[2022.12] Asahi Shimbun - Yuzuru Hanyu's monologue: "My mission" revealed through GIFT

[yuzurujenn]

Source: https://www.asahi.com/rensai/list.html?id=1694

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu's monologue: "My mission" revealed through GIFT

 

A total of 6 parts.

 

Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu said, "I want to give a gift of gratitude to those who support me." He is writing the story of the show with that feeling in mind. He said that his mission is to respond to people's feelings, and he talked about how to turn support into strength.

 

1 - Yuzuru Hanyu's thoughts behind "GIFT": "A gift that brings you closer"

2 - Yuzuru Hanyu: "I want to convey my current feelings in response to everyone's feelings"

3 - Yuzuru Hanyu: "If I can't meet everyone's expectations, then there's no need for me"

4 - Yuzuru Hanyu: "If you're really strong, you can run away. I'm a coward because I don't run away."

5 - "In the genre of Yuzuru Hanyu..." GIFT shows "my mission"

6 - Yuzuru Hanyu: "A gift that lets me say that my program exists"

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu's new show "GIFT" will be held at the Tokyo Dome on February 26, 2023. Asahi Shimbun Digital will be delivering an exclusive interview with Hanyu in five parts over the New Year period. This is the first part. You can watch the interview video in the latter half of the article.

 

 

Video:

https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2615-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-1/

https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2672-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-2/

https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2713-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-3/

https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2712-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-4/

https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2721-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-5-final/

 

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

Paid articles

 

 

Part 1: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQD34T6TQCXUTQP00M.html

 

Yuzuru Hanyu's thoughts behind "GIFT": "A gift that brings you closer"

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu will be holding a new show at the Tokyo Dome in February of next year . The theme is "GIFT." He wants to express his gratitude to everyone who has supported him so far by delivering his performance, which is his "work." He also hopes that his "works," which can be considered his alter-ego, will be a source of support for all those who watch his performance. He spoke about this in an exclusive interview.

 

--Please tell us the concept of this show.

"I wanted to deliver each program as a 'gift' to express my gratitude to all those who have supported and cheered me on until now. That's why the title is 'GIFT'."

"I thought a lot about the title. The idea that I had in my head from the beginning was 'GIFT.' It's simple, so I thought about whether I should make it more twisted, but on the other hand, I thought that perhaps it's precisely because it's simple that it can be conveyed, so I decided on 'GIFT.'"

 

-Why did you make gratitude the central concept?

"It's because I received too much. It's a little difficult to describe in one word, but in continuing to skate, I received courage, energy, and something like a 'crystallization' of feelings from everyone. I didn't just receive this once, but over and over again. That's why I've been able to keep skating. Now, I want to deliver my own 'feelings' in return for those 'feelings' I've received."

 

-- Up until now, Hanyu-san has given us many things through his competitions. Would you say that you've received more than you've given?

"The stage where I directly deliver things has been competitions up until now. However, in competitions, I was skating more for myself. Although I was fighting alongside the people who supported me, in the end, I was doing it for my own results and goals. So, this time, I wanted to deliver things more directly to the people watching my performance, whether in the arena or through the video."

 

--You were able to skate because you received these crystallized feelings.

 

 

 

Part 2: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQD625D0QCKUTQP007.html

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "I want to convey my current feelings in response to everyone's feelings"

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The New Show: "GIFT"

 

――Regarding your upcoming show, what is the meaning behind the name and concept?

"As for the concept, I wanted to express my gratitude to all the people who have supported and encouraged me so far. I wanted to deliver each program as a gift to everyone, so I planned the show titled 'GIFT.'"

 

――GIFT.

"The idea of 'GIFT' was the first concept that came to my mind from the very beginning. It felt so simple that I wondered if it might be too simple, and I thought maybe I should come up with something more elaborate. But in a way, I felt that because it’s simple, there’s something that can be conveyed through that simplicity. In the end, I decided to go with 'GIFT.'"

 

――You want to convey your feelings of gratitude to the people who have supported you.

 

 

 

Part 3: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQD84JR2QCKUTQP008.html

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "If I can't meet everyone's expectations, then there's no need for me"

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Talking about the new show "GIFT" Chapter 2

--Does skating for someone else give you new motivation, rather than for yourself?

"Actually, when it comes to the Pyeongchang Olympics, if you ask whether I skated only for myself, that’s not true. To be honest, up until around the Sochi Olympics, I was skating for myself. But as I continued to feel more and more the power and support of everyone’s feelings, the more I realized that it wasn’t just for me. I started to feel that I was carrying everyone’s expectations and that I wanted to meet those expectations more and more."

