[2011] Japanese Men's Figure Skating Fan Book Cutting Edge

[yuzurujenn]

Feb 12, 2011: Japanese Men's Figure Skating Fan Book Cutting Edge 2011

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4789961974/ 

 

July 19, 2011: Japanese Men's Figure Skating Fan Book Cutting Edge 2011+Plus

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4789961982 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

Feb 12, 2011: Japanese Men's Figure Skating Fan Book Cutting Edge 2011

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4789961974/ 

 

Source: 

https://ameblo.jp/ostrum6/entry-12863465099.html
https://ameblo.jp/ostrum6/entry-12865889504.html 
https://hanyusan.tumblr.com/post/184228196917/an-interview-from-yuzurus-olden-days-2011 

 

 

Spoiler

🟥What are you focusing recently in preparation for your senior debut?

 

Right now, I'm doing a lot of stretching. I've recently been able to land quadruple jumps, and my triple axel has become more stable, but it feels like my body has become stiffer. I think I’ve developed muscles that might interfere with the flexibility needed for jumping. To be honest, I haven't really done much stretching or flexibility training until now. I’ve been naturally flexible since I started skating as a kid, probably because I practiced with my older sister. I might not have put much emphasis on care because I was as flexible as the other girls. But I definitely need to start paying attention to it now. Not just stretching, but also strengthening the muscles around my hips and my core muscles is something I plan to focus on going forward.

 

Do you have a trainer?
I don’t have a dedicated trainer at the rink, but my dad has some knowledge and acts as my trainer to some extent. Also, the chiropractor I’ve been seeing since I was little really cares about me and offers advice. I plan to keep learning about my body and ensure I take proper care of it. Even when I move up to the senior level, I still want to do the Biellmann spin! I'll keep doing the Biellmann. Plushenko gave up midway, but I'll keep doing it until my back breaks (laughs)

 

🟥 Do you have any pain right now? 
Not at all, I don’t have anything. I really… don’t want to talk about injuries or feeling unwell. I’m a man, and I hate showing weakness! Not long ago, I didn’t mention anything about my body to Abe-sensei, and she got mad at me (laughs). But if I get injured or my condition worsens during a competition, I think it’s because I’m not managing my body well. Self-management is really important… but I’ll be fine; even if my body breaks down, I’ll still land my quadruple jumps! No, no, I’ll take care of myself properly so that I don’t disappear due to an injury. I absolutely won’t disappear. No matter what happens, I will continue as an athlete! Oh, forget that last statement. I said something a bit cool (laughs). Kanako will definitely tease me again, saying, ‘Yuzu, you’re trying to be cool again!’”

 

🟥Who supports Hanyu's skating?
"The people who support my skating are... my family, I guess. My dad is my trainer, my mom is my manager, and my older sister who started skating with me. When I was younger, I just loved skating and had fun going to the rink and playing with my sister. My family supports me the most, and I think they are the people who give me the most strength. My mom, for example, has been working hard recently to make the costume for my free program, which was designed by Johnny Weir.
My coaches, too... I trust Nanami-sensei (Coach Nanami Abe). She also thinks seriously about me, and I think I was able to win the World Junior Championship because I had a program that Nanami-sensei made and taught me. It's thanks to Nanami-sensei that I've come this far.

 

There is also a young sensei, Tanaka Souji, at the rink... Whenever I practice hard or do well in a competition, Souji-sensei sometimes gives me a present as a "Good Work Award". He said something cool like, "Yuzuru always works so hard, I can't help but buy them!!" (laughs). I first appeared in a show with Souji-sensei at Prince's Hachinohe concert! Sensei...was good. Sensei is a jumper, so he can jump and dance, and he's cool. It was a little awkward to be compared to Sensei in terms of dancing (laughs). I was surprised. Also, when I said, "Today, please jump an Axel at the triple flip part!!", he specially did an Axel just for the Hachinohe show!

 

🟥Which skater are you close with?
Kento-kun (Nakamura Kento)!
He came from Tokyo to our summer training camp in Sendai, so we talked about a lot of things other than skating, and we practiced jumps together.
I think the most fulfilling time this year was the training camp when Kento came. It’s definitely easier to practice when there’s someone to compete with. We both had fighting spirit, and it turned out to be a great practice.

