued that sense of elegance, but I tried to make some changes for this collaboration. I wanted to create an appearance that can only be seen here. 

Q: It seems that this will be a shocking collaboration. 
Hanyu: The song for this collaboration is a song that I have been listening to since I was a child, and I can sing it without reading the lyrics. This song is very familiar to my ears and body, and that is why I wanted to perform it for the collaboration. I really want to skate along with Mr. Nishikawa's singing. In the two years of skating as a professional figure skater, the biggest feeling I have is that it is very important to change the way of my skating to match the melody of the song and the content that I want to express. I thought a lot from the beginning, and I wanted to create a figure skating program that will make everyone exclaim "Only Hanyu can do this."

 

 

[Pursuing the meaning of figure skating programs] 

Q: Working together with singers you have met for the first time to produce programs, how do you view this form of collaboration every year? 
Hanyu: I am very excited each year. I will think about how this singer sings, how much enthusiasm and energy they will give me, etc. Every singer has a different aura and energy when standing on the stage. The trusting relationship with the singer, the enthusiasm of the band itself, and my own enthusiasm and energy, etc., all come together to create my figure skating performance during the official performance, so every year at FaOI is unique. So, I am also looking forward to the collaboration every year, and I hope everyone will look forward to it too. 

 

Q: Now that you are a professional athlete, have your views and perceptions on collaboration changed? 
Hanyu: After entering the professional path, I have more things to consider, especially I often think about whether everyone is satisfied with my performance and whether they are satisfied enough. The program must have a meaning. I have been thinking about this very seriously in the two years since I turned professional and completed the first (GIFT) and second (RE_PRAY) ICE STORY. For this reason, I really want everyone to feel the meaning of the collaborative program, "This song must be sung live to be right", "Hanyu is unique to this scene, Nishikawa is unique to this scene", I want to create such a work. 

 

Q: You have collaborated with many singers for figure skating programs so far. So, what is the fun of directly interacting and co-creating works like this? 
Hanyu: I think that a piece suitable for figure skating is completely different from a piece written as a song. When collaborating, to a certain extent, we have to make songs that can be used as a figure skating piece. But from the perspective of singers, the songs they create are like their own children. Since I have also started to create my own things, I understand the feeling of not wanting to give your children a complete makeover. I definitely do not mean to offend the singers, but I just want to create exciting works as much as possible from the perspective of figure skating. My goal is to make everyone feel that this is a work that can only be enjoyed at FaOI. When working with singers at FaOI, I expressed to them how I wanted to do it from the perspective of figure skating. The most difficult one was "REAL FACE" from the year before last (2022). Mr. Suga Shikao specially sang the rap part. And this song has a second verse almost without a break between the verse (Verse) and the transitional music (Pre-Chorus). In my own words, it was very difficult to do something completely different at the moment of preparing to jump. With the joint efforts of the singers and the band, we finally made this work. Feeling everyone's enthusiasm makes me want to work harder on such collaborations. I have always wanted to use figure skating to create works that can only be created with the collaboration of Hanyu and the singers, and this is how I have always done it. 

 

Q: That's why the audience always watch your figure skating intently. 
Hanyu: However, the more expectations there are, the heavier the burden on my body. I have been fighting against the fear of not knowing when I will fail to live up to everyone's expectations. I wonder how long I can continue to produce works that will meet everyone's expectations, when will I reach my limit. The time will come one day when I am unable to meet everyone's expectations. Although I am very scared, it is precisely because of everyone's expectations that I can constantly refresh my limits, continue to expand my vision and field, and make my life more colourful. Although it is very hard, I can only express my deep gratitude to all the audience. 

 

Q: You are the chief producer of your own ice show, so FaOI is a moment when you can be a "little brother". What do you think is the fun of FaOI? 
Hanyu: Yes, first of all, I feel at ease when Keiji Tanaka is here. In addition, the time of skating with many figure skaters like this can give me a lot of excitement. FaOI is an ice show that brings together many excellent figure skaters. "There is such a figure skating", and "You can skate like this", I learned a lot from it. And everyone chats harmoniously here, it is really a very happy place.

 

Q: In addition, apart from skating, have you started anything new recently? 
Hanyu: Well, that is to buy headphones. Recently, I started buying relatively cheap headphones. I found that I didn't have the headphones I used when I was on the ice, or when I was doing choreography on the ice, what should I do? And these are consumables, so I started looking for suitable headphones in a lower price range... As a result, I became addicted to them... There are so many types of wireless Bluetooth headphones now, so I looked at them and thought, “Hey, there are also these”, “Hey, this one looks pretty good, oh, this is also great...” (laughs) Among the headphones I currently have, there are those that are customized and very expensive, but I will also try to find headphones that do not exceed 5,000 yen. Sometimes, "Oh, sorry, it's over 10,000 yen, but this headset is really great, so it's fine if it's over!" "This is a necessity and it's necessary to spend money, and I'm training very hard!", that's how I find reasons for myself (buying headphones). 

 

Q: You are really addicted to headphones. 
Hanyu: Yes. In fact, if you look around, you can buy a good pair of headphones for around 3,000 yen (laughs).

FaOI: Thank you very much for accepting our interview. I look forward to your wonderful performance at the Makuhari Ice Performance.
 

 

[Beatrice]

I hardly dare to intrude and interrupt the flow, but I simply have to express my heartfelt thanks for this thread - it's really great to have such a compilation of Yuzu's interviews. Thank you so much,  @yuzurujenn      

[yuzurujenn]

2024.05.31

 

Source: Official Program (Aichi Performance) / "Fantasy on Ice 2024"

Alt source (CN): https://weibo.com/6473801248/Ol76Nulpa

Info: https://fantasy-on-ice.com/goods.html 

 

[FaOI Aichi] 2024 Show Guide · Latest Interview with Yuzuru Hanyu 

 

Spoiler

INTERVIEW Yuzuru Hanyu

I can’t fully express myself with just one program

 

This will be Yuzuru Hanyu's second appearance at Fantasy on Ice as a professional skater. We asked the charismatic figure skater, who has been giving amazing performances in collaboration with artists every year, about his thoughts on his latest collaboration.

 

 

The poignancy and strength of the music in the collaboration

 

- I'm looking forward to the collaboration on the 2024 tour.

Hanyu: This time, I'm collaborating with T.M.Revolution /Takanori Nishikawa. I've been listening to him since I was in elementary school. When I heard he would be performing this time, I thought, 'No way!' I was really surprised."

 

- Do you feel like it's a perfect fit for your generation?

Hanyu: Maybe I’m a little later. (laughs) But my older sister is right in that generation, so I’ve listened to him a lot. I thought he was amazing, and I often listened to his music while warming up.

 

- The song that you'll be skating to this time, "Meteor" by T.M.Revolution (Takanori Nishikawa's solo project), is one of the famous songs known as the insert song for "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED" (aired in October 2002).

Hanyu: I wanted to do 'vestige' too, but there are so many songs that I like. I also wanted to do 'WHITE BREATH,' 'THUNDERBIRD,' and other mellow songs, as well as "ignited".

 

- The song titles are coming out one after another.

 

Hanyu: Because I've been listening to them. I still don't know what kind of program I'll make. Because I’ve been listening for so long, I initially had no image at all. I was wondering what I could do, and I also have a strong desire not to break the essence of the music. I want to create the choreography while always thinking about what kind of synergy will be created when I incorporate myself into a completed piece of music. However, I feel it might be a bit off to lean too much into Gundam during my performance. It’s challenging, but I want to express the poignancy, strength, and driving force that the song and lyrics convey. I don’t know what kind of choreography it will be, but I definitely want to express those feelings.

 

- Every year, Hanyu appears as the final performer and closes the show with a wonderful collaboration, but you also perform with full effort during the opening and finale. It feels like you're skating to three songs, how do you feel about that?"

Hanyu: Actually, including warm-ups, I think I’ve done three pieces, but this year, I'm thinking that maybe I'll do two individual programs.

 

- Eh, really!

Hanyu: "Eh?" That’s what you would think right? It's like, 'Hanyu, are you okay doing two programs?'"

 

- I think Hanyu can handle it with ease now.

Hanyu: That’s right. In "RE_PRAY", I performed over ten songs!

 

- It will be a big gift for the audience.