 

 

 

Part 4: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQD84PY7QCKUTQP009.html

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "If you're really strong, you can run away. I'm a coward because I don't run away."

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Talking about the new show "GIFT" Chapter 3

--You're always strong, aren't you?

　"People say I'm strong, but if I was really, really strong, I think I would be able to run away. I don't run away, and I continue, so I really do think I'm a coward. In a way, I see shows as a battlefield, and I get so nervous in a way that can't be compared to the Olympics or anything like that, and I use all my nerves and all my strength when I go into a show, and I think that's because I'm really scared. Very scared."

 

"Everyone has high expectations of me, and to create one show like this, you need a lot of different forces -- manpower, as we call it. A lot more people than I could have ever imagined are supporting one person called Hanyu Yuzuru. So I feel like if I fail, it'll all be over. That's scary, isn't it? But I'm aware of that, and I think I can perform for the people who are supporting me, so I don't think it's a bad thing. However, I'm always performing with that feeling of fear. In that sense, I don't think I'm strong. I just genuinely want to live up to that."

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

Part 5: https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASQD84R27QCKUTQP00B.html 

Video: https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2712-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-4/

 

 

"In the genre of Yuzuru Hanyu..." GIFT shows "my mission"

 

Talking about the new show "GIFT" Chapter 4

 

  Reveal hidden contents

— The venue for "GIFT" this time is quite large. Why did you want to hold it there?

　"It's not that I absolutely wanted to hold it at the Tokyo Dome . I think it was just that I was blessed with this opportunity, and that I could make that stage my own show, but since I'm still in the planning stages, I can't say in detail how it will be, but the dome is really large, and of course it would be great if a lot of people could fit in, but the space is just so big. In that sense, I think that the range of expression of figure skating and Yuzuru Hanyu is expanded by the space, and the possibilities are widened. Right now, I think that the dome is the best place to explore those possibilities."

 

— It's like you've taken the way you present your skating to the next level.

"It may be very presumptuous, but I would like to be able to do an ice show not in the genre of figure skating, but in the genre of 'Hanyu Yuzuru.' That's something I've been thinking about ever since I turned professional, and I continue to work hard, hoping that I can become that kind of person. Not just in the genre of figure skating, but something that can only be done in that space, something that can only be done in that space. And I would like to create a world of expression where people can feel that without Hanyu Yuzuru, so many people wouldn't have gathered, and so many team members wouldn't have been able to come together."

 

— There was a singer, Hibari Misora, who once performed alone at Tokyo Dome. She had a song called "Uta wa Waga Inochi" (Song is My Life), with lyrics that express, "Why do I sing? I sing for you." Listening to Hanyu's talk today, it reminded me of Misora Hibari. It really connected.

 

"I feel the same way. To be honest, I’ve often wondered, ‘Why do I exist?’ Fans may think, ‘There’s no need for you to question your purpose,’ since they find value in what I do and want to see me perform. And yet, looking back on my life, I think I’ve spent so much time trying to meet expectations that I’ve sometimes neglected my own will. There have been times when I questioned why I skate. I originally started because I loved it, but there were moments when I became so caught up in meeting people’s expectations that I barely had time to even feel that love anymore, and my skating has become just about working hard to live up to other people's expectations, and I wondered what I was really doing."

 

I’ve reflected on this a lot, but just like the theme of GIFT, when people watch me with all my heart, feel that my skating has value, and say things like my skating cheered them up or gave them the strength to live, then I have no choice but to keep going. I receive letters, for example, from elderly fans, like a grandmother in her 90s who was going through a difficult time after surgery, but watching my performance gave her energy and even helped her recover in ways that seemed miraculous. When I hear stories like that, I feel like I have no choice but to do it. But if you ask me if I hate that, no, I don't. That is my mission, and if people have high expectations of me, if they want to see me, then I want to continue skating and deliver the kind of performance that goes beyond what they imagine."

 

— Performing in such a massive venue also gives you a tangible sense of just how many people support you, doesn’t it?

"That's right. But more than that, it’s about being able to fully express what I want in a space like Tokyo Dome. Of course, many people will be watching, but when I look at my own programs, I realize how different this setting is. Before, I performed under standard competition lighting, on a competition rink, where the focus was on jumps and elements. But now, in this vast space, I can create an entirely different world around me. The emotions behind my skating can be seen in the background of my performances, allowing the audience to feel something completely new, things they may not have noticed before, or feelings that resonate in ways they never expected. There are certain forms of expression that can only be realized in a space like this, and I want to pursue those possibilities without compromise."