 

Then, I met Plushenko and Johnny at the ice show... both of them praised me a lot. Plushenko praised my jumps, and after he taught me the Biellmann, I was able to spin pretty fast! Johnny told me, "You understand the music really well. You'll be fine, so do your best!" Both of them are top athletes that I really looked up to, I loved them, I've always supported them, they're people I look up to, or rather, I dream about. To have them praise me like that gave me a lot of confidence and made me think "I really have to work hard." I was able to talk like this with the person who was my hero and god, even if we're not quite as friends... we're more like seniors and juniors. It makes me really happy.

 

I'm rather the type of person who doesn't like being alone. For example, I give gifts to friends I've become close with because I want us to have the same keychain.
I just want to be connected to people. I'm the kind of guy who lives for connection with each and every person. So if I stop skating, those connections with people will end. I'll be alone... I don't want to forget the people who are connected to me, the people I've been connected to, and I really want to be grateful to everyone. I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone and give back if I can. As for the way I can give back now...I'm working hard on skating, so I guess it's just to skate well and show it to everyone.
 

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

July 19, 2011: Japanese Men's Figure Skating Fan Book Cutting Edge 2011+Plus

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4789961982

 

Source: 

https://card.weibo.com/article/m/show/id/2309404613527590535321 

https://originallove.livejournal.com/20187.html

 

 

 

From 20110507 Interview of Aichi Charity Ice Show

 

As it had been reported, Yuzuru Hanyu was training at a skating rink near his home in Sendai when the Great East Japan Earthquake happened. Although he and his family are safe, his home rink was destroyed severely and he has been spending his off-season without a place to practice. This interview took place approximately two months after the quake, while he was in Toyohashi to participate in a charity exhibition. We felt relieved to see the same smile he had been showing us during the skating season.
 

Spoiler

Well, I can’t keep feeling down like this! But even now, as soon as I close my eyes, various images come flooding back. The feeling of the ice shaking, the ground vibrating as if it were going to buckle, the instinctive fear that made my legs move restlessly... that moment when the ice rink began to crumble is vividly etched in my mind.

 

That day happened to be during a break after exams, so I went ice skating. At the Sendai rink, there was a senior named Takumi Suenaga, who was back from an ice show tour abroad. Since the rink wasn’t very crowded, it felt almost like we had the place to ourselves. That’s when the earthquake struck... I really felt helpless.

 

Actually, when I was very young, probably in the second or third grade, I experienced several major earthquakes at this same rink. During an evening practice, there were about six strong tremors, each around magnitude 5. At that time, my mom was working next door at DAIEI supermarket in a men's clothing retail store. I suddenly remembered that DAIEI was full of glass walls and had many tall shelves. I remember being shaken by the earthquake while worrying, “Is Mom okay?” That feeling, the fear of possibly losing my family in an earthquake, probably still lingers somewhere in my heart. So every time a major earthquake occurs, I feel completely at a loss...

 

That day, memories from my childhood resurfaced. All I could do was shout, “Ah! No!” while holding onto Takumi tightly. He protected my head and said, “It’s okay! It’s okay!” But all I could do was repeatedly shout, “No, no, no, no!”...

 

I was really, really scared. The sounds during the shaking were unlike anything from this world. I heard the sound of the rental skates rack clattering down, and the glass doors at the entrance distorting. “Clash, clash, clash, clash.” Then all the doors suddenly flung open with a bang. “No way, no way, don’t do this! It can’t be happening!”... I was crying, seriously.

 

Just as the first wave was about to end, I thought, “Ah, it’s finally over,” and sighed in relief... then I heard a loud bang. I wondered what it was, only to see the wall next to the rink cracking apart. It wasn’t during the shaking; it was just as the tremors were about to stop, right when I thought, “Ah, it’s finally going to settle down,” and then, bam! Even Takumi said, “This time, it’s probably really bad.” I kept shouting, “No, no, no, no!”...

 

When I finally calmed down enough to escape, I crawled out on all fours. My legs were completely stiff, and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even put on my ice skate covers; I just fled on bare blades. As soon as the blades hit the concrete floor, they were completely damaged. I thought, “This is bad,” and desperately took off my skates, but I couldn’t let go of them...

