[2015-2019] P&G "YUZU DAYS" Monthly Publication

[yuzurujenn]

2019.03.19

 

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20190331154719/https://www.myrepi.com/home/entertaining/yuzu-days-100009

 

Vol 32: Yuzuru Hanyu talks about Yuzuru Hanyu

 

He has a heart-stirring expressiveness, delicate and highly technical skills. And he responds logically and intelligently in interviews. I'm sure our readers are very curious to know what goes on inside Hanyu's head. The YUZU DAYS editorial team spoke to Hanyu to get a little closer to his mind. Hanyu Yuzuru talks about Hanyu Yuzuru.

 

Spoiler

What were some of Yuzuru Hanyu's characteristics as a child?

Do I think I was suited for figure skating? Hmm… let me see. When I was in elementary school, I noticed that I have a strong ability to visualize myself objectively. How can I put it... It's like I have eyes on a wall and can "visually" imagine myself reflected from there. I realized then that this was something unique and something I was good at. For example, when a coach told me, “Fix this,” I was able to not only rely on my physical sense of it, but also see it in my mind as a visual image. Now, it feels like I have a “camera in my brain” that lets me view myself from different angles. Being able to objectively visualize myself is definitely one of my strengths, something I’ve trained and developed since I was a kid.

 

What does Yuzuru Hanyu himself consider to be his strength?

 

I mentioned this in a previous interview, but ever since I was little, I was the kind of child who would constantly ask, “Why? How come?” Unless I could truly understand and be convinced of something, I wouldn’t be satisfied. I think that’s still a part of who I am today, it’s just my personality. Now, I believe that the process of reaching that sense of understanding has become something with a lot more depth. I read books and academic papers, do research, and then take the theories and knowledge I’ve learned and actually try them out using my own body, like conducting an experiment on myself. It’s like carving out a path with my own hands, step by step. Once I try it and feel convinced, I then add more layers by trying different things. The ability to visualize, as what I mentioned earlier, combined with the ability to align that image with my own physical sensations and with theory, is one of my biggest strengths. It’s something I really value when it comes to improving my skating skills.

 

What is your own happy moment?

 

When I’m practicing alone, and I just skate freely without thinking, simply following my emotions, I feel truly happy. In those moments, sometimes inspiration or new performance ideas will suddenly come to me. Expression, by definition, is something you “show” to others, so it has to be communicated. It’s not something that can be complete by yourself alone. That’s why the way I skate purely for myself, following my emotions, is something I basically don’t show to others. When I skate that way, just letting my emotions lead me, it’s often when I’m feeling stuck, or when I can’t quite put my feelings into words. So I think it ends up being a kind of emotional release. In that sense too, I really feel like skating helps me.

 

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

2019.04.08

 

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20190618041935/https://www.myrepi.com/home/entertaining/yuzu-days-100010

 

Vol 33: 31 Questions to Yuzuru Hanyu

 

This time, we have a special YUZU DAYS project. We asked Hanyu "31 Questions." The questions were not shown to him in advance, and he was asked one question after another on the spot, and he answered intuitively in a short amount of time. Some of his spontaneous responses were humorous, and some gave us a glimpse of the real Hanyu.

Please enjoy Hanyu's precious comments, which can only be seen on YUZU DAYS!

 

Spoiler

01_What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Get on the scale.

 

02_What do you always do before going to bed at night?
I play games in bed.

 

03_What is the happiest moment of your day?
When I'm skating.

 

04_If you were to compare yourself to an animal, what would it be?
Cats. I like how they're so free-spirited.

 

05_What is a compliment you like to hear?
"You did a great job."

 

06_If you weren't Yuzuru Hanyu, would you want to be friends with him?

Maybe not. Because he’s selfish (laughs).

 

07_There are many types of tears: tears of joy, tears of frustration, tears of emotion, tears from sympathy— which do you shed most?
“Tears of frustration” are the most.

 

08_How would you describe yourself in three words?
"Stubborn," "selfish," "stoic"

 

09_What is your earliest memory?
It was the moment I fell off the waterfall at a famous theme park in Chiba.
I think I was about 2 or 3 years old, and I often dream about that time.

 

10_Do you remember the first time you stepped onto an ice rink?
I remember desperately trying to follow my sister. I probably wasn't even talking, just skating nonchalantly.

 

11_If you were reborn, what would you want to be? Animal or anything.
I’d want to be human.

12_Would you want to be male or female?
I think a man would be better because I can make use of the experience I have now.
 

13_Would you want to be Yuzuru Hanyu again?
Next time, I don’t think I want to be Yuzuru Hanyu (laughs).

 

14_What is your favorite time of the day?
My favorite time… hmm, probably when I’m immersed in music.

 

15_Do you have any habits or catchphrases you often say?
My habit is snapping my fingers. I snap my fingers rhythmically.
My catchphrase is… “sou desu ne” (“that’s right”) (laughs).

 

16_What do you think you were in a past life?
Past life? What is it? I'm sure I was human.

 

17_What nicknames have you been called so far?
“Yuzupon,” “Pon,” and also “Yunyuru” (laughs).

 

18_If you gave your life a title, what would it be?
“Turmoil” (with a gesture).
Or maybe “Roller Coaster.”

 

19_If you weren’t worried about your face being recognized, what would you like to do?
I want to go to a batting center. I really want to go, right now!
I want to play baseball. That’s something I really want to do.

 

20_What scared you as a child?
“Yamanba” (mountain witch). I remember being scared of it because it appeared in a game I played as a child.
When my father got angry, he said, “I’ll take you to the mountain,” and I remember crying.