 

 

JP text

  Reveal hidden contents

「羽生結弦っていうジャンルの…」　GIFTで示す「僕の使命」

 

新たなショー「GIFT」を語る　第4章 　――今回『GIFT』の会場ってかなり大きいところ。どうしてそこでしたいと。 　「絶対東京ドームでしたかったかと言われたら、そういうものじゃなくて。今回、機会に恵まれて、その舞台を自分のショーのものにできるっていうことだったと思うんですけど、まだ今、構想を練っている段階なんで、詳しく、こうだから、とは言い切れないんですけど、ドームって本当に広くて、もちろんたくさんの方々が入ってくださればもちろんですけど、空間がものすごく大きいんですよね。そういった意味で、フィギュアスケートっていうものと、羽生結弦というものの表現の幅が、その空間分、可能性が広がるなって思っていて。その可能性を突き詰めるためには、ドームが一番なのかなって、今は思っています」

 

――スケートをどう見せるかというのも一つワンランク上に進めるというか。 「すごくおこがましいかもしれないけど、フィギュアスケートっていうジャンルじゃなくて、『羽生結弦』っていうジャンルのアイスショーができたらなあって思うんです。それはプロに転向してからずっと考えていましたし、自分はそういう人間になれたらいいなって思いながら努力を続けています。あの空間だからこそできる、フィギュアスケートというジャンルだけじゃなくて、『羽生結弦だからこそできる』『あの空間だからこそできる』。そして羽生結弦じゃないと、これだけの人が集まってくれないというか、これだけのチームのメンバーがそろわないということを感じていただけるような、表現の世界にしたいなと思っています」 　――東京ドームで1人で何かをやったのっていうのは、歌手の美空ひばりさんがいました。美空ひばりさんの歌に「歌は我が命」というのがある。自分は何のために歌っているのか、あなたのために歌っている、という歌詞の。今日の羽生さんの話を聞いてて、美空ひばりだ、と。すごくリンクしました。 　「僕もそう思います。正直、いろんなことを考えて、何のために自分は存在してるのかなって。僕は、ファンの方々からしてみたら、存在意義なんて考える必要はないだろって思うかもしれないですけど、見たいって言ってくださり、そこに何かしらの価値を感じてくださっているわけであり、そんなことを考える必要はないなって思うんですけど、正直、自分の人生を振り返ったときに、きっと、期待に応えたいという気持ちが強すぎて、自分の意思もないがしろにしてきたこともあるんだろうなあ、というのは思っています。そういう意味では、それこそ何のためにスケートやってるんだろうとか、本来は自分が好きでやり始めたことなのに、自分がフィギュアスケートが好きということを感じるヒマさえなくなってきて、ただ一生懸命、人の期待に応えるだけのスケートになってきた時に、本当に何のためにやってんだろうなって」 　「振り返りすぎて、いろいろ考えることもあったんですけど、でも、やっぱり今回の『GIFT』のテーマと同じように、やっぱり、これだけ思いをこめて見ていただいて、自分のスケートに価値を感じて頂いて、自分のスケートで『元気が出た』とか、『生きる活力になった』とか、そういうことを言っていただけると、やっぱり、そう言っていただけるんだったらがんばるしかないじゃないですか。お手紙とかで頂くんですけど、例えば90を超えたおばあちゃんとかが、手術で大変な時期にあったんですけど、そういう方が自分の演技を見てくださって、それから元気になったとか、奇跡的に戻ってきてくれたとか、そんなお話を聞いたら、僕、やらざるを得ないじゃないですか。でも、それが嫌かって言われたらそんなことはなくて。それが僕の使命であって、みなさんが僕に期待をかけてくださるのであれば、見たいと思ってくださるのであれば、僕は、その、見たいを超えられるようなスケートをこれからも続けていきたいし、届けていきたいと思います」 　――それだけ大きい会場であると、より自分がこれだけの人に支えられているんだというのを改めて可視化できる時間になるんですか。 　「そうですね。それと、自分が表現したいものを、ドームという空間で表現できるというのが大きいです。もちろんたくさんの方々に見ていただけると思うんですけど、今回、自分のプログラムを見た時に、今までは普通のライティングで、競技用のリンクで、ジャンプを跳んでっていうような感じでしたけど、あ、こんな世界が羽生結弦の周りには存在してたんだなとか、自分の滑っている背景の感情が見えることによって、また改めて違った感情が見てくださった方の背景に刺さったりとか、その当時では感じられなかったものが、いまだからこそ感じられたりとか。そういった場所にしたいです。あの空間じゃないとやっぱり出来ない表現はきっとあると思うので、その可能性を、妥協しないで突き詰めていきたいと思ってます」

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

Part 6: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQD84RWYQCKUTQP00C.html

Video: https://planethanyu.com/video/view/2721-asahi-shimbun-gift-exclusive-interview-part-5-final/

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "A gift that lets me say that my program exists"

 

Talking about the new show "GIFT" - The final chapter

 

  Reveal hidden contents

―― I imagine it's still in the planning stages, but what do you want to express?

