[2024.11.12] Ginza Magazine - December 2024 Special Edition [My Wish List]

[yuzurujenn]

 

Info: 
https://x.com/GINZA_magazine/status/1855415112800096561

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DMSBWSK7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCG5Q9_SQn1/

 

Quote

#YuzuruHanyu makes his first appearance in the special edition of the December issue of GINZA, featuring a special feature on "My Wish List" ❄️In addition to a newly shot fashion story, we've also realized a long interview with the keyword "gift". It also comes with an original postcard🎁The feature is packed with the current desires of that person you're interested in, such as things they want to do, people they want to meet, outfits they want to try, and fashion and culture spots in Tokyo they want to visit, and puts them together as a wish list.ﾟ

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2024.11.12

 

Source: Ginza Magazine December 2024 special edition, pg 81
Alt CN translation: https://weibo.com/6473801248/OFTTgf6uJ

 

The happiness of being able to perform focusing solely on the gift of blessings.

 

Spoiler

The final shot of a non-stop, 7-hour long shoot, interrupted only by short breaks. In the cyclorama studio, Yuzuru Hanyu repeatedly performed rotating jumps. With all his senses heightened, even to the tips of his fingers and toes, he faced the camera with incredible concentration. Amid the lightning-like flashes and the sound of strobes charging, his body no longer seemed human but more like that of a dragon in motion.

 

"For this shoot, I tried a hands-free cartwheel for the first time. It was fun to improvise and create freely with the cameraman and lighting team, working in perfect harmony. I've worn Gucci's clothes many times as an ambassador, but every time, I feel like I'm wrapped in something of the highest quality, with just the right weight, texture, and functionality. As I approached the shoot, I thought about how I wanted these special clothes to be seen, and how I wanted to move in them."

 

He sees them as "costumes" rather than as fashion. This awareness is probably something he has cultivated as a skater.

 

"Only I know myself best. But I can't just focus on my own perspective—I always have to think about how I am perceived by those around me. No matter how much I refine my expressions, if it doesn’t resonate with the viewers, it’s meaningless. I think this way because I’ve always been in a world where my performances were judged. In competitions, when an abstract performance gets a score from 0 to 10, if I’m satisfied with my own internal standards, it won't lead to a good result. Even though it's impossible to make everyone happy, I've always tried to create something that anyone would rate at least a 7, and I’m still on that path Furthermore, as a professional now, I believe I won’t survive in the entertainment world unless I produce something even more special from within myself."

 

It has been over two years since he declared his transition to professional figure skating in July 2022. During this time, he moved beyond the world of competitions and aimed for even greater heights, becoming the first in the figure skating world to hold a solo performance and successfully complete a solo tour. Has his mindset changed during this time?

 

"In these two years, I’ve had more opportunities to plan and write stories for my original shows, and in reflecting on the past, I’ve realised that there is no fundamental difference between the person I was before I started skating and who I am now. Of course, I believe my character has changed since I encountered figure skating—both in good ways and bad I’ve come to understand society, and sometimes I overthink things or fall into negativity. But my fundamental personality hasn’t changed at all. It’s my curiosity and inquisitiveness. I’ve always been the type of person who asks ‘why?’ about everything. From the age of 2 or 3, I was the kind of child who was always asking questions to the adults around me. "

 

There is a picture book, GIFT, written by Yuzuru Hanyu himself, in which a character appears that hints at the image of Yuzuru Hanyu as a young boy. In Hanyu’s own words, we can see the pain and loneliness he experienced while growing up as a skater.

 

"In that story, my younger self always exists as a dream and talks with me during moments when I feel down or troubled. It’s set during a time when I didn't know much about society and when I wasn’t bound by anything. I feel that the feelings I had back then, when I simply wanted someone to see me, to praise me, to improve, and to achieve something, are definitely still present in me today."

