[2024.09.15] Challenge- Charity Event to Support Noto Peninsula

[Wintek]

Compilation of written interviews published in the context of the "Charity Event to Support Noto Peninsula -Challenge". The event was held in Ishikawa Prefecture (Wajima & Kanazawa connected virtually) on September 15, 2024.

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2024.09.12

 

Source: https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/316414?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20240911235143/https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/316414?page=1

 

 

"Is there anything I can do for Noto?" Yuzuru Hanyu's thoughts on the disaster-stricken area; charity performance to be held on the 15th.

 

Spoiler

Bringing smiles and energy through his performance. Yuzuru Hanyu (29), a professional skater who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, and others will appear in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance" on the 15th in Ishikawa Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January. Due to venue restrictions, the event will be streamed online. Proceeds from the live and on-demand streams will be donated to Ishikawa Prefecture. A representative from Kanazawa TV, the local station that organised the performance, spoke to us in an interview and revealed Hanyu's wishes for reconstruction.

 

"Is there anything I can do for Noto?". Hanyu, who was affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, had mixed feelings about the current situation in Noto.

 

The Noto Peninsula has poor transportation access, and even eight months after the earthquake, recovery has not progressed sufficiently. Hearing Hanyu's strong desire to help, Kanazawa TV's representative explained, “We hope for a swift recovery and wish for the people to regain their vitality quickly. Despite the many difficulties, we wanted to overcome them together and move toward a brighter future. We thought about what we could do and decided to collaborate with Hanyu.”

Meetings began in earnest in late April. The project was titled "Challenge." The person in charge recalled, "Hanyu told us, 'If there's anything I can do, I want to do it.' We empathized with that sentiment and the project moved forward. The title was chosen to convey the message, 'There will be difficulties, but let's all work together to overcome them and aim for a brighter future.' When we explained the idea to Hanyu, he agreed, saying, 'I think that's a good idea.'"

 

Hanyu shared ideas through emails and remote meetings in between his busy schedules. The person in charge said, "We asked Hanyu and his team to think about what kind of songs would be appropriate, taking into consideration his thoughts, and we also discussed whether it would be possible for people from Noto to participate." The performance will feature not only Hanyu and Akiko Suzuki, a bronze medalist at the 2012 World Championships, but also Noto High School’s calligraphy club and the Wajima Taiko group, “Wajima Taiko Toranosuke.” In addition, there are plans to connect video with the Noto area and interact with the disaster victims.

 

Recovery is still only halfway through. That is why Hanyu himself is particularly determined to hold the event in Ishikawa Prefecture. The representative spoke sincerely, “Hanyu has visited Noto and walked around various places. He said, ‘I want to skate in a way that will help cheer up the local people, even if only a little. I feel that it is meaningful to perform in Ishikawa.’ We hope to create an event that can support and encourage people to move forward with energy and positivity.”

 

Public viewing venues will be set up in four locations in the Noto area to distribute the video of the performance to those affected by the disaster. Hanyu expressed his determination through Kanazawa TV, "There are people who are suffering right now, so I hope I can somehow give them some strength. I really want to skate with all my heart." As a skater who knows the feelings of the disaster victims, he brings hope to Ishikawa Prefecture.

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2024.09.15

 

Source: https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202409150001171.html

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20240915122102/https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202409150001171.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20240915135516/https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202409150001171.html?Page=2

https://web.archive.org/web/20240915141509/https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202409150001171.html?Page=3

https://web.archive.org/web/20240915142225/https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202409150001171.html?Page=4

Info: https://www.tvkanazawa.co.jp/event/notocharity

 

 

[Figure Skating] Yuzuru Hanyu’s Thoughts on the Noto Reconstruction Support Show: “Delivering a wave of energy from this place” – Full Comments

 

On the 15th, a charity performance titled "Challenge" to support the reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula was held in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The event featured Yuzuru Hanyu (29), two-time Olympic gold medalist in men's figure skating, along with other skaters such as Takahito Mura, Akiko Suzuki, and Satoko Miyahara. They collaborated with the traditional Japanese drum group Taiko Toranosuke and the calligraphy club of Noto High School to create a performance aimed at supporting those affected by the severe damage from the January Noto Peninsula earthquake. Due to venue constraints, the show was livestreamed, and the proceeds from both the live and on-demand streams will be donated to Ishikawa Prefecture.

After the performance, the four skaters spoke with the media. Here are their comments:

 

Spoiler

- Can each of you share your thoughts on what you wanted to convey through your performance?

Mura: It is not easy to hold a charity event, even if it is just once, but we were able to hold the event with the help of Yuzu-kun. I feel that it was very meaningful for me to skate here, and I hope that I could convey the message of “It's going to be OK,” which is in the lyrics of the song “San San” that I skated, to the audience and many others who watched the stream this time. I participated in this event with the hope that the audience would find the energy to face tomorrow and move on to the next step.