 

It was really cold outside. I ran out wearing only a short-sleeved practice outfit, and it had started to snow. My Team Japan jacket, luggage, and my regular shoes were all left inside the rink. After that, there were several aftershocks, and more and more people were fleeing. The snow turned into a blizzard.

 

Takumi and I were shaking and saying, “What are we going to do...?” Then someone coming out of the rink told us what was happening inside, which left us in shock. The water pipes, or sewer pipes, which were supposed to be installed on the ceiling of the rink, had all broken, so the rink was flooded with water, and the ice-making equipment was damaged... While we were at a loss, just saying “What do we do?” over and over, the coaches helped us get our luggage out, and finally, we were able to put on our jackets... It felt like we had finally been rescued.

 

My family members were all in different places when the earthquake occurred. I was practicing at the rink, my sister was working at the same rink but was on her way home after finishing her shift (she had a part-time job there), my mom was at home, and my dad was at work.

 

The calmest one was probably my sister. She was almost home but rushed back to the rink, came to my side, and told me, “It’s okay!” After calming me down, she brought Mom from home, and the three of us went to seek shelter together.

 

The telephone poles in the street had fallen, the sewer lines were broken, and manhole covers had been blown off, causing flooding everywhere... Then, because of the power outage, it gradually became pitch black. I could only stare blankly and think, “What is going on...?” Thankfully, our house was not so damaged, the bathroom walls had crumbled slightly, and there were cracks in the walls of other rooms. Everything on the shelves had fallen, and the piano had toppled over.

 

After seeing the various situations, I thought, “This is really serious...” However, because there was no electricity, I didn’t fully grasp the earthquake's real damage, and we settled in at the shelter that night. Since Dad couldn’t come back from work, it was just the three of us—my sister, mom, and me—spending the night in a space of about two tatami mats (approximately 3.6 square meters). It was an incredibly cramped space, and we had only one blanket to huddle under... It was really cold. There was only one light, powered by gasoline. With no heating, it was... very cold.

 

What shocked me was the next day. I had thought the affected areas were only inland. It wasn’t until the morning when the newspaper was delivered to the shelter that I finally understood what had happened. During the four days in the shelter, there was nothing to do, so I just sat there staring at the ceiling, thinking. “It’s not the time to be skating,” “No, it’s not right to skate in this situation,” “No, I can give up skating now, right?”

 

The baseball team from my high school was also discussing whether they could go to Koshien, and if it was right to go to Koshien. My situation was not that serious, but basically it was the same. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be better to do volunteer work?” I considered these kinds of questions. “As a skater, I’ve reached a decent level, so if I visit various shelters, maybe I could help in some way.” At first, I didn’t have the mindset to think about my own skating. But once I calmed down a bit and started to think about my own situation, I felt, “Why is my skating career like this?”... I had to suffer a once in a thousand years catastrophe, I lost my home rink...why did it have to happen to me? I pondered over it over and over. During the four days in the shelter and the following week, I thought about many things.

 

Ten days after the earthquake, I resumed practice. Of course, I couldn’t skate in Sendai, so I visited the Higashi Kanagawa rink, where my former coach, Shoichiro Tsuzuki, was now working. By the way, it was the rink of Akira Sasaki and the others. I was invited to participate in a charity performance in Kobe, so I thought I really needed to skate.

 

But having not skated for ten days, I couldn’t jump at all. My muscle strength had declined. The difference was in the inner thigh; the muscles there had completely disappeared. Another month passed, and I’ve recovered a lot now, but still not enough. At my thinnest, my thighs were only about three-quarters the size they are now. I’m the type that loses weight as soon as I stop practicing, so I’d probably end up skinny like a stick after retiring (laughs). After resuming practice, my muscle mass was just barely enough to manage a triple axel, and I couldn’t do any quadruple jumps at all.

