[2021.03.25] Bungeishunju - Yuzuru Hanyu: "The decade that changed my life"

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation, inaccuracies exist. Please do not comment in this thread other than translations*

 

Source: https://bunshun.jp/bungeishunju/articles/h2202 (paid article)

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "The decade that changed my life"

 

Special Feature: 10 Years After the Great East Japan Earthquake

 

Photographer Sunao Noto has spent the past 10 years photographing nearly every competition, ice show, and practice that Yuzuru Hanyu has participated in, both domestically and internationally. His photos, which capture Hanyu’s beautiful and delicate movements and rich expressions, have gained strong support from fans, and he has published several photo books of Hanyu over the years. A new photo collection, “Hikari – Be the Light –”, is set to be released on March 11. Despite its high price of 7,150 yen, pre-orders flooded in. Noto speaks about the decade he spent observing Hanyu through the lens.

 

<Summary>

▶︎Noto-san decided to focus on photographing Yuzuru Hanyu’s competitions after witnessing his performance at a charity skating event in Kobe on April 9, shortly after the earthquake disaster.

▶︎Hanyu jumps effortlessly, steps lightly, and his performances flow without pause, making it extremely difficult to find the right moments to press the shutter.

▶︎He has a great sense of humor and a strong sense of service. Despite creating numerous legends, Hanyu hasn’t changed at all. He’s still the same as he was in the beginning.

 

Spoiler

The mushroom-cut genius boy

 

I still remember the date clearly. April 9, 2011. I was photographing a figure skating event at the Port Island Sports Center in Kobe. That day, I made up my mind: from now on, I would follow Yuzuru Hanyu. I would keep photographing him.

 

On the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake, I was at my office in Sendai. It was on the top floor of a narrow seven-story building. At first, I thought, “Wow, this is shaking quite a bit,” but then it suddenly got violent. I couldn’t stay on my feet. Every book fell off the shelves lining the wall, and the desk was a total mess. Even the dehumidifying cabinet where I kept my cameras and lenses toppled over. I honestly thought, “This is the end.”

 

I tried calling home, but I couldn’t get through, so I didn’t know whether my wife was safe. I temporarily evacuated to the parking lot of Sendai City Hall, and later walked home through falling snow.

 

When I got home, I thankfully found my wife and our four dogs were safe. But we had no electricity, and the aftershocks kept coming relentlessly. It didn’t feel safe to stay at home, so I walked back to City Hall with my dogs. I remember how beautiful the starry sky looked over the city without electricity. We slept in the car for two nights and returned home once the aftershocks subsided. The electricity came back quickly, but the gas took more than a month to return, so I had to take cold showers in freezing temperatures.

 

There was absolutely no work. Sendai had come to a complete standstill. Forget advertising photography. There was nothing at all to do.

 

As recovery efforts slowly began, the Tohoku Expressway finally reopened in late March. When I heard the news, I suddenly remembered the charity ice show for the earthquake victims that was to be held in Kobe in April. Many figure skaters were scheduled to perform, including Yuzuru Hanyu, who is from Sendai. I decided to go photograph him. I could drive to Haneda and fly to Kobe, and when I came back, I could fill my car with food and daily necessities to bring home. I had been feeling like nothing would begin unless I made a move, so I headed to Kobe.

 

I had known Yuzuru for a while. The first time I photographed him was when he placed third at the All-Japan Junior Championships in 2007. He was waiting for the awards ceremony with his father, and I thought, “I’ve seen that man before.” When I approached and spoke to him, I realized he was a teacher I had once had in middle school. When I told him I was a photographer working in figure skating, he said, “Then please photograph my son sometime.” That’s when I really started paying attention to Yuzuru.

 

At that time, Yuzuru was already appearing on local Sendai news, known in the area as the “mushroom-cut genius.” I finally connected the dots. This talented kid was the son of my former teacher.

 

The next year, when I took a portrait of him, he told me, “Make me look cool like Dai-chan (Daisuke Takahashi)!” I remember that clearly. He was still in middle school, and his face had a very sweet, innocent look.

 

White Legend The Moment I Chose to Follow Yuzuru

 

On April 9, shortly after the earthquake, I went to Kobe, where a charity skating event was held. Yuzuru Hanyu's performance of White Legend there was nothing short of astonishing.