Hanyu: I know there are people from all walks of life who are watching the event, some who are suffering and others who are doing okay. I skated with the hope that, even just a little, it could spread smiles among those watching.

Miyahara: I am happy that I was able to participate in this charity show, an opportunity that does not come along very often. I performed with the hope that my skating could be of some help to people.

Suzuki: Every time an earthquake like this happens, I feel so powerless. However, I hoped that we could convey something meaningful through this opportunity. With that feeling in my heart, I skated with all my might today. Thank you for this opportunity.

 

- I’d like to ask Hanyu-san. Since becoming a professional, have there been any changes in how you approach disaster-stricken areas or what you feel you can do?

Hanyu: For me, one of the major goals I had, alongside winning two Olympic gold medals, was to start supporting and caring for disaster-stricken areas from here on out, so I've always worked hard at my sport. Now that I’ve finally turned professional, I’m gradually beginning to focus my heart on disaster areas and various calamities. I am a skater first and foremost, so I thought I would like to support people, to help them emotionally, through my performance. For example, "Notte Stellata" is about various disasters that occur from time to time, including the 3.11 earthquake. This time, we specifically did it as a charity for the earthquake in the Noto region.

 

- I don't think Hanyu has had many opportunities to perform "Haru yo, Koi" with such bright lighting.

Hanyu: First of all, the reason why we considered to perform without lighting (spotlight) was to minimise the budget and donate as much money as possible to the charity. The primary goal was to keep the scale as small as possible. Ultimately, we decided to go without show lighting to reduce production costs, which gave the performance a different look. I’m happy that regular viewers could experience a different perspective, and for us, performing for charity also brought a completely different emotional experience, and we performed with a clear intention directed specifically towards the people of the Noto region.

Suzuki: It’s been a while since we performed without show lighting. I felt like I was being watched as I made my entrance, but it was also very refreshing to skate today.

 

- Please tell us about the finale, "Que Sera Sera".

Hanyu: Personally, I really like Mrs. GREEN APPLE. The song itself has a kind of Okinawan "nankurunaisa" spirit (T/N: “everything will be alright in the end”). Akiko Suzuki-san choreographed it with the feeling of telling yourself to move forward no matter what happens. I feel that we all really cherished the vocals and each note of the song, and skated with hope in our hearts.

 

- When you skated to "Haru yo, Koi," it seemed like you lowered your upper body into the ice more than usual.

It's a technique called hydroblading, and it is originally intended at that level in the program, so there's nothing particularly profound about it, but even though this site, and the surrounding area itself, wasn't an area that suffered major damage, the region as a whole suffered particularly severe damage; or to put it more broadly, the ground around here shook violently, so I felt like I wanted things to calm down.

 

- The memory of the Noto earthquake is fading. I think it was meaningful for Hanyu to skate. Please tell us your thoughts on this again.

Hanyu: Just like with the 3.11 disaster, the farther we are from the capital, the less coverage it receives, and progress tends to make the news only occasionally. It's an area where reconstruction is slow and the road restrictions are much greater than in normal places, so I think it must be really tough, both when I saw the news and when I went there in person. It's difficult for us to do much about the fading memory of the disaster, but as I said earlier, I wanted to support disaster relief and achieve back-to-back Olympic titles, to use this achievement in a positive way, to use this fame to contribute, and the same goes for those who bought tickets to the stream this time, I hope to be of some help, even if just a little, whether through money or attention.

 

- I heard that you actually visited the disaster area and interacted with the junior high school students. What did you say to them during that time?

Hanyu: I've had many opportunities to see the current situation on the news and in the newspapers, but when I actually saw it in person, I was very shocked to see how much of it was left as it was. I can’t make any deep comments on whether it’s making progress or not, but I felt that the scars were still very raw. The local people also said that time had stopped, and that they still remember "this happened here" every time they go there, or that "this place was destroyed." I also heard them say "I don't want to go back there." That really struck me deeply, and it was painful.

When I met the children, I told them that no matter how difficult things may be, eventually, you have to do something when the time comes. No matter how much they don't want to do it, no matter how much they fail to make progress, when the deadline comes, they still have to move forward. I said this to them. It’s been more than six months since the disaster, and I think people are thinking about what they can do and what progress is being made. Sometimes things will come in their own time, and if they don’t, there’s nothing you can do but accept it. However, I hope that within that acceptance, there are still plenty of smiles and hard work put into it at that time.

 

- Please tell us why it was important to you to skate in Ishikawa even in the form of a live stream.

Hanyu: When we first decided to do this broadcast format, we could have skated in other regions, and I think we could have done a lot of different things if we had wanted to. However, I wanted to skate as close as possible to those who have suffered, those who are currently struggling, and those who are facing various difficulties. We really feel the power of the region and the atmosphere on site while we skate, so I wanted to honour the importance of that atmosphere and hoped that, even a little, the energy from this place would resonate and reach everyone through the broadcast.