Hanyu: Of course I'll give it my all from the opening, but as I continue to work as a professional, I've come to think that I can't fully express myself with just one program. I'm sure that among the fans who have high expectations, there are of course those who want to see more, so if I'm going to show it, I want to give it my all.

 

- I'm really looking forward to it.

Hanyu: As with "RE_PRAY," my basis is "contrast." I see myself as a skater with a wide range, so I’m thinking if I can make this program and this collaboration, in such a way that they both stand out. I don’t know how it will turn out, but right now, I want to skate two programs. I'm still thinking about what to skate.

 

- Possibility of a new piece?

Hanyu: I don't think that's possible. I think I'll be overwhelmed with choreographing "Meteor." For the other piece, I want to show a more traditional skating style. In addition to that, I want to convey the dynamism unique to a collaboration at this stage.

 

- Do you enjoy showing the contrasts?

 

Hanyu: More than anything, I want to satisfy those who are watching. As a professional.

 

- Of course, that's true from the performer's perspective, but it also reflects a strong producer's sense, doesn't it?

Hanyu: The reason I had decided to only perform one program in Fantasy until now was partly due to physical limitations, but also because I wanted to give 120% to that one program. Now, I feel like I can give a bit more than that, so I think it’s possible to do something like this to better satisfy everyone. After all, I’ve skated to over ten songs.

 

- When it comes to working with artists on an equal footing, Hanyu is in a class of his own. Usually, it feels like skaters try to conform.

Hanyu: I don’t approach it with the mindset of trying to match up, as it's different to experience the music with your eyes. For example, when an artist makes a music video, it's not just the music playing in the background, right? For example, sound effects (SE) may be added to the music. It's the same with the "Meteor" PV, where the music suddenly stops and a story unfolds. When you press the play button again, the song resumes. Just like that kind of production, I believe that the collaboration with figure skating isn’t just about the music existing alone. It’s about visualising it, which leads to the creation of unique works, so if I'm going to do it, I really want to cherish the process. That's why, as with “Raison” and “Real Face,” which I have performed in Fantasy in the past, I have received many requests to perform them again, but I think that those programs were made possible only because of the live singing and the unique atmosphere of that venue. I would like to create something like that again.

 

 

I want to improve. That's all.

 

- During the interview for the Makuhari performance, Keiji Tanaka mentioned that he learned how to behave as a professional by watching you at Fantasy on Ice. Do you feel that by excelling in the show, you’re conveying something through your actions?

Hanyu: It makes me happy to hear that because I’m currently pushing forward with 'ICE STORY,' and if it serves as a turning point for others, that’s great. I think it's wonderful for the quality of skating in Japan to improve. However, I don’t think in terms of wanting others to become like me; more than anything, I just want to improve myself, so if everyone else gets better, I just want to get even better than that. I think that hasn’t changed since my competitive days.

 

- That determination is really amazing.

Hanyu: It's not really determination. It feels normal to me. But I think that at the root of it all is that competitive streak that I've had since my competitive days. How should I put it, I can't forgive myself for being bad at something. I can't forgive myself for skating without any meaning, including not being able to keep the rhythm. When someone asks me, 'Why are you doing this?' I don’t want to give a performance that says 'Just because.'  I guess I don't want to lose to myself. (laughs)

 

- By the way, you are now creating your own shows and working to spread the beauty of figure skating in a variety of ways. I imagine your days are busy and filled with pressure. For example, do you have any recurring dreams?

 

Hanyu: Yes, I do. I still find myself dreaming about competitions. It's not that I want to compete again, but I guess it's a kind of trauma.

 

- Is it like your consciousness is drawn back to that?

Hanyu: Even now, when I’m performing in shows, the feeling is almost the same. I’ve been competing for 20 years after all. In my dreams, there are times when I am competing in the All-Japan Championships. The 6-minute practice has already started, but I haven't put on my shoes yet. I'm like, "No way, no way, no way!" and it's really stressful. (laughs)

 

- Do you wake up from those dreams?

Hanyu: I do. I wake up thinking, 'I had a terrible dream~'

 

- By the way, what was your last good dream, or what was the dream you had recently?

Hanyu: Recently, I dreamed that I was at the All-Japan Championships in Big Hat (Nagano), warming up. Then I heard my name being called out, 'Yuzuru Hanyu!'. I thought, “What? I’m still warming up and haven’t even put on my costume yet. What do I do?” I’ve had that dream about four times recently. (laughs)

 

- That really conveys the tension of the All-Japan Championships.

Hanyu: That's what bad dreams are like, but good dreams are like dreams about jumping a quadruple axel. I tell myself that this is a dream, and jump about five times for image training. When that happens, I get a sense of it, so when I wake up, I quickly move and jot down all the sensations I experienced.

 

- Thank you very much for sharing such valuable insights. I'm even more excited about your performance at Fantasy on Ice 2024.

 

(Interviewed in April 2024)

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.06

 

Source: https://weibo.com/6473801248/Ol76Nulpa

Info: https://axelstore.net/series/re_pray_memorialgoods/detail.php?goods_id=106

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2nd “RE_PRAY” TOUR OFFICIAL PHOTO BOOK - INTERVIEW

 

Spoiler

Q: Now that the Repray tour has ended with 8 shows in 4 locations, what are your thoughts?

A: When GIFT ended, I was filled with the feeling of "Ah... it's over...", but this time I was thinking "I've worked so hard to build this body, and I want to continue to build it in the future", and I am full of the desire to move forward.

 

Q: After Saga’s performance, do you want to maintain the body you have consciously trained, and further upgrade it to become even stronger?

A: It's not that easy to upgrade, but in any case, I just want to build a body that can continuously achieve zero mistakes. During the actual performance, I really used more than 100% of my strength, and I was indeed a bit overworked, but I also glimpsed a little hope that I could become stronger than now.

 

Q: It's really an athlete's feeling.

A: Really (laughs). Of course, regarding the performance level, such as the coordination with the images, the coordination with the ice projection, the positioning of the storyline and the programs, there are professionals in the fields of image, stage design, broadcasting, lighting, etc. who support each other and trust each other to complete this performance. Because of this, we can complete such a professional show. The biggest change I feel after turning professional is that the people around me are thorough professionals. This also makes the image of a professional skater that I want to show in my heart continue to upgrade. During the performance of Repray, I feel that the audience's eyes are becoming more and more discerning, and we can no longer challenge with a half-hearted attitude. Every time, we think about taking the tour to the next level and work hard for this.

 

Q: Professionals are promoting each other.

A: "Time flies by without noticing" or "I immerse myself in the story without realising it", they successfully made things for me that can make the audience feel this way. I think this is one of the reasons why I can completely trust and rely on them. For example, when I wanted to display a lot of sky lanterns at the "Requiem", if I just let people feel "the sky lanterns here are pretty", it would not be able to balance with my performance, stage lighting, and the connection with the video at the end. But MIKIKO, the video team, the stage design team, and the lighting team were able to control that balance. "I want to show the work like this", such a common concept exists vaguely in everyone's mind, and everyone were helping me to complete it, I think it is impossible for an amateur. One by one, those are the techniques that only professionals can complete. And those details, for example, are like the difference between +3 and +4 in GOE of figure skating. To non-figure skaters, even if you say "this is the feeling of +3" and "compared to +3, this is the feeling of +4", even if you understand these as knowledge, you can't understand more deeply. Only when professional techniques are well embedded in these subtle details can it become complete and unified. I think that the ICE STORY can be presented in a complete and harmonious way because it was created by such a professional team. I talked with MIKIKO about "details determine success or failure (literally: God resides in the details)", and the gods who reside in the details can only appear in the things that professionals in various fields use their special skills to create.

 

Q: Mr. Hanyu is also a member of this profession.

A: Because of this, as a basic, if my own skating and performance cannot reach that level, when put together with everyone's images and choreography, it will pale in comparison. I must also reach the level of those who fight at the top of the "professional" level, and if I work hard and say "Wow--", everyone will also think that they can't lose to me and work hard to improve. This cycle continues, so I can reach the current level.

 

Q: Like this, you and your professional team polished the performance every time, right?