 

At the root of his journey to two Olympic gold medals and the People’s Honor Award was a pure and innocent desire to improve and have fun.

 

"The medals and certificates I received during my competitive days were prizes for the results I achieved, and the congratulations and joy from the people around me and my fans were my gifts. Now that I’m a professional, I no longer need to compete for results. Instead, I feel very happy that I can now focus solely on delivering the greatest satisfaction to those who watch me, that is, on receiving a 'gift' from all of you."

 

Yuzuru Hanyu, who was blessed with a natural talent (=Gift), has continued to give courage, joy, and love to many people through numerous performances, and even outside of the rink, by supporting and visiting disaster-stricken areas such as Tohoku and Noto. Doesn't that wear him down?

 

"Performing well and continuing social activities require both time and energy, and it can be tough at times, but I feel that I have to do it. It's a sense of mission, and perhaps the meaning of my life in this world. Feeling needed by others gives me self-affirmation, and even if I fail and fall into self-loathing, I believe that is proof that I am confronting myself properly, and it’s a moment when I can truly feel alive. I strongly want to be someone who makes those who see my performances and photos think, 'I’ll keep doing my best,' or 'I’ll keep living tomorrow.' By connecting with society in this way, I want to continue feeling the meaning of life. Perhaps that awareness is a gift from God to me."

 

 

Photo_TOKI
Styling_Tetsuro Nagase
Hair_TAKU for CUTTERS
Make-up_Nobuko Maekawa (Perle management)
Text_Mari Matsubara

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu >> Born in 1994 in Miyagi Prefecture. Two-time World Champion and two-time consecutive Olympic champion. Awarded the People’s Honor Award in 2018. After turning professional in July 2022, he became his own producer and held three solo shows.

 

[Wintek]

*Machine Translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist*
(some footnotes added for some interesting kanji/terms)
 

2024.11.12

Original source: GINZA magazine December Issue, digital version for Kindle:
https://amzn.asia/d/27lxJRi
 

The Happiness of Being Able to Perform by Focusing Only on the Gift of Blessings[1]

 

At the end of a nonstop, seven-hour-long shoot with only brief breaks, Yuzuru Hanyu repeated jump after jump in the large studio space. Channeling intense concentration down to his fingertips, he faced the camera with remarkable focus. Amid the flashes of light and sounds of the strobe recharging, his form moved not so much like a human, but with the energy and flow of a dragon.

 

Spoiler

“This was my first time trying an aerial cartwheel without touching the ground during this shoot. The spontaneous, free-flowing creativity with the photographer and lighting team was really interesting. I’ve had the chance to wear Gucci outfits several times as an ambassador, and I always feel like I’m draped in something of the highest quality, with just the right weight, texture, and functionality. For this special clothing, I thought about how it (the clothes) wanted to be seen and how it wanted to move as I approached the shoot.”

His approach is not to see the clothing as “fashion,” but as “costumes,” a perspective likely developed from his years as a skater.

“I’m the only one who knows myself best. But that doesn’t mean I should cling to my own perspective. I have to constantly consider how others see me. No matter how polished my expression is, if it doesn’t resonate with the viewer’s perspective, it’s meaningless. I think that mindset came from the competition world, where scores are always attached to my performance. If I felt satisfied only with my own standards, it wouldn’t lead to the results I wanted. While creating something that pleases everyone might be impossible, I’ve tried to aim for something that, ideally, anyone watching would give at least a 7 out of 10. Even now, that approach continues. And as a pro, I think I have to bring out something truly special from within myself to survive in the entertainment world.”

It’s been over two years since Yuzuru announced his shift to professional skating in July 2022. During this time, he has looked beyond the world of competitions and achieved success with the first solo performance and tour in the figure skating world. Has this journey changed his outlook?