 

Before his performance, just as his name was being announced and before stepping onto the ice, Yuzuru briefly looked up at the ceiling. That simple gesture struck me deeply. From the moment he started skating, there was an almost otherworldly intensity. Through my camera’s viewfinder, I could feel an incredible power, a burning passion and seriousness, as if he had resolved to carry something important on his shoulders.

 

The moment his performance ended, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. It felt as if the entire city of Kobe, which had once recovered from the Great Hanshin Earthquake, was cheering him on. The warm atmosphere in the arena was incredibly moving.

 

To be honest, I had assumed that, because of the disaster, he probably hadn’t been able to train enough and might not skate that well. But he completely overturned that expectation in the best possible way. His graceful performance was filled with strong determination. As someone who had also experienced the disaster, I felt like he was encouraging me, too. It made me feel that I had to push myself harder as well.

 

From that moment on, I decided to focus my work on photographing Yuzuru’s competitions. Having such an extraordinary skater from my hometown, how could I not follow his journey? I later learned that Yuzuru himself decided, during that very performance, to pursue figure skating seriously. I feel incredibly fortunate to have witnessed that moment.

 

That same summer, I had a chance to photograph him again in Sendai. On the day of the shoot, we just chatted casually about things like, “That earthquake was rough, wasn’t it?” We didn’t really talk about skating much (laughs). But later, at a senior training camp, I told him, “From now on, I’m going to focus on photographing you.” He smiled and said, “Yay!” He was genuinely happy.

 

A Performer Who Makes Photographers Cry

 

Yuzuru Hanyu has been photogenic since his junior years. He has an expressive face, captivating eyes, and an intangible glow that draws people in. As a photographer, I’ve always felt that the better the skater, the easier it is to capture great shots. Top-level athletes naturally produce striking photos. Even though I wasn’t very familiar with figure skating at first, I could tell from the beginning that Yuzuru had something different about him, like an aura that set him apart.

 

He also has a remarkable ability to express emotion. When I photograph him, I wait for the moment when his hands are fully extended and time the shutter carefully to focus on his eyes, just waiting for that perfect instance.

 

With most skaters, there’s a pause or a peak moment where you can say, “This is it!”—something that makes shooting easier.

 

But Yuzuru jumps effortlessly, steps effortlessly, and performs without interruption, so it's extremely difficult to know when to press the shutter. He can do everything so seamlessly that there’s no obvious “Look here!” moment. If I don’t plan my shots during official practice, I risk missing the best moments when it counts. And during those practices, he often skips some of the steps, so I can’t grasp the full content of the program before his first competition of the season. Sometimes, especially early in the season, I walk away with just one or two usable shots from a short program.

 

Since I originally worked in advertising, I don’t necessarily shoot figure skating like a sports photographer. I aim to capture Yuzuru’s expressions and moments of emotional intensity. I often zoom in tightly on his face. So when the focus isn’t quite right on his eyes, it’s heartbreaking! (laughs)

 

Photographing Yuzuru is challenging enough as it is, but his programs have become more and more complex every year. Even his jump setups are now filled with intricate choreography and added movement. The content keeps evolving, and so does the difficulty of shooting him. But I believe that complexity is exactly what continues to elevate Yuzuru to even greater heights.

 

The Legend of Hanyu Began in Nice

 

After Kobe, Yuzuru Hanyu rapidly transitioned from the national stage to the global arena. In December 2011, he competed in the Grand Prix Final held in Canada and finished in 4th place.

 

At the time, Yuzuru was 17 years old. He still lacked stamina, and in the second half of his free program, he looked like he was running out of gas. I remember clicking the shutter while silently cheering, “Hang in there!”

 

Then, in March of the following year, he stood on the podium for the first time at the World Championships in Nice, winning bronze in his senior debut at the event. It was his first appearance at Worlds, so I didn’t expect a medal at all.

 

His free program was Romeo and Juliet. When he fell during the routine, I thought, “Oh no, come on, you can do it,” and rooted for him. After that, he nailed jump after jump and delivered a moving portrayal of a tormented Romeo. It was a comeback so remarkable that the performance became legendary.

 

But I was so moved that I forgot to swap out my camera's memory card. I didn’t realize it had filled up, and I missed the moment after the performance when he pointed his finger to the sky. I was so overwhelmed with both emotion and frustration that I burst into tears! (laughs)

 

Despite the fact that, after the earthquake, he probably hadn’t been able to train properly, he still managed to deliver a performance of such artistry. Even though he’s younger than me, I really respect him. When he was skating around the rink during the medal ceremony, he spotted me and reached out to give me a high-five, saying, “Noto-san!” I was so happy.