 

What troubled me for a long time after that was the memory of the earthquake... I’ve always placed a lot of importance on “imagery”; I pay close attention to it when I jump. When I’m in good shape, I can visualize a 3D image of my jumping posture while I’m in the air. I can sense, “Ah, this part is a bit off; let me adjust it.” When I’m really in great form, I can see in a 360-degree view. Because I always do this... I remember everything I saw during the moment of the earthquake. I was just holding onto Takumi tightly, yet I somehow saw everything. After the earthquake, whenever I closed my eyes, those images would come rushing back...

 

On one hand, the impression was too vivid, and on the other hand, I had a habit of doing image training. These two factors combined made it really painful; I didn’t want to close my eyes and just stared at the ceiling in the shelter. Whenever I fell asleep, those images would appear in my dreams, and for the first three days, I had several nightmares. I’ve talked about so much today; tonight... no, no, it’s okay now (laughs). But back then, I was really scared.

 

(Hoping to lighten his mood, I changed the topic to discuss his rivals. (Artur) Gachinski won a bronze medal at the senior world championships, where Yuzuru Hanyu couldn’t compete.)

 

Hehehe, Gachinski! Of course... it was like a roaring fire! To be honest, I felt really frustrated by that result. It was definitely frustrating! Even though I didn't compete in the same event and had better results than him at the junior championships, this was the world championships! He performed quadruple jumps in both the short program and free skate and secured that placement! It’s a bit... a bit frustrating. Even though I lost to him at Cup of Russia earlier this season, it felt like I lost completely to him this time, even offsetting that junior competition.

 

After watching the men’s singles free skate at the World championships... I couldn’t sleep until three in the morning. I was thinking, “Damn it!” (laughs) “Why can he jump so well, but I can’t land a quadruple jump?” During that time, I was lucky enough to participate in Prince Ice World, where I was supposed to challenge myself to a quadruple jump in the finale, but out of ten performances, I only landed two. That was incredibly frustrating! “Why can’t I jump?” Ah!! I kept thinking this while doing image training over and over, and I got more and more excited, still wide awake at three (laughs).

 

But in the end, it’s because there are competitors like Gachinski that I feel it’s great to have moved up to the senior level. We can motivate each other to skate, which is wonderful. Last fall, when I lost to him at COR, I felt very frustrated. But then I thought that it was precisely that frustration from COR that drove me to work hard and earn second place in the short program at the national championships. When I placed second at 4CC, it was surely because that frustration from COR stayed in my heart. The motivation that makes me stronger has increased from the frustration of losing. Originally, I had about three sources of motivation; now, I have around six. If that motivation could turn into the energy in my legs to help me land jumps, I’d be really happy (laughs).

 

(Besides Gachinski, former rivals from his junior days, Song Nan and Ross Miner, both made their world championship debuts this season. Ross particularly mentioned in a magazine interview that after the 3.11 disaster, knowing that Hanyu was from Sendai, he immediately asked his followers on Twitter about Hanyu’s situation. Ross also told reporters that Hanyu is not only a great competitor but also a really nice guy.)

 

Ross is really a nice guy... I heard that Kevin Reynolds was also concerned about me. During JGPF, I chatted with Ross and Song Nan. But it was like, we were all speaking different languages (laughs). Ross spoke fluently in English, I just said the words I knew, and Song Nan spoke Chinese, so we relied a lot on body language and the atmosphere! Ross would say, “Is it...?” and we’d be like, “Huh? Huh?” (laughs). But even just that was really enjoyable... They both competed at the world championships in their first year as seniors... I still can’t. After all, Japan has a deep pool of skaters, and I still have a long way to go to surpass those top three; that’s how I feel this season.

 

But next time... of course, I want to compete! Although I don’t know if I can surpass those three, I have to put in the effort with the determination to catch up to them. The Sochi Olympics are approaching, and if I want to represent Japan in Sochi, I need that drive to compete at the next world championships. Next time, I can’t keep saying I just moved up a level. I have to push myself as a top competitor in the senior ranks!

 

As for my second place at this year’s Four Continents? ... That was just because everyone made mistakes. But I still think I can take pride in that result. I delivered such a performance at the final competition of the season, and it was at a championship. I feel like that’s something I can always be proud of.