A: Yes. For the audience, if it is a limited show, it will be difficult to follow the story while savouring the performance live at the same time. But because it is a tour, the audience can not only watch the show, but also think "what can I feel from the story" and "how is the story composed", and after thinking about these, they can see more details hidden in the video, and from this, they can further associate "Ah, so this performance and that performance are connected" or "So this is what they wanted to express". People will gradually realise such things. These are only possible on a tour. Of course, I think people will watch the recording over and over again, but “going to a live show several times and examining it over and over again" is something that cannot be done if it’s not a tour. That's the fun part of a tour, but it's also the hard part. That's why the team was very serious about pursuing the highest quality down to the smallest detail.

Q: From Saitama to Miyagi, I feel that many aspects have improved.

A: Megalovania has changed a lot, and so has A Fleeting Dream RE. From the first stop in Saitama to the second stop in Saga, there have been quite a lot of changes in the images, ice projection, lighting methods, spotlight brightness, etc. If you compare the recordings of the first day in Saitama and the last day in Miyagi, you will find that the images, LEDs, and lasers are quite different. I really want to see these myself! (laughs) However, although I also hope that everyone will notice these changes, I also think that the feeling of "I just realised that it seems to be more immersed than before" is just right. If there is any other change, it is that the images shot by the camera have also been polished from Saitama to Miyagi. Including MIKIKO, everyone was doing detailed checks, "This scene should be shot from this angle" or "This stage effect must be shot from a distance", so things that could only be appreciated from one angle on the scene could now be seen from other angles. It is also interesting that there is a difference in excitement between watching live and watching through recording.

Q: Repray introduces the ethics and values of the game world. Can you talk about these?
A: For example, justice and evil, in the end, are just what you think. It is like this idea. What you think is righteous in your heart may be evil to others, and those who you think are evil are justice and right to them. So, right and wrong are not something that can be easily determined. Everyone is justifying their own behavior. This idea is one of the keys to Repray. In Repray, players do not intend to let the characters go to destruction, but sometimes the characters will go to destruction step by step as the players act, right? It's like this. (The player) didn't want this to happen, but from the perspective of the character, maybe he is forced to go to destruction. Therefore, it is not enough to act simply based on your own justice. You also have to think about the thoughts of others. I have to be alert to this.

Q: In addition, Repray has a storyline, and the show is arranged according to this storyline. This time you used several music from games. Does using game music make your mood not driven by the story of Repray, but by the emotions when playing those games?
A: Yes, yes! But that probably only exists in my own mind. No matter how hard I try to express it, the scenes in my mind cannot be shared. Knowing this, I will leave all the interpretations to everyone. And after leaving it to everyone, if someone can feel something from it, I think that is enough. The main idea when I was writing the story this time was that this is not my story. Because it is not my story, it can become both a story about me and for other people. For the fans and everyone who fought with me, this may become a story about me. And when people related to the game or the fans of Ms. Shiina Ringo watch it, people who don’t know me well can also understand it as a story. This is something I paid close attention to when writing. It doesn’t matter if I can’t fully convey what I think in my heart, I often think this way. This story is very much fiction. There's very little of my own experience in the story, and to be honest, the personality of the characters is quite different in each chapter. It's a bunch of things like this that form a story, so it would be great if someone was impressed by one of them and kept examining on it... Precisely because it's a tour, and because people can keep examining on it, small fragments that leave marks in people's hearts can continue to accumulate, and for me, this is also the happiest part of making ICE STORY and creating stories.

 

Q: How did you consider incorporating the previous programs that have their own unique emotions and meanings into the storyline of "RE_PRAY"?

A: For example, "Requiem for Heaven and Earth" is entirely dedicated to be a requiem for 3.11. But this time the imagery used is not a requiem, but a requiem for the soul, or the "empty vessel" after the orange light disappears. Therefore, this time, my skating is completely focused on one soul. This one soul is both my soul and the soul of the program ‘Requiem for Heaven and Earth’ itself, the soul that breaks away from the empty vessel in the story, or perhaps it is a wisp of soul left in the earthquake disaster. It can be interpretated in many ways. What it is to me doesn’t need to be said, because I believe that everyone will understand it in their own way. I think this is the charm of the story. And I think figure skating has this aspect to it because it is not a language.

 

Q: From a very young age, Mr. Hanyu gave people the impression that he cherished his own programs. In exhibition skating and ice shows, he often showed his old programs.

A: Yes, that's right.

 

Q: Have you always thought that a program can have different perspectives?

A: Yes. I started to feel this way when I was in Nice.

 

Q: 2012. 17 years old, that’s early!

A: After all, although the “Romeo and Juliet” at that time was called Romeo and Juliet, it was not the real Romeo and Juliet, right? That Romeo looked like he was about to defeat the poison, right? He looked like he would say, "What the hell is poison?" and then win a great victory (laughs).

 

Q: Now that you mention it, it is true (laughs).

A: It feels like I just accidentally realised that figure skating has such an interesting side. In competitions, the program is more significant because of the added value of the result of the competition or my life up to that competition. However, for example, this time, some people came to watch after knowing that I would skate "The Messenger of Destruction" or "MEGALOVANIA", and for such people and long-time fans, I think that even if it is the same program, their views will be completely different. Even among fans, for example, some people watched the live performance in Nice (2012 World Championships), some watched "Hope & Legacy" live in Helsinki (2017 World Championships), and some people just started watching the performance recently, I think their views on "Hope & Legacy" would be different. I think the performance, and the expression, is formed by a mixture of backgrounds, thoughts and memories from each person. So honestly, it doesn't matter what I think. Whilst I do put a lot of thought into it, I believe that 90% of the audience's feelings are their own ideas and what they have cultivated so far, whilst my visions and reflections are probably only about 10%. I feel this, and in turn, I value this in creating ICE STORY.

 

Q: Indeed, it’s true that when you're moved by a performance, it's because it resonates with something inside of you.

A: When I know that people have watched my performance and responded with various reactions, seeing everyone shed tears or showed an emotional expression because of my performance, I really feel very happy and joyful. I would think, "Ah, I conveyed it to them. My efforts have been rewarded..." Well, it may just be that I think my efforts have paid off, but that moment is really wonderful. But to be honest, I have also encountered many times when I felt that I could not go on. But I no longer blame my problems on my age like I used to... I remember when I was about 24, I would blame my age very much and thought "This is no longer possible."

 

Q: Was it after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics?

A: It was after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, when I was practicing 4A. During that period, I couldn’t jump at all, and I thought, "Oh, I'm almost finished..." But now I no longer think that I can't do more because of my age. It's just that when I hit a bottleneck no matter how much I practised, I thought, "No matter what I do, I can't get over this wall...", and it’s really painful at that time. When I was practicing, I didn't have the support of fans, and I didn't have a coach, so I had to rely on my own motivation to get through it. And I felt how hard it was to maintain that motivation. In addition, you never know when the world will end, right? Maybe there will be an explosion here in the next second. But even if that really happens, I hope that I've made something that I can hold my head up and say that I've left it all behind. That's what I've always thought. But it's really hard when you accumulate thoughts like that (laughs). I live every day with the idea “I really did my best today, I won't regret it even if I die tomorrow", sometimes I will think, "Let's just call it a day. As long as I'm alive tomorrow, I'll be fine" (laughs). Even so, people are looking forward to me, so if I don't push myself to do my best every day, I won't be able to satisfy them. And I've become a person who can't be satisfied if I don't do that. I've been feeling the changes in the way people look at Hanyu Yuzuru and the changes I've brought to them, and because I've been feeling all of that, I've had to work hard. It is indeed very hard, but it is precisely because of this hard work that the moment of reward is so happy and blissful, and the tool to achieve all this for me is figure skating. I deeply appreciate this.

 

Q: Why do you no longer care about age?

A: Because I think there are still so many training methods. Figure skating has not been scientifically analysed at all, and we don't know the practice methods or research results that have been scientifically analysed. I'm lucky enough to be able to review what I learnt at university. I'm curious and inquisitive myself, and in this day and age it's easier to learn on my own, and I can read content in other fields, so I think "Isn't there still a lot of room for improvement!" And right now, I think it's the closest my body has come to perfection in my life so far.

 

Q: Although we are talking about age not being important, you are already 29 years old, right?

