[2025.02.25] GOETHE April 2025 issue

[yuzurujenn]

GOETHE April 2025 Issue

 

Info: 

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DRNR4BX6?tag=goetheweb-22

https://x.com/GOETHE_magazine/status/1885258651738542125

 

 

Cover: Yuzuru Hanyu 20-page special edition!

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu makes his first appearance in Goethe!
A 20-page editorial project was realized inside.

Yuzuru Hanyu, who has just turned 30, reveals his current whereabouts and his outlook for the future.

Special feature: Fascinating life companions: artistic furniture (interior)

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

 

2025.02.16

 

Source: https://goetheweb.jp/person/article/20250216-yuzuru
https://x.com/GOETHE_magazine/status/1890930299132883180

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250216022738/https://goetheweb.jp/person/article/20250216-yuzuru

 

 

[Yuzuru Hanyu] Pursuing the "True Flame of Life"… A message he wants to convey to people living in modern society

 

Athletes who challenge the limits of human potential—there is a world that can only be seen because they continue to push their bodies and minds to the very edge. Beyond competition, there are untold stories of their lives behind the scenes. This is an irregular series, "The Moving Spirit of Athletes," which delves into these moments. What is the essence of Yuzuru Hanyu?

 

Spoiler

Why Does Hanyu Keep Raising the Bar for Himself?

 

 

Japan’s national figure skater, Yuzuru Hanyu, continues to break new barriers one after another. Beginning with GIFT at the Tokyo Dome in February 2023, he took on the role of executive producer for his ice stories, successfully completing RE_PRAY as the second installment in 2023, and most recently, Echoes of Life this month. At the heart of his performances lies a profound theme—a prayer for life, shaped by his own extraordinary journey. Through various artistic techniques, he challenges audiences with deep, philosophical questions.

 

Whenever you step into his performances, you find Hanyu skating with all his heart and soul. His latest work, Echoes of Life, just completed its seven-show run, with a script written entirely by Hanyu himself. Set in a virtual world, the story explores the meaning of life through a protagonist encountering various "sounds."

 

"This time, the performance is quite serious, and the message itself is quite strong. The script is quite complex, and to be honest, you can't understand it just by listening to it once," he admits. The overarching theme is philosophical, suggesting that what seems like a series of coincidences is actually fate. To convey such a heavy theme, the most essential element isn’t elaborate stage props but his own body and technique. That determination infuses his performance with intensity.

 

"You can’t fully absorb the script just by reading it once. It might only convey a vague impression at first. That’s why the tension in my performance is absolutely necessary. If I had simply pursued an entertaining, crowd-pleasing approach, the structure of this ice story would have completely fallen apart," he reflects.

 

One of the show’s highlights was his performance of Ballade No.1, with the same technical layout as his short program from the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, where he won his second Olympic gold. It was a very challenging performance composition, with a triple axel jump and a quadruple-triple toe loop jump in the second half of the performance. He skated with his whole being, matching his movements to classical piano and various musical genres. But why does Hanyu continue to set his own bar so high?

 

"Even when I give my all, Ballade No.1 is nearly out of reach. It’s incredibly difficult, and back at the PyeongChang Olympics, I managed to pull it off in that one crucial performance. But performing such a difficult program after already skating for about 30 minutes (from the start of the show) was, to be honest, even for me it was almost impossible, or rather quite difficult."

 

Even when he feels like giving in, he believes that only by confronting his limits head-on can he create something truly compelling.

 

"But when I reach for it with everything I have, focusing completely and putting my whole heart into it, I feel like that’s where the true flame of life exists. I think that is something essential to my Ice Story, as an expression of art x sports," he states with conviction.

 

Even after stepping away from competitive skating and entering the professional world, Hanyu remains as uncompromising as ever. Because he pursues his present with such sincerity, he continues to inspire people. In a world overflowing with information, where it’s easy to fall into the illusion that answers are readily available, listening honestly to one’s own heart is more difficult than ever. The message Hanyu wants to convey to people living in modern society is simple.

 

"If you're engrossed in something, time will pass before you know it. If you do nothing, time will also pass before you know it. Don’t have regrets. The things that you think of, the ideas that come to you in the moment, act on them. Cherish the present."

 

Make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What seems simple is, in truth, one of life’s greatest challenges. But in that challenge lies the key to living life the way we want to.