 

Looking back on this year, I can say that the culmination of my performances from the NHK Cup to the All Day was demonstrated at the 4CC. I was judged KO because of the 3A3T at COR, but I made up for it at the national championships. The quadruple jump that I was able to land at NHK, I successfully landed again at 4CC. Considering all of this, this year can be seen as one where I addressed challenges while also achieving results.

 

As for what my upcoming training will be like... I don’t know yet. I think I might bother the Higashi Kanagawa rink for a while.

 

When the Sendai ice rink was closed, I didn’t know the details, but it seemed that everyone came to ask, “Is the practice place okay?” In particular, Kansai University’s Mie Hamada and Yamato Tamura were very worried about me and contacted Nanami. I’m really grateful for that. But the Chubu and Kansai regions are far from Sendai, and I was worried, “Is it really okay for someone like me, who can’t adapt right away, to bother them?”

 

Thinking this way, if I were to go to Higashi Kanagawa, I would have my coach Tsuzuki, whom I’ve known since elementary school, so I thought it would be better to go there. Hehehe, Tsuzuki-sensei used to be quite scary, but now he doesn’t scold me or get angry at all. In fact, he hardly says anything, but that’s just fine. As long as Sensei is beside me, I feel a sense of reassurance. Patrick Chan also said that when he followed an older coach, it was enough just to have the coach nearby. I feel the same way. However, I feel sorry because... as soon as I arrived, the ice resurfacer at Higashi Kanagawa broke down! It seems the track snapped with a “crack!” “Huh? Am I a jinx?” (laughs)

 

I'm currently based in Higashi Kanagawa and have received numerous invitations for ice shows, so I'm traveling around the country and living in hotels. Before the shows, I can practice at the rink, and during the performances, they take care of my accommodation. When I am in Higashi-Kanagawa, I live in a business hotel...  So, my daily life looks like that.

 

At the ice shows... I was really on the verge of tears at the first Kobe charity ice show I was invited to. I skated to "White Legend," a piece that embodies the themes of "departure" and "soaring high," so I decided to perform it at the charity show. It starts with a sombre melody, representing the initial awakening after the disaster, a time of confusion and darkness, filled with uncertainty, wondering, “What’s happening?” As the music builds, I start questioning, “What should I do now? What can I do here?” and struggle with those feelings. Finally, it transforms into, “I want to skate!” and “From here, I’ll keep moving forward!” I wanted to express this emotional shift through "White Legend" during my performance in Kobe.

 

After skating, I addressed the audience on the ice and skated an encore... I almost cried. "White Legend" was completed because of this disaster. The emotions felt completely different from when I skated it before... The free skate " Zigeunerweisen" I performed at Prince Ice World was the same. During competitions, I also had the thought of “wanting to express something,” but since it’s such a technically demanding program, I was constantly preoccupied with the jumps. It’s so challenging that even Nanami-sensei, who created the program for me, joked, “This is as difficult as a devil!” (laughs). However, after skating ten performances at PIW, I felt something had changed by the last show. I can’t quite explain it, but for the first time, I felt like I was really integrating emotion into "Zigeunerweisen" It’s hard to put that feeling into words... I could only express it through my body, as if emotions were welling up from within me.

 

Cutting Edge asked me this before, right? If I was an artist or an athlete? Since then, I have always thought that I must become an artist. However, athletes also have their strengths. They are strong and powerful, have excellent jumping skills, etc. It is natural to have these skills as athletes, and become an artist based on them. This is my goal, just like Arakawa who won the gold medal in Turin.

 

Living in the shelter made me reconsider many of these things. I want to reach that level, that step in my goal. It’s precisely because I’ve gone through these experiences, because of the disaster, that various emotions have emerged. I think there are things that were accomplished because of the earthquake.

Another important realization from this experience is that “after all, I’m supported by many people.”

 

First, there are my family who support me directly, and indirectly, there are those who help me through donation activities. There are so many people cheering for me... I received countless letters from fans and people who are waiting for me. In the letters I received after the ice shows, many expressed concern, saying, “When I heard about Sendai during the earthquake, I immediately started worrying about you, Yuzuru.” There were also those on Twitter saying, “Don’t give up on skating.” Johnny Weir even seemed to have tweeted to me right away. And there are the athletes who performed for us... I was in the Fuji TV live studio watching with Akiko and Shizuka during the world championships, and Yuko Kawaguchi’s program with a Japanese song... it was very moving. Even though I can’t skate right now due to the rink damage, many people are working hard to reopen the rink. The manager, the operators at Kato Shokai, and all the coaches... I’ve heard a lot about their efforts to revive the rink. Plus, there are the media people who convey my current situation. I am living with the support of all these people... I’ve been really reflecting on this.