A: 29 years old, I’m shocked (laughs). Of course, I think the potential of a teenager is definitely different from that of a late 20s, but comparing the 19-year-old me to the 29-year-old me now, I have been practicing for 10 years since then, so it is impossible to be worse, right? After all, the difference between training based on imagination and training based on scientific evidence is obvious. So I vaguely felt that "I can get better from here. After all, if I just completed the six-min practice normally and put "The Messenger of Destruction" as the first program, it would definitely be clean! Because there are only S jumps and T jumps, and there is no Lo! (laughs)

 

Q: One 4S and two 4T (one of which is 4T+1Eu+3S+1Eu+3S) It is really not that easy to clean every time! (laughs)

A: "The Messenger of Destruction" is almost a free skate, so it is indeed difficult, but it is precisely because I performed so badly in Saga that I was able to re-learn and get here. Now I feel fortunate that this is a tour.

 

Q: Speaking of the tour, the final "MEGALOVANIA" is different from the previous ones. The expression reached the extreme and showed a clean and neat performance.

A: Because I thought, "This is the last time, so I will completely get into the role", I completely immersed myself in the role. I was able to do this because there were fans who understood my expression instead of thinking, “What the hell is that expression?!”. People were willing to think deeply about what I was performing and what I was trying to express, so I was able to do this. That made me really happy. I was able to rely on that and give it my all, and I let go of everything, and part of the reason was that this was a tour. If I had made that expression in the first show, people might have thought, “Huh?”

 

Q: That means you just trust your fans a lot, right?

A: Yes, because everyone was looking forward to seeing me! For example, everyone thought that Yokohama would be the last show, but Miyagi was added, and it was on a weekday. Despite that, everyone was still looking forward to seeing me, and that really made me feel at ease... That's why at the Miyagi performance, I was able to talk in a completely relaxed manner even during the MC's session.

 

[Subtitle: Because there are fans who understand me.]

 

Q: Both the first and second parts of RE_PRAY start from the saved data, and the second part is like playing it for the second time for the players, so there will be a feeling that "It looks different from the first time", and Mr. Hanyu has now completed 8 performances of RE_PRAY. Is there any difference between the current Hanyu Yuzuru and the Hanyu Yuzuru before RE_PRAY?

A: Yes, there are differences.

 

Q: What has changed and what is different between the Hanyu Yuzuru before RE_PRAY and now?

A: The body shape has changed (laughs).

 

Q: Body shape? Is it because you changed your training method during the tour?

A: Yes. For example, my butt has become bigger (laughs). Also, the hamstrings have become stronger, naturally there are changes like this. In addition, as the number of performances increases, the sense of reassurance that people are willing to come to see me, and the idea of how to rely on them, such as "Ah, it's okay to rely on them..." have also changed. Of course, I don't compromise on the work that I want to convey. I have to refresh my best performance every time, and everyone's expectations are constantly refreshed, which is really scary. But I think this is my responsibility as a professional. In terms of mentality, I have not changed from the competitive period. Not only that, I also began to feel that I can present my performance to the audience with more peace of mind. In the past, I would be more timid, as if I was saying "Is this performance okay...", but as I performed one after another, I began to realize that "it turns out that this can make people happy" or "it turns out that people understand it this way." I don't think that everyone will like the performance that I conceived from the heart, and everyone will have their own thoughts in their hearts that "That performance is better." I think this is completely fine, and it is the right thing. It's just that under such a premise, there are still so many people who can say that my performance is "good" with all my efforts, which always makes me feel at ease. I'm not sure if the word "rely" is the right word, but I feel like "I can completely trust them." And I also have the feeling that "I can believe in the path that I am taking."

 

Q: When did you start to have this idea?
A: I guess it started around the Saga performance. The content of the Saga performance was really terrible in my opinion. Whether it was a competition or an ice show, I thought I had put a lot of emotion into it, but sometimes it was just in vain and I didn't achieve anything in the end. And that's something that should never be done, never be allowed to happen in a solo performance. I have to deliver the highest quality performance every time and give the audience a sense of satisfaction. Yet I did this thing that should never be done, and I have reflected deeply on this. But despite this, some people still said that I did a good job... I think this must be a recognition of what I have worked hard for, what I have been pursuing, and what I wanted to show. If this is the case, then I can think that what I'm doing isn't wrong. So if I try my best but still don’t fully achieve my goal, it would be very important to me personally if someone could feel that “This is also a once-in-a-lifetime performance”, and I would start to feel that this is good enough, not “This is fine too”, but “This is good enough”.

Q: That's great. This will be your future nourishment.
A: But...

Q: But?
A: But, I still want to be clean! (laughs).

Q: Of course, that's natural (laughs).
A: Well... I still plan to refresh my good performance every time, but this may not be possible. Even so, if someone can think "this point here is good" every time, I can now feel that what I have been doing is not wrong.

Q: The word "PRAY" in "RE_PRAY" means "prayer". What is prayer for Mr. Hanyu?
A: It is the theme of my life at present. I think the concept of prayer, in the final analysis, is self-fulfilment. It's hard to explain, but for example, when I try to get close to people who are suffering or grieving, I do want to help them, but as I said before about good and evil, in the end it's just me doing what I want to do. It's just me trying to stay close to them. As for whether this can really be understood correctly, I don't know, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that kind of intention. Prayer also has a religious significance, and it cannot be generalised, but for me, prayer is just something that satisfies the self in order to live happily, and that's the only way to understand it. Think about it, there are about 60,000 people watching "RE_PRAY" this time, and there are others who watch it through live broadcast in theatres and on TV. I don't really think that I can be close to everyone at every moment, but I do want to be close. I really hope that everyone's life will be happy from here on out, or at least that's how I want to be close to everyone and pray for them. It's just that this might seem cheap if I say it out loud. So, I can only express it through actions. As for whether my prayers can be conveyed to everyone, it depends on the values of each individual and I have no way of knowing. For me, prayer is just a kind of self-satisfaction. But I think that prayer can also be a kind of energy that drives oneself forward. For myself, if possible, I hope that it can become a kind of energy for the people I pray for. That would be great.

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.06

 

Source: https://weibo.com/5437806211/Old3i2XQK 

Info: https://axelstore.net/series/re_pray_memorialgoods/detail.php?goods_id=107

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2nd “RE_PRAY” TOUR OFFICIAL PLAYER’S GUIDE → Production Director Yuzuru Hanyu ←

 

Spoiler

→Theme and concept

Regarding the theme of [RE_PRAY], I had the idea of "getting rid of repetitive routines" from the beginning. Of course, I have been influenced by many games, lyrics of songs and stories so far, and I have drawn from them such as "I want to use this word" or "I want to use this image", but the biggest theme is "changes in the way forward" and "breaking the rules". The concept I used to express this theme is that I thought about the two types of "daily" and "non-daily". For example, in the scene that starts with "swallowed by the rapids" in S-1 (the VCR after the blue dream), I thought about the feeling of an ordinary office worker. It's another workday, sitting on a crowded bus and subway to go to work, thinking "Ah, the same work today", I finish work and go home, start eating... My focus is on these daily rules and social rules. Somehow, I want to do something non-daily from this daily life that is bound by rules. But it is very difficult to do something non-daily. Although sometimes I experience something non-daily that is exciting, I still return to daily life after that. I think a lot about things like this.

 

 

→The Script

It exudes a feeling of "If you are not a game player, you will not understand it." For example, when you are playing the game as usual, suddenly the game tells you (the player) "You are just watching", you will definitely be shocked. I hope the audience can feel this feeling.

 

One of them is the "trolley problem". The audience who was watching the show as usual were suddenly asked a question. While watching the show as usual, the trolley problem suddenly appeared. The clicking sound that made you choose a certain option was very long and difficult to decide. Just when everyone was so nervous, the lights shone on the audience seats and the camera was filming them. It was a performance that made them say "Ah, what is that?" in shock. Games can only be fun if you immerse yourself in them, so I wondered if [RE_PRAY] could do the same. So, I set up the trolley problem so that the audience could feel that they "made their own choices" and "they are also players" while watching. It is really difficult to make a performance like "the audience is the game player". In order to let the audience become the player, I played the game with the controller at the beginning of the story. Then the game started, and there was also me in it. That was me as the character "○○○" in the game. Although "player" and "character" are two different divisions of labour, I am the actor in both. Even the person who actually performs the show with skating is me.