 

In the summer of 2012, Yuzuru moved his training base to Canada. I think it was a decision that was typical of Yuzuru. When I said to him, “You’re going to feel so far away now,” he replied, “No, no, not at all.”

 

"You’re an Olympian, da yo wa"

 

The following season, Yuzuru placed second at the Grand Prix Final and won his first national title at the All-Japan Championships, earning a spot in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics that February.

 

In January, just before the Olympics, I had the chance to photograph him for a single day in Sendai. In the local Sendai dialect, we often add “~da yo wa” at the end of sentences, so I said to him, “Yuzuru-kun, you’re an Olympian da yo wa,” and he replied, “I am da yo wa,” with a smile. I told him I’d be going to photograph in Sochi, and we said we’d try to meet there if possible.

 

At last, it was the Sochi Olympics. Before his free skate performance of Romeo and Juliet, I noticed Yuzuru was drinking a lot of water more than usual. I had never seen him like that before a major performance, and it hit me just how intense the pressure of the Olympics must be.

 

Once his program began, his skating seemed stiff. His body didn’t seem to move as freely as it had in the short program. I remember saying to the photographer next to me, “It might be tough this time,” after he made a mistake on one of his jumps.

 

But then, unbelievably, Patrick Chan—who skated after Yuzuru—also made mistakes. And suddenly, Yuzuru had won the gold medal! My fatigue from days of sleep deprivation and non-stop shooting disappeared in an instant. It was a moment that filled me with renewed energy and joy.

 

After the flower ceremony, Yuzuru skated around the rink holding the Japanese flag. I called out to him, “Yuzuru-kun! Yuzuru-kun!” but he didn’t seem to hear me. I kept shouting his name until finally, he noticed me, and I was able to snap a perfect shot as he looked directly at me. In that moment, I felt like I could finally say from the heart, “Congratulations on your gold medal.”

 

The next day, after the medal ceremony, I told him “Congratulations,” and he held up the medal and said, “I’m bringing this back to Sendai.” I was deeply moved.

 

Although Yuzuru may not have been fully satisfied with his performance, his smile during the medal ceremony was bright and full of joy. Seeing that expression made me think, “I’m glad I was here.” I was genuinely happy. When I first started photographing figure skating, I never imagined I’d one day be shooting at the Olympics. Thanks to Yuzuru, I was able to have that once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

Tears He Didn't Even Shed in Sochi

 

Even after becoming an Olympic gold medalist, Yuzuru Hanyu’s evolution didn’t stop. At the 2015 Grand Prix Final, he broke his own world record and became the first male figure skater to win the title three years in a row—an extraordinary achievement.

 

His free skate program SEIMEI was flawless. As I was photographing his performance, I had a strong sense that his score would be unbelievable. I was seized by the feeling that if I didn’t capture his expression at the moment the score was announced, I’d deeply regret it.

 

So I ran from my usual spot to the kiss and cry area—where skaters and coaches wait for their scores—and positioned myself to get a clear shot of Yuzuru’s face. That’s when I saw the tears. He hadn’t even cried in Sochi, so I never imagined I’d see him cry here. While photographing his tears, I was thrilled thinking, 'What a score!', but at the same time, I was also calm, thinking, 'Of course it’s the highest score after a performance like that.' That’s how perfect it was.

 

Before the exhibition that followed, I had another chance to photograph him. In SEIMEI, there’s a signature move at the beginning where he raises a finger in front of his chest. This time, he held up three fingers himself, marking his third consecutive victory. 

 

He's got great energy and a generous spirit. Even after creating countless legends, Yuzuru is still the same as he’s always been. He hasn’t changed at all. It’s truly remarkable that, even at such a young age, he’s never let success go to his head. He must have the ability to view himself with a calm and objective perspective.

 

His comeback win at the 2017 World Championships was also remarkable. After finishing fifth in the short program, he came back in the free skate with a world-record score of 223.20 points—an incredible reversal. His free program, Hope & Legacy, ended with him thrusting a fist into the air, his face full of intensity. Watching him, I got the sense that he had regained strong confidence for the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics. I thought, 'He could really win gold again.'

 

But after that, Yuzuru injured his right ankle and had to miss several competitions. Everyone worried: 'Would he make it to PyeongChang? And if he did, How bad was the injury?' It was a tense time.