 

Also, I think music supports me too. BUMP and Hi-Fi... I’ve loved their music for a long time, but after the disaster, it all feels different. For example, BUMP’s “supernova,” FUNKY MONKEY BABYS’ “Ato Hitotsu,” and Hi-Fi CAMP’s “R.” The lyrics in “R,” like “People cannot live alone” and “I want to become a gentle person”... they’re so touching. The song also says, “What I can do, anyone can do, so what should I do?” This made me think, “Then I should skate.” In the shelter, I listened to it on my sister’s iPod, and burst into tears...

 

I’m truly supported by so many people, and I’m also supported by music. It’s because of all these people that I’m able to skate now. And I feel that since there are people supporting me, it’s okay to rely on them right now. Even if I lean on them, as long as I do my best at what I need to do, that’s enough... I’ve really thought a lot about these questions.

 

And, of course, it’s thanks to the people supporting me that I can say this... I feel that having come this far, it’s no longer a matter of opponents, disasters, training environments, or losing to someone or not. It’s now a battle between me and myself. I must set my own goals and push forward toward them.

 

For a time, I really thought, “I don’t want to skate,” “I don’t need to skate anymore,” “Such a big earthquake happened, there's nothing I can do. I’ve endured so much pain, so I don’t need to skate anymore. I just want to go back to being an ordinary high school student and live a normal life.” I seriously thought this. But in the end, I was blaming the earthquake for my feeling of "not wanting to skate."

 

It was at that time that I received an invitation saying, "There’s a charity performance; do you want to participate?" So I thought, "Then I’ll skate!" And I decided that if I was going to skate, I must not blame the earthquake or the rink condition anymore. It's true that the lack of a proper practice environment made things very difficult. But as the new season began, I didn’t want people to think, “Yuzuru’s performance declined because of the earthquake.” Of course, I would never abandon my pride as a representative of the victims, but I didn’t want the outcome to be “I tried hard despite the earthquake” or “I couldn’t try hard because of the earthquake.” Instead, I wanted to have the strength to fight as an ordinary competitor.

 

So, I really had no choice but to work hard. The only thing I can do now is to push straight toward the top with everything I’ve got. For that, I want to give it my all and do everything I can!

 

 

Skating and Love Column: 

 

Spoiler

— Sorry to keep you waiting! Let’s chat with Yuzuru Hanyu about love! First, I want to ask a question everyone gets asked: do you think love is... necessary for figure skating?

Not necessary. Because I want to focus on skating! Ah, but... um, wait a minute! This question is tough. Um, what do other people say?

 

— It seems like more female skaters say it’s necessary. Young skaters, regardless of gender, often say it’s not necessary.

Yeah, I also don’t think it’s particularly necessary. But if I had a girlfriend, it might feel more reassuring. You can’t really know what it’s like unless you experience it.

 

— Can’t know without experiencing it! Even though you’re still young, what’s your ideal love like?

It would be better if the other person is “easy-going.” Like, “If we’re dating, you must do this for me,” or “We have to meet on my birthday.” I don’t want to be tied down by such things, and I don’t want to restrict the other person either.

 

— Is it better for your girlfriend to be a skater or not?

A skater, of course! If we’re both skaters, we can talk about skating, and having something in common makes things easier. It’s tough if it’s just a school friend without any common ground in skating.

 

— Can you give an example of your type using an actress?

I’ve liked Ayaka Ueto for a long time. Recently, I’ve started to like Maki Horikita.

 

— Okay, let’s say you have a cute girlfriend who resembles Maki Horikita and is also a skater. But one day, you have to choose between skating and her. What would you do?

If I was pushed to a corner... I would choose skating. Because we would have connected because of skating. So if I gave up skating, wouldn’t that mean losing my connection with her too?