 

So, whether it is "Hanyu as a player" or "the character '○○○' in the game controlled by (the player)", it must be easy for the audience to understand. There are also very complicated parts where the player is unconsciously controlled by the character. Regarding how to express Yuzuru Hanyu's image, we also had a lot of discussions and thoughts with everyone and performed it.

 

 

→【RE_PRAY】 in ICE STORY

"With a story, the look and feel of the show will also change." This is the core I put in ICE STORY. Putting the show in the flow of the story, with different audiences in different venues, even existing shows will look completely different. I want everyone to feel this difference in look and feel.

 

So, in [RE_PRAY], I want to show you "how the colour of the world will change if you try to do the same thing again in your daily life over and over again". With this in mind, I changed the ice projection colour, arrangement and performance arrangement, and costumes between [A Fleeting Dream -original-] and [A Fleeting Dream: RE]. Although the game starts in the same place, the colours that symbolize the world in the first round (Part 1) of the game [Chicken-Snake-Pig] and the second round (Part 2) of the game [S-7 Freedom] (VCR after Heaven and Earth Requiem) are interpreted with "intense red" and "black (pitch black)" to give a completely different feeling. How do you think in a world that repeats over and over again? I don't want to get the answer, I just want everyone to think and feel it in Ice Story. I hope [RE_PRAY] can be such an opportunity.

 

Another point about the "difference in the perception of the show" is that fans who like Yuzuru Hanyu and game fans who became interested in RE_PRAY because of "The Messenger of Destruction" and "Megalovania" have completely different feelings after watching RE_PRAY. Also, for "Chicken-Snake-Pig”, the performance and choreography from the perspective of Shiina Ringo's fans, the visual effects that seem to flow with a sense of breathing, are different from what I see and what fans who like Yuzuru Hanyu see. For example, the world view immersed in water in the video, for people who are familiar with the original work "A Fleeting Dream" in the work "Final Fantasy 10", their impression of water is also different after watching it. In the original work, there is a scene of requiem on the water, so they may see souls in each orange light on the water in the video of RE_PRAY, and some people may regard that light as real light. Fans of "UNDERTALE" may see determination (ケツイ-a concept in the game). There are so many different opinions and interpretations about [RE_PRAY], and I personally enjoy it very much.

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.07.03

 

Source: https://weibo.com/6473801248/OmbzigSpE

Info: https://www.bbm-japan.com/article/detail/52774?page=1

 

 

Figure Skating Magazine 2023-2024 Season Highlights (B.B.MOOK 1649) 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu Interview: Accepting the support of his fans.

‘I felt like I could rely on them’

Spoiler

 

- It's been a long time! As you know, Figure Skate Magazine's editorial mission is to conduct interviews on behalf of its readers, so please be prepared to do the same when you answer, Hanyu-san. But please relax and speak as you normally would. Thank you.

 

Hanyu: Yes, please! 

 

- There's still Fantasy on Ice left that starts in late May, but you're approaching two full seasons as a professional. How does it feel to have been a professional for almost two solid years now?

 

Hanyu: Well, this... If you ask me "Are you happy?", I would say that just being happy is definitely not enough. This has not changed since the competitive period. In the end, I couldn't just "enjoy the competition". I have always, how should I put it... I think I said in an interview that "I can't be happy if I can't win." In a sense, competition is "betting your life", and various things in life will change depending on the outcome of the competition. So, in this sense, I have always skated with the idea of "betting my life in competitions" and thinking "this is not the time to enjoy myself". And this feeling has not changed in a sense. So, even though there is no longer a visible "ranking", for me, the "results" are now directly related to the feedback or evaluations from everyone, and they can be seen. It's just that the format has changed in a more rigorous world. I feel this deeply again now almost two years after I turned professional.

 

- Honestly, I wonder if you have also felt difficulties and hardships as a professional skater? 

 

Hanyu: Well... First of all, purely because the number of programs has increased a lot, which is... It's quite hard work indeed. I have to think about how to train for it, and also if it gets easier... It's true that if I make things easier, including the jumps, I could do some easier performances, but if I do that, it'll get boring. Or the "range of performance" that the audience wants to feel will be lost. So, in terms of difficulty, such as the difficulty of jumps, or the program itself, how should I put it... the skating, transitions, rotations, including all these difficulties, how to achieve the ultimate in both performance and technique, I have been trying to find such a balance, which is really difficult. 

 

- In your solo ice show, Hanyu-san has to perform for two and a half hours, or two hours and forty minutes. 

 

Hanyu: Yes (laughs). 

 

- Figure skating is a particularly hard sport on the feet, and those who have had experience with competitive skating will find that even skating for just one minute can be quite taxing. But Hanyu-san has to perform multiple programs in a row in a single public show, which is generally impossible, and I just simply want to ask, why do you do something so hard?

 

Hanyu: Hmm... why is that... just like when I did Prologue, I wasn't really sure whether everyone had expectations for it, but I think it must be because of "everyone's expectations of me" and "my expectations of myself" that I felt that I had to do it. So, I have standards like "generally impossible" or "generally should be done this way" in my mind, but if I just follow those standards, it will become "normal". I felt that this was not what I expected, and everyone who has been watching me until now, and everyone who has been following my activities since I turned pro, will also feel that "this is not what they want to see from Hanyu", I felt this while trying to do it... That's the feeling.

 

- Hanyu-san is 29 years old now, right? 

 

Hanyu: Yes, 29. I will be 30 after this year (birthday). 

 

- Perhaps the peak of physical strength is still ahead, but it's generally possible that by the time one reaches their 30s, maintaining physical strength becomes difficult. At that time, what is Hanyu-san going to do?

 

Hanyu: That's right, what should I do? (laughs). To put it bluntly, I'm full of questions myself. For example, when it comes to holding various events, I think it's necessary to plan a blueprint. I have a vague idea that I should be thinking about what I will be doing in the next one, two, three, and eventually five years. Generally speaking, it is very necessary. This is not only for figure skating as a "job", but also for consideration as a person. But I always feel that because I always complete every performance with such enthusiasm that I don't have time to think about these things. It doesn't feel right to perform with the idea that "I should reach this point in five years, so I am at this stage now accordingly".

 

- Can you explain this in more detail? 

 

Hanyu: Well... This is just an example. Suppose I already have an idea of when I will feel that my physical strength will decline or that I will not be able to do a solo performance in the future when I am in my mid-to-late 30s or 40s. Then, we discuss and make a plan, and decide to do it “until here", so then we can decide to do this performance this time, and that performance next time according to this plan, and backtrack in order to present something good in the end at the point where we planned it. It's kind of like this. If I were to do a "reverse calculation", I would have to present a "carefully calculated" performance which… how can I put it… I feel that I wouldn't be able to do my max at every point in time. For example, if I think of it as a competition, four years feels like an Olympic cycle. If I want to go to the Olympics in four years and win a gold medal, I'd think about something like, "I'll do this the year after Sochi," "I'll do this in the second year," "I'll challenge myself a little bit in the third year, and then stabilise in the fourth year". I'd think about it like that, but it won’t work now. Now I am not thinking about "I can do this kind of thing at this age", instead I am performing with the passion of "I will have no regrets even if it ends here this time". When I feel the limit of this approach, or in the process of continuing to train my body, when I feel that "I can't keep it up anymore" or "It's only going to go downhill from here on out", even if I have just a little bit of this premonition, I probably won't skate anymore (laughs). I don't know when that moment will come, and it won't help no matter how much I think about it. But anyway, this is how I feel right now. However, if I think about it from a completely different perspective, if I put aside things like "solo performance", "quadruple jump", "quadruple and a half" and think about "physical performance", how should I put it... I feel that there are still many things I can do. As I grow older, there are many aspects that can become more profound. So, in this sense, I am looking forward to what I can do in the future and how I will perform and express myself.

 

- Has the position of "fans" changed in your heart? 