 

Then, seemingly defying all worries, he returned to the ice just three months later, right in time for the Olympics.

 

When he arrived in PyeongChang and took to the Olympic practice rink for the first time, I photographed his first jump and it was clean. In that moment, I thought, He might just pull this off. He moved better than I’d expected, and my hope really began to grow.

At the Japanese team’s press conference after practice, Yuzuru looked incredibly relaxed. I was surprised, 'He can smile like that here?' I remember chatting with another photographer, saying, “He’s going to do it, isn’t he?”

 

Sure enough, his short program, Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, scored high and put him in first place. But the real concern was the free skate—Could he hold up physically until the end?

 

Around that time, I noticed that Yuzuru’s chest and leg muscles had become noticeably stronger to match the increasing difficulty of his programs each year. Especially leading up to the PyeongChang Olympics, his thighs looked particularly solid and powerful.

 

Whether that physical development paid off or not, his free skate performance of SEIMEI was executed with strength and precision right to the end, earning him yet another gold medal. He was beaming with a truly satisfied smile, a completely different expression from Sochi. It was the perfect smile for the moment, as he became the first man in 66 years to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in men’s figure skating.

 

To the Prime Minister’s Office in Hakama Attire

 

After returning to Japan, a triumphant parade was held in Sendai. I was able to ride along in the parade car and take photos. It’s said that nearly 110,000 people gathered along the approximately 1-kilometer route to the city hall, but I think there were even more than that. Yuzuru was truly showered with congratulations, and he happily posed many times. By proudly celebrating this historic gold medalist, I believe the hearts of everyone who had been hurt by the earthquake were healed and encouraged. Watching Yuzuru being warmly welcomed by such a huge crowd and photographing it from an objective standpoint was a strange feeling, but I was filled with happiness.

 

That same year, I also have fond memories of photographing Yuzuru receiving the People's Honor Award. He wore a hakama made of Sendaihira, a type of silk fabric, and right after the dressing was completed, I took some photos before he immediately moved on to the Prime Minister’s office. Although I wasn’t in formal attire myself, I wore a jacket, which I don’t usually wear. Yuzuru’s calm and composed demeanor left a strong impression on me. I might have been more nervous than he was (laughs).

 

Even after achieving back-to-back Olympic victories, Yuzuru never burned out but kept moving forward relentlessly. He performs in ice shows with the same focus as in competitions. He is always serious on the ice.

 

His childhood competitive spirit hasn’t changed either. I was reminded of that again at last year’s All-Japan Championships.

 

Due to COVID-19, Yuzuru couldn’t return to Canada, so he did choreography remotely and practiced skating alone. Yet, he entered the competition with two new programs. It was his first official competition in ten months, and he participated alone without a coach. Despite all that, his performances were perfect.  It's amazing that he won.

 

Yuzuru has been saying for a while that he wants to jump the quadruple Axel, something no one has ever done before. That might be his current motivation. Even though I've known him for a long time, we've never had a sensitive conversation about motivation or anything like that (laughs).

 

Over these ten years, Yuzuru has taken off from Sendai to the world at a pace beyond imagination. I myself have had many rare and valuable experiences. He has always given me hope and courage, saying things like, "I will keep standing up. I will keep trying." From the charity skating event in Kobe right after the earthquake until now, I have been chasing and photographing the “light” that is Yuzuru Hanyu.

 

Take Continuous Shots of Jumps

 

From now on, I will continue photographing Yuzuru as a lifelong project. If possible, I’d love to take his portrait in a more relaxed and detailed way someday. I would like to get some ideas from Yuzuru and take a photo that can only be taken because of the relationship between the two of us.

 

Speaking of working together, there’s one thing I still haven’t done yet. On the way back from the 2015 Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, I happened to meet Yuzuru at the airport lounge. He came over to me, and we talked for about 15 minutes. He said, "These are the photos I took this time," showing me the photos on his laptop and saying, "This is good, this is good." It was the first time we talked while looking at photos.

 

At that time, he said, “Noto-san, next time you should do that thing—the one where you take continuous shots of jumps and put them into a single picture.” I replied, “Okay, I’ll do it if I can.” That was the first time Yuzuru made such a request, but I haven’t done it yet.

Actually, I rarely shoot jumps or spins because I want to capture facial expressions. But if Yuzuru ever succeeds in landing the quadruple Axel, I will definitely take continuous shots of his jumps. It might happen soon, so I need to practice shooting properly in advance (laughs).