"If I say too much it will become a spoiler..."

 

―― To the extent that you can say.

"I'm currently in the process of creating a story, putting words together. Various thoughts and narratives are coming to mind, and I'm writing them down, turning them into a story, or inserting them before a program in different ways. And in doing so, I find myself sometimes wondering just how selfish of a person I might be."

 

"But while I feel that this is who I am, I also think this will be an opportunity for everyone to see that Yuzuru Hanyu is just an ordinary person. If you wanted to neatly sum up my life, you could say things like, 'He won even after an injury' or 'Looking back on his past, things mostly went well.' People tend to see it that way. But even someone who appears to be successful experiences a lot of joys, anger, sorrow and happiness, just like everyone else. I want to create a story that reassures people in that way."

 

"How should I put this? More than anything, just as I felt during the earthquake, or when I was training while COVID-19 was spreading, I realized that people can’t live alone. But there are times when you end up alone, and there are also times when we actually prefer to be alone."

 

"But in those times, I want to say, 'It's okay to be alone. Everything will be alright.' But if you take a look inside your heart, you'll find my programs there. You're never alone. When you want to be alone, that's okay too. And when you feel ready to open that door, the door to your heart, I want to deliver a gift that reassures you that it's okay, because my programs will be there for you."

 

―― A performance in such a vast space by yourself requires creative and innovative presentation, doesn’t it?

"I have many images and ideas in my mind, but honestly, when it comes to direction and artistic expression, I have people I trust more than anyone, so this time, I hope that my world can reach out to various spaces. I don’t want my skating to be confined to just me as an individual performer, Yuzuru Hanyu—I want it to reach beyond, to the ice, the space around it, and even just a little, into the hearts of those who watch."

 

―― Thank you very much.

"Thank you."

 

 

JP text:

  Reveal hidden contents

羽生結弦さん「自分のプログラムが存在してるよって言える贈り物を」

 

新たなショー「GIFT」を語る　最終章
　――まだ練っている段階だとは思いますが、何を表現しますか。

　「あんまり言うとネタバレになっちゃうので……」

 

――言える範囲で。

　「自分で今、物語を作っている段階で、言葉をつづっていて。いろんな思いとか、いろんな物語とか色々浮かんできてて、それを、書いたり、あとは実際に物語にしてみたり、プログラムの前にインサートしてみたりとか色々やってるんですけど、そのなかで、どんだけ自分勝手な人間なんだろうっていうことを、今改めて思うこともあり」

 

「でも、それが自分だなって思いつつ、皆さんも、羽生結弦って普通の人間じゃん、って思える機会になると思うんです。それを羽生結弦の人生って、きれいごとで色々まとめようと思えばまとめられるんですけど、『けがした後に優勝できたり』『自分の過去を振り返ったときに、だいたいうまくいってる』。そういうことを捉えられがちですけど、成功しているように見える人間でも、多くの喜怒哀楽があり、私たちと一緒じゃん、って。安心してもらいたいなって思うような物語にしたいと考えています」

　「なんて言えばいいですかね。とにかく、僕が震災の時に感じたように、また、コロナが広まっていって、練習している時に感じたように、人って1人じゃ生きていけないなって。でも、1人になってしまうこともあるし、1人がいいなって思うこともきっとあるし」

　「でもその時に1人でもいいよって。大丈夫だよって。でも、心の中をのぞいてみたら、自分のプログラムがそこに存在しているよって。決して1人ではない。1人になりたい時は、1人で大丈夫だし。また、その扉を、心の扉を開けたいなって思ったときは、そこに自分のプログラムたちがいるから大丈夫だよって言えるような贈り物を届けたいなと思っています」

　――見せ方もだいぶ工夫というか、斬新さが求められますよね。広い空間に1人。

　「それはもう、僕の中のイメージとか色々ありますけど、正直、演出に関してとか、表現の指向に関しては、これ以上ないくらい信頼できる方がいらっしゃるので、今回は、わりと僕の世界が、僕の世界が、いろんな空間まで届けばいいなって。その、1人の羽生結弦っていう演者の中だけにとどまっているんじゃなくて、氷の上だったり、氷の周りだったり、そして見てくださる方の、心にまで少しでも届くような、そんなスケートにしたいと思ってます」

　――ありがとうございます。

　「ありがとうございました」