 

Hanyu: Well... I do feel that the form of "support" has changed. To be honest, during the RE_PRAY tour from 2023 to 2024, I was also worried about "what should I do". I think there must be some fans who were also struggling, but when the tour ended, I found an answer that satisfied myself and thought, "Ah... So that's how it is." As a performer, as a professional performer, of course I am determined to inherit what I have worked hard for as an athlete, including techniques in the world of performance, and at the same time further evolve and develop them and continue to move forward as a professional. But as for "receiving support,” if it were in the past, for example, when I was ranked high, I would be praised "Great!”, and there would always be so-called "results" like this which could be evaluated as "good" or "bad,” so I could accept everyone's support relatively easily. For example, when I received support and got good results, I'd feel that "I have properly repaid the favour." I have been thinking this way since around 2011. Then, after Gift ended and I started to create and perform the new RE_PRAY, creating a story which I wanted to express as a "work", so how should I put it... For example, when you read a novel and enjoy it, wouldn't it be a bit strange to support the novelist? It's like saying "Please work hard to write a novel!" It feels like there’s something not quite right. When we listen to concerts or songs, we don't say to the singer "Please work hard to sing!" It feels a bit like this. I also hope that everyone can enjoy the performance itself. And in a sense, this is my struggle as a professional, um... I’ve also thought about whether I can make everyone enjoy the performance itself if I do it perfectly. These thoughts were always wavering in my heart. But like this time in RE_PRAY, when there was a difficult program such as "The Messenger of Destruction”, there were still many people willing to support me and hoping that I could complete the program successfully. For a moment, I felt this very strongly, and reflected on it in my heart, and gradually felt that "Ah... maybe I can accept the support too". So far, when I am in the world of performance, the world of my profession, or the world of my ICE STORY, no matter what, when I perform in ICE STORY, I still hope that everyone can appreciate the story and the work itself. To enjoy it well, hmm, how should I put it? Because it isn’t a competition, the feeling of "I hope everyone can enjoy the story itself" is very strong in my heart, but at the same time I’m also wondering, "Then is this not support?" But I started to think that I didn’t have to be stuck in that kind of framework. In other words, unlike singers and people who write stories, there is another category called “Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY,” which is both a place for appreciation and a place for support. And I’m a skater who receives that support and a performer at the same time, and I think that’s fine. It took some time to figure out how the way of support has changed and how I should accept the support, and I think I found the answer.

 

- You always train alone at the ice rink in your hometown Sendai, which often worries me. Don’t you feel discouraged? 

 

Hanyu: I feel very overwhelmed, every time (laughs). After all, the practice time has increased, and in a sense, there is a lack of motivation. Because even when the brain is extremely tired, I have to think about the story and the choreography, but even in that state, I can't stop training. I want to escape, but I can't, and this situation keeps continue. If the physical condition is really good, there is no such feeling at all. I will feel, "Training is so fun!", "I completed this thing today!" or "I successfully did this kind of training today". There are certainly moments when I feel a sense of accomplishment like this. However, I’ll be lucky to have such good physical condition three times a month. Considering that, it is actually more of a struggle. So, I do often collapse (laughs), and there are more days where I feel "I don't want to do it today". 

 

- Do you have times when you dwell in the memories of the competition? Or, do you often reminisce things from the competition? 

 

Hanyu: Well, rather than saying that I "dwell" in the memories, it is better to say that I often "recall" them. Competitions also appear in my dreams. For example, I am almost late for the 6-mins practice, and I haven't changed my clothes yet, but I am still warming up slowly. The loudspeaker shouted that the 6-mins practice had started, but I hadn’t even put on my shoes (laughs). When I hurried to join in the 6-mins practice, I heard "1 minute left". I had such a dream recently. I still have such dreams now, and sometimes the scenes in them are replaced by ICE STORY. Of course, I will also think about "Ah, this competition felt like this" or "I had such feelings during this competition", and I often think about the daily routine at that time, and there are also many memories about what kind of training I did back then. Instead of saying that I am "dwelling" in the memories, it is better to say that it is because of these memories and experiences that the “present things" are born, and I cherish these ‘children’ (memories and experiences) very much. How should I put it, it's not a very negative or backward-looking thought, but more like I'm making use of these ‘children’. So, let's say there is a table called "now", and I am at this table. I often let things from the past to exist on it, not of their own accord, but of my own volition. Because of these ‘children’, these past experiences and memories, the "now" can be so fulfilling. That’s all.

 

- On the last day of RE_PRAY’s Yokohama performance, didn't you say "(The performance is about to end) It's really lonely...?” I feel like that was the first time that Hanyu-kun “showed himself” in front of people. You've been working on your own as a professional, and that's been hard for you at times, so I think it's okay for you to be a little spoiled in front of your fans every once in a while! Although the word "acting like a spoiled child" may be a bit inappropriate, it's not bad to have such moments in life, isn't it? I know how precious the connection between Hanyu Yuzuru and his fans is, and because of it you've been able to achieve so many things that can be called "miracles", I've witnessed them with my own eyes.

 

Hanyu: As I said earlier, the meaning of the word "support" has changed a lot this year, and at the same time, the people who came to watch were not just fans but also people who wanted to watch because of the game theme, and of course, people involved in the ice show too. However, when these people came to this place and occasion, although it was hard to say whether it could be considered "acting spoiled,” I did feel that "maybe I could rely on them a little bit..." or "maybe I could trust them completely".

 

- Are you referring to the fans here? 

 

Hanyu: Yes. I’ve been skating for these people so far, wanting to convey the best I can, wanting to give back all the energy and emotion they've put into me, and I've always felt like I had to work hard for that. It's not that I don't have such thoughts now, but I didn't know how to accept that support before. But through this tour, I gradually figured it out and felt that "Maybe I could rely on their strength". I think I drew this clear line in my heart during this period. 

 

- I see. It's great that Hanyu-kun's mood has cleared up! I saw you today after a long time, and I really feel like you’ve become a "man"! 

Hanyu: Do you mean I have become calmer? (laughs). Well, for example, in the case of ‘Danny Boy’, some things will live on in the program, like ‘Haru yo, koi’ and ‘Hope & Legacy’, which require genderless movements, and a sense of lightness that is not limited by age, etc. I think that as I grow older and experience various things, it will broaden my range of expression, and the "tenderness", "softness", and "ethereality" that I'm good at becomes broader as well. It goes back to what I said at the beginning: what kind of performance will I perform in my late 30s when I have experienced various things, accumulated age and experience, and experienced the physical time of "years", how much emotion I want to convey, how deep such emotions will become, how much training I have done, and how deeply I have thought about "physical expression". This makes me look forward to it with anticipation. Training is indeed painful. There is a clear change before and after Saga. The quality of training itself, the mindset, and the actual length of training have changed a lot, and it is indeed tough because there’s so much to do. However, I also feel that this has allowed me to perform well, and putting on good performances means being able to make all the fans happy. For me, this is really one of the most important happiness, and it is precisely because I feel that I have been rewarded for my efforts here that I can continue to work hard. Well, there’s a show coming up (this interview was done a few days before Fantasy on Ice). I have emotions that I want to convey and things that I want everyone to feel at every moment through my performances. Everyone has their own experiences and memories, and I hope that watching my performance can ignite some emotions in everyone's hearts. I want to continue to work hard with this commitment.

 

 

Source: B.B.MOOK 1649 magazine, pg 25

 

Postscript to the interview with Yuzuru Hanyu

True Words.

 

It's been a while since our last interview, and it was a solo one. Yuzuru Hanyu appeared before us in mid-May. Until now, there was always an air of tension around him. But on this day, for some reason, I didn't feel that at all. I don't know why. I don't know, but I have a feeling inside me that maybe...

Text / Shinichi Yamaguchi Photo/ Ryosuke Menju

 

Spoiler

Ah, why is that?

Hanyu-kun. 

 

At first, I didn't understand why I said that, even though it was my own words.

 

Up until now, I have called him "Hanyu-senshu" in interviews, and "Hanyu-san" after he became a professional skater. In fact, I’m sure I called him "Hanyu-san" in the first half of this interview. When writing the article, I wondered what I should do, but in the end, I decided to just go with "Hanyu-kun" from the middle of the article. I don't know the reason myself. But I think there was an atmosphere on that day that made me want to call him "Hanyu-kun.

 

July 2022. Less than a week after Hanyu became a professional, I was taken to the hospital. Two years have passed since then, but it is still difficult for me to travel far for interviews, and in fact, the interview in Sendai was also conducted remotely. Photographer Menju took some photos after the interview. After that, Hanyu-kun said, "Now I just have to go home," and we had a chat for a while. It just so happened... really, this chat was just recorded by chance, and although I wasn't sure what to do with it, I decided to share it with you, the readers, because I thought it was worth sharing. Perhaps Hanyu-san and his staff would allow me to do so.