“Over the past two years, I’ve had more opportunities to plan and write stories for my original shows. In the process of reflecting on the past, I realized there isn’t much difference between who I am now and who I was before I started skating. Of course, meeting skating changed my character in some ways, both positively and negatively. I’ve come to know society, sometimes overthinking or feeling down because of it. But fundamentally, my personality hasn’t changed at all. My curiosity and drive to explore remain. I’ve always been someone who asks ‘why?’ a lot. Even as a young child, I was always asking questions of the adults around me, even when I was just two or three years old.”

There is an original picture book “GIFT” that Hanyu wrote himself, it contains hints of his childhood self. His words offer glimpses of the struggles and solitude he faced as he grew as a skater.

“In that story, my younger self always exists as my ‘dream,’ having conversations with the version of me who’s down or troubled. It’s a time before I knew society, a time when nothing held me back. I only wanted someone to watch, to praise me, to improve, and to achieve. I can feel that this longing still exists in me now.”

Two Olympic gold medals and the People’s Honor Award. At the start of his journey to the peak, there was a pure, innocent desire for improvement and joy.

“The medals and certificates I received during my competitive days were the Prizes for the results I achieved, and the blessings (祝福)[1] and joy of the people around me and my fans were my gifts (贈り物)! I think they were a GIFT to me[2] . Since going pro, I no longer need to focus on results in terms of competing with others. Now, I can focus solely on delivering the greatest satisfaction to those watching, receiving that ‘GIFT’ from everyone. I feel truly fortunate to be able to perform in this way.”

Yuzuru Hanyu, blessed with natural talent (= GIFT), continues to give courage, joy, and love to many through his performances, and through his visits to disaster-affected areas such as Tohoku and Noto. Could this self-giving take a toll on him?

“Delivering a good performance or continuing social activities takes both energy and time. Of course, there are times when it feels tough, but I feel like I have to do it. It’s a sense of mission (使命感)[3] , and perhaps my purpose in life. Knowing that I am needed gives me a sense of self-worth, and even if I fail and fall into self-doubt, it’s proof that I’m facing myself honestly. It’s a moment when I can feel truly alive. I want to be someone who, when others see my performances or photos, they feel like, ‘I’ll keep going’ or ‘I’ll live on tomorrow too.’ By linking with society in that way, I want to continue feeling the purpose of my life. That awareness, I feel, might be a gift from God to me.”

—

Yuzuru Hanyu (born 1994, Miyagi Prefecture) is a two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic Champion. He received the People's Honor Award in 2018. Since turning pro in July 2022, he has produced and performed in three solo shows.

—

Photo_TOKI Styling Tetsuro Nagase    Hair_TAKU for CUTTERS

Make-up_Nobuko Maekawa (Perle management)   Text_Mari Matsubara
 

TRANSLATION NOTES:
 

[1] 祝福 (shukufuku): a celebration of happiness, a prayer for happiness, a blessing. The use implies more than just celebratory messages of support.
Note for interpretation: “祝福” carries a sort of spiritual undertone: fans' blessings are not only encouragement but also a form of motivation and spiritual support that Yuzuru draws on in his journey.

[2] In this answer Yuzuru uses three related words, one in Japanese (贈り物/ okurimono, which means gift) and two in English (“Prizes” and GIFT).
Original: 「競技時代にいただいたメダルや表彰状は僕が出した結果に対するPrizeで、周りの方やファン の方々からの祝福や喜びが僕にとっての贈り物!! GIFTだったんだろうなと思います」
Note for interpretation: "Prize" vs. "GIFT". By contrasting “Prize” (a reward he earned) with “GIFT” (贈り物, something freely given), Yuzuru might subtly be conveying a dual perspective on recognition and support. 

[3] 使命感 (shimeikan). The word “使命” can mean duty or mission in a personal sense.
Note for interpretation: By using this term, Yuzuru connects his skating not just to a career but to a larger life purpose. The use of “使命” in Japanese carries weight, as it implies that this purpose is a role he’s meant to fulfill—a calling that transcends mere duty.