--Hanyu-kun, thank you so much for today! It's been a long time since we last met. I feel like you have really grown into a mature man! 

Hanyu: No, I haven't changed. I’m still the same inside (laughs). But I do feel like I’ve started thinking a lot more because I’m in a world where I have to express myself.

 

--It's been a long time since I interviewed you. When I got sick, I thought, "Maybe I won't be able to do this kind of interview anymore." I never dreamed that I would get sick.

Hanyu: You really never know what's going to happen. I, too, have been living on the edge of death...

 

--During RE_PRAY's Yokohama performance, Hanyu-kun said, "Life goes on as long as you don't stop," right? Oh, I thought he was saying it to me. No, that's an exaggeration to say that you were speaking to me, but "Hanyu Yuzuru's words are the truth." I really thought so.

Hanyu: For me, well...you know, there are wars, natural disasters, and people who die suddenly...

I heard that Hanyu-kun also experienced the death of someone close to him. During the tour, he was sometimes at a loss for words on the microphone, perhaps because he was thinking of that person. 

 

Hanyu: I was just realising that again.... So, I don't want to waste it. There are so many people who have come to be involved with me this way. I want them to be happy, even if only for that moment.

 

It was time for Hanyu-kun to leave. He turned around and said, “Please keep up the great work. Let's do our best! Thank you very much,” before leaving.

 

He is a person who cannot lie. This is what I thought after interviewing Yuzuru Hanyu. That’s why he must have been hurt by the world's comments about what he is and what he is not, and by the things he has been told since he was young. But even though he was hurt, or rather, it was because of those experiences that Hanyu-kun was able to treat others so gently. That is how I feel now.

 

And to all the fans of Yuzuru Hanyu. His words are truly what he means from the bottom of his heart, they are true words.

 

I want to shout this out loud.
 

 

Source: B.B.MOOK 1649 magazine, pg 26

 

PHOTO STORY: Yuzuru Hanyu SKATE & JOURNEY

Yuzuru Hanyu as a "young man"

 

May 17, 2024, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture

Photo & Text/Ryosuke Menju

 

Spoiler

Give it a title, okay? At the request of Editor Y, I came up with a name that would suit the occasion, but what do you think? In order to bring a "fresh breeze" that is fitting for the season of fresh greenery to our readers, I went to Sendai in the early summer of 2024.

 

This is the first time that Figure Skating Magazine has a solo interview. Previously we had a media day in Toronto, Canada, but that was mainly a joint interview with other companies. But this is an opportunity for Y-san, the interviewer, and me, the photographer, to meet Hanyu-senshu "one-on-one".

 

I have to confess that I had been feeling restless for the two months prior to the interview. I was so nervous and tense that I didn't know what to do, even though I'm 50 years old.

 

In March, Y-san suggested that we try to apply for an interview with Hanyu-senshu. At first, I just wanted to give it a try and thought "What would the result be?", but unexpectedly, I received a reply from Hanyu’s side very quickly, saying "OK". The two months that followed were incredibly long.

 

On this day, I met Hanyu-senshu for the first time in a long time, and he showed up at the venue on time.

 

The Q&A session with Y-san started as normal, not so much at first, but gradually, as if to match his words, he began to show his typical Hanyu-like "gaze" and "expression." I think I was able to get the shots I had in mind, both during the interview and outdoors.

 

On this day, I felt that I captured the appearance of Yuzuru Hanyu as "a young man". The person in front of me was not Hanyu-senshu, but “a young man”. I can't describe it well, but there was definitely such a scene in my mind.

 

After the shoot, I decided to fulfill a promise I made to myself. I wanted to express my gratitude to Hanyu-senshu for all he has done for me.

 

As a sports photographer, my career can be divided into two stages: "before I met Yuzuru Hanyu" and "after I met Yuzuru Hanyu". How can I take cool photos of Hanyu-senshu? For this reason, I competed with other photographers and prepared harder than ever before competitions, and readers started giving feedback on the photos I took. All this was because I met Hanyu-senshu.

 

Above all, the "voices" of the fans were especially special to me. Fans would "give their opinions," "praise," and "call out" to me, a photographer, in various places. I was able to experience things I had never experienced before as a sports photographer by getting to know "Yuzuru Hanyu". So, on this day, thanking Hanyu-senshu was more important to me than taking pictures of him. (Editor Y: Please come to the staff room later, Menju-kun)

 

After all the photos were taken, I had a minute or two to put down the camera and chat. It was during this time that I expressed my gratitude to Hanyu-senshu, something I had been wanting to say but had never been able to do so.

 

Hanyu-senshu responded with a smile.

 

"No, no. Everyone is working so hard to take photos of me, I’m really grateful for that."

 

Anyway, it was a somewhat strange day. There was me talking to him without a camera, and there was Hanyu-senshu without his skates.

 

And, after all, there was Yuzuru Hanyu as a "young man". That's just how I feel now.

 

[yuzurujenn]

2024.07.03

 

Source: https://weibo.com/2919885090/OnviUnSb6 / https://weibo.com/2919885090/OnSbppc9w / https://weibo.com/2919885090/OnpAnmlws / https://weibo.com/1746783312/OpuSzlec8

Info: https://www.bbm-japan.com/article/detail/52774?page=1

 

 

Figure Skating Magazine 2023-2024 Season Highlights (B.B.MOOK 1649) 

 

PHOTO STORY: Yuzuru Hanyu SKATE & JOURNEY

Depicting the "joy" and "pain" of the heart

 

Feb 19, 2024, Kanagawa - Pia Arena MM

Text/Ryosuke Menju

 

Photographers were saying that "Ashura-chan" was great, but I was immersed in "Chicken, Snake, and Pig". Every expression and every muscle movement could be conveyed to the audience more deeply than during the competition.

 

Spoiler

For me, this was the first time I have photographed an ice show again after a long time. The last time I saw Yuzuru Hanyu perform was about 9 months ago. I came to the venue and met several figure skating photographers after a long absence. I often met Kogaito when shooting football games, but this was the first time I have seen Yaguchi since last year's FaOI. "Menju-san! I miss you so much!" He couldn't help but gave me a big hug (laughs).

 

I cleared all my thoughts and went to watch the performance without any prior preparation, but I saw Yuzuru Hanyu's "inner world", and the overall composition was also quite good. Integrating the game world he loves into the whole performance, the word "PLAY" became "PRAY". This was probably one of the points he wanted to express.

 

The performance lasted two and a half hours and included 12 programs. I was shocked again! God... two and a half hours... this is unthinkable in common sense. But Yuzuru Hanyu managed to do it all by himself. Seeing that scene with my own eyes, I was at a loss for words and could only say "It's really amazing".

 

I focused on every move of Yuzuru Hanyu and was deeply attracted by him. The flexibility and expressiveness of his body. He was restricted in his movements during competitions, but he was completely freed after becoming a professional skater. The “free Yuzuru Hanyu" is so amazing! Yuzuru Hanyu is constantly improving and getting better and better.

 

In terms of physique, he has become stronger or more solid, especially his abdominal muscles which are well trained. Speaking of the "atmosphere" at the scene, I think this atmosphere has already been formed in the venue. Fans' expectations for Yuzuru Hanyu remained unabated, whether in competitions or ice performances. This was reflected in the six-minute practice for "The Messenger of Destruction".

 

There were more young people in the venue, and it seemed that many were from China and South Korea. It goes without saying that everyone came just to see Yuzuru Hanyu. Indeed, this atmosphere must have been comfortable for Hanyu himself. In previous performances, there seemed to be strict requirements for "wearing masks", but this trend has waned now. Although many people still wore masks, many people took off their masks and sat in the audience. Seeing the expressions of the audience, Hanyu must have felt that the emotional transmission was more direct.

 

After the main performance, Hanyu returned to the backstage. After a while, he came out again for the encore, "Let Me Entertain You" followed by "SEIMEI" and "Introduction and Rondo", which was a time of great happiness for fans.

 

Hanyu was just like an artist performing a "live performance"! At concerts, singers usually perform songs from their latest albums, and for the encore, they sing popular songs at the moment. "I was like that when this song was popular." Fans must have such memories. On this day in Yokohama, these memories and emotions with these “songs” gushed out like a spring.

 

Seeing the enthusiastic atmosphere of the audience during the encore, I thought, "Maybe Hanyu can keep skating like this."

 

But looking at him, I also worry about whether he will continue to communicate with his "heart" to create works in the future? Hanyu is almost 30 years old, and I understand his desire to portray the delicate parts of the human "heart", but it is undoubtedly a "tough" job. Can Hanyu perform with a more relaxed mindset? This thought suddenly occurred to me when I looked at the audience seats where the fans were still lingering around.

 

 

PHOTO STORY: Yuzuru Hanyu SKATE & JOURNEY

The Starry Sky of Rifu in March

 

Mar 8, 2024, Sekisui Heim Super Arena

Text/Ryosuke Menju

 

Although indoors, it feels like being under the "starry sky". In the eyes of Hanyu, he clearly sees one star after another.

 

Spoiler

The Notte Stellata venue is located in Sendai Rifu Town, Sendai, just like last year. It is a bit far from the center of Sendai, and most of the fans who came to see the ice show took the shuttle bus. I flew from Osaka to Sendai Airport, then took the train and then a taxi to the venue. From the flight to Sendai Airport, you can see the scene of "Oh, those are fans going to notte stellata" everywhere.

 

Last year's collaboration with gymnast Kohei Uchimura caused a lot of discussion. I thought, "What kind of ice show is notte stellata?" "What kind of program will Hanyu present?" These were unknown before arriving at the ice rink. This year is the second time it has been held, and the audience has a deeper understanding of Hanyu's thoughts. This time, he worked with Ms. Daichi Mao, but the performance of "notte stellata" was the most impressive in my heart. Hanyu's posture was soft and smooth, and every movement made people think of the "starry sky". His eyes were mostly upwards. After becoming a professional, people tend to be attracted by new things, but the "notte stellata" on this day was particularly attractive. In

 

March 2011, an earthquake occurred, and as a victim, Hanyu experienced many difficult times. Everyone who suffered from the earthquake was full of anxiety about the future life, "What will life become from now on?" This anxiety has never dissipated. Despite this, from the spring of 2011 to today in 2024, the "starry sky" has always protected everyone. Notte stellata first conveyed this emotion, and created an atmosphere of "the performance is about to begin" with "notte stellata" as the opening. As the feeling gradually deepened in the quiet venue, the audience naturally immersed themselves in the performance more easily.

 

Last year was the first time it was held, and people might have wondered "What kind of performance is this", and it was also the first year of Hanyu's professional career change. Everyone is busy following his footsteps, but he decided to hold notte stellata again because it has a "special meaning" in his heart. Think about it, notte stellata is the only event held two years in a row. As a witness to the earthquake, it is for this reason that Hanyu feels that "there is something he can do" and then takes action to do it. I think this event will continue in the future. Compared to Sendai, it takes more "spirit" to go to Rifu. But holding an event here itself has a profound meaning. On the way back, Rifu in March was shrouded in the night sky, and those who came to the scene will surely deeply understand its meaning.

 

 

PHOTO STORY: Yuzuru Hanyu SKATE & JOURNEY

The determination of an artist.

 

May 24, 2024, Chiba - Makuhari

Text/Ryosuke Menju

 

Everyone present was attracted by "Danny Boy". 
Hanyu's emotions on the ice were clearly visible. 

 

Spoiler

In late May, as usual, I took the Shinkansen to Tokyo, then transferred to the Keiyo Line and arrived at Kaihimmakuhari, sighing in my mind, “This year’s summer has begun again.” The shooting location at FaOI this time was particularly good, and the shooting position on the short side in front was unexpectedly vacant. Thanks to this, I was able to take some very stunning photos.

 

After Hanyu's magnificent opening, he performed the first program at the end of the first half. This was the second time I have seen him perform "Danny Boy", after the last time at Notte Stellata in March. It's a gentle melody and a familiar tune often used in television commercials.

 

The performance was really great. Hanyu was wearing a white outfit that showed the innocence of a boy, and his expressiveness was really amazing as he paid attention to every detail. Hanyu focused on "artistry" in his performance skills. As there was no longer "win or lose" based on scores, he now puts all his energy and thoughts into "performance". Watching the performance, I also deeply felt the enthusiasm and motivation of Hanyu. Each performance had its own theme, and I felt the "awareness" of the performer. The "emotion" in every of his movement. I was so entranced that I forgot to breathe and felt like I was being "carried away".

 

Finale was also wonderful. He must have done a lot of muscle training for the "arm" under the sleeveless clothes, and there seemed to be nothing superfluous about his body and movements. At the end, they stood in a line to thank the artists. It was rare to see Hanyu looking very tired. He must have exhausted his last bit of strength, and it was really remarkable that he could persist to that extent.

 

At this point, the second year of Hanyu's career has completed.

 

Through all these practices, he probably figured out what he “really wants to do” and what “he should try to do next year.” Although it's just speculation, I think he will really start to think about spending two and a half hours or three hours to perform the performance that Yuzuru Hanyu wants to do - I have this feeling. To be honest, I think the goal that Yuzuru Hanyu is pursuing "may be beyond our understanding." My job title is "sports news photographer," but Hanyu seems to want to go in a different direction. I've started to feel this way recently.

 

So what does editor Mr. Y think?

 

"Hanyu's path to growth is full of infinite possibilities. If he decides to try new challenges in his only life, shouldn't we, as people who have been following him, support him?" (Editor Y)

 

I completely agree with this view. I choose to support Hanyu 100%! But frankly speaking, I feel a little lonely. However, I would like to support him with a hundred times more enthusiasm. This is my sincere words. Maybe in half a year, I will still be sitting by the ice rink like before, thinking about "how to start serializing in the magazine". But no one can predict the future, and that's why life is interesting.

 

A bright future is definitely waiting for Hanyu, and there are fans who will continue to support him. I hope he can firmly believe in the path he has chosen and move forward.

 

 

 

FS Magazine Press Conference Excerpts

 

Spoiler

Takagi: Notte Stellata was the first performance of Danny Boy at that time, and Kogaito-san, who watched the show in Miyagi at that time, said, "This show can be ranked in my top three." As a result, the music producer of the TV station directly told Hanyu-san, "Kogaito-san said this show is in his top three (favourite shows)" (laughs).

 

Kogaito: At that time, there were only me, the producer, and Takagi-san present. I never thought that what we said in private would reach Hanyu's ears (laughs). In addition, I have to correct it. Although I said impulsively "they can be ranked in the top three of my favourites", but when it comes down to it, "One of them is Chopin, and the other one...", I really can't decide. So I want to change it to "they can be ranked in the top two of my favourites."

 

Yamaguchi: What was Hanyu-san's expression when he heard it?

 

Kogaito: I didn’t see his expression. To be honest, I felt very embarrassed (laughs). And what if he thought I was arrogant and conceited after hearing what I said? I was very anxious about this for a while.

 

Yoshida: Hahaha (laughs).

 

Kogaito: Can I also talk about my own personal memories of the PyeongChang Olympics? That was the day when Hanyu won the gold medal. The stadium was very far away from the medal ceremony square. Normally, it would take about 40 minutes to drive there. But since figure skating ended at noon, there was plenty of time. However, when I got in a taxi to the medal ceremony square, there was a huge traffic jam on the highway...

 

Yamaguchi: Now that you mention it, I remember that day, the wind was particularly strong. I waited and waited, but you still didn’t get to the medal ceremony square. I have this impression.

 

Kogaito: Then it was almost time. When I got off the highway, I thought, "I might as well run", and I got out of the taxi and ran directly to the medal ceremony square. “I could run over there, probably in this direction”—that was all I knew. At that time, I could see the “Olympic flame” from a distance. From there, I carried a 20kg camera bag and ran towards the Olympic flame while chanting “Hanyu’s gold medal” “Hanyu’s gold medal” …

 

Takagi & Yoshida: Hahaha (laughing until tears).

 

Kogaito: I ran as hard as I could for 30 minutes, and I finally caught up!

 

Takagi: The “picture” of him on the podium is great.

 

Yoshida: Ah, it’s the picture of Hanyu-san jumping on the podium.