 

21_What do you wear when you sleep?
Pajamas. They look like a T-shirt... but they're pajamas.

 

22_Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Definitely a cat person.

 

23_What would you want to eat for your last meal?
I want to eat the gyoza my mother makes.

 

24_What do you think about yourself that is typical of a Sagittarius?

"I won't let my prey get away!" (laughs)

 

25_If you could bring only one thing to a deserted island, what would it be?
What would it be? Probably a survival knife?
I tend to think practically with questions like this (laughs).

 

26_When do you want to be alone?
Before going to bed, I want to be alone.

 

27_How would you describe "masculinity" in one word?
What would it be…? “Single-mindedness,” I guess.

 

28_What do you do when you’re feeling down?
I just listen to music and sing. I sing while crying.

 

29_What’s your favorite emoticon?

I like the ones that look "sad" (´・ω・｀)　
and the ones with a "hmm" look on their face.

 

30_What do you like about Japanese culture?
“The spirit of perseverance” (konjō-ron).

 

31_What’s your favorite place in your room?
My bed. I’m lazy (laughs).

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

2019.05.29

 

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20190618041839/https://www.myrepi.com/home/entertaining/yuzu-days-100011

 

Vol 34: Hanyu talks about his gratitude to his mother

 

It’s been 24 years since Yuzuru Hanyu was born, and 20 years since he started skating. Throughout that entire time, his mother has continued to support him. We asked him to share some candid thoughts about his mother, as well as a glimpse into their everyday life together outside the world of skating.

 

Spoiler

Scenes of Mother and Son from Childhood

 

When I was a child, I think my mother and family often told me things like, “You shouldn’t let skating be everything at the expense of everything else.” For example, I was taught to value common sense as a person and to cherish my feelings and thoughts toward others. Of course, what counts as “common sense” may vary from one household to another, but the values I learned from my family have definitely become a part of who I am today.

 

I don’t really think I ever went through a “rebellious phase.” But recently, when I was watching some old footage, I noticed that from around my third year of junior high to my second year of high school, my attitude toward my mother seemed kind of cold. I realized that objectively while watching the video (laughs). But I think that was just me going through a phase that everyone experiences during their school years. In terms of how I actually felt, my sense of closeness with my mother hasn’t changed at all since then.

 

Even now that I’m an adult, I still say whatever I want to my mom. So in a way, maybe I’ve been in a “rebellious phase” all along (laughs). One thing that hasn’t changed at all is that I get frustrated if I don't fully understand something. So until I’m satisfied, I’ll keep talking with my mom about it. There are even times when we discuss the same topic for a really long time. I imagine she must get tired of it sometimes. But because we’re family, we can speak frankly with each other, and there are also feelings we understand without needing words. That’s one of the things I’m truly grateful for in a parent-child relationship.

 

A Mother Who Protects Me with the Future in Mind

 

My mother respects my thoughts and always protects me while keeping an eye on the future path I’ve chosen. For example, she has never let me lose the feeling of “I started skating because I loved it.” She’s made sure that feeling stayed alive in me.

 

When my ultimate goal became winning back-to-back Olympic titles, she focused completely on supporting me through every step leading to that goal. Even when I suffered a major injury before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, she stayed by my side and created a space where I could feel safe. I live every day feeling deeply the love of a mother who is willing to sacrifice her own self just to protect her son.

 

I put the gold medal around my mother's neck and said, "Congratulations."

 

The first person I put my gold medal on after the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics was my mother. I don’t exactly remember when it started, but it’s become something of a ritual for me to place the gold medal on my mother first. I think I did the same after the Sochi 2014 Olympics as well.

 

When I put the medal on her, I expressed not only my gratitude by saying “thank you,” but also said “congratulations.” It might sound strange for me to say that, but I truly feel that my mother fights alongside me. That’s why I told her “congratulations” — because I believe the victory belongs to her too.

 

If I had to express how I feel about my mother in one word, it would be “gratitude.” I try to always be aware of the fact that her presence and her care for me are things I should never take for granted, and I strongly hold on to that feeling of appreciation in my heart.

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

2019.06.03

 

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20190618041815/https://www.myrepi.com/home/entertaining/yuzu-days-100012

 

Vol 35: [Behind the Scenes YUZU DAYS] Behind-the-scenes shots and rare, exclusive stories.

 

We will be bringing you the popular 【Behind the Scenes YUZU DAYS】corner again this year! Hanyu answers the in-depth questions from the interview team with a smile and humor. Please enjoy the precious interview and off-shots!

 

Spoiler

Ever since you were a child, were you confident that you could win the Olympic Games twice in a row?

 

Maybe since I was about 5 or 6 years old? I thought, "I can win the Olympic Games two years in a row." If you ask me if I was confident or certain, I'd say it was closer to a feeling of "certainty." …Well, that sounds like a pretty big statement coming from me (laughs). But honestly, I had no real basis for it, and I didn’t have anything special at that time. But even as a child, I was fired up by a kind of baseless “sense of mission.”

 

If the current me who has achieved consecutive wins could say something to my younger self, it would probably be, "From here on out, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough." (laughs)

 

How did you develop the “rich vocabulary” you show in interviews and such?

 

I don’t really think I have a very rich vocabulary, and I actually want to broaden my knowledge more by seeing and reading more about arts and books.  If I had to say something about my language skills, I would say that I write down what happened and what I think every day in a notebook, so I may have had the habit of putting my thoughts into words for a long time.

 

Oh, and I just thought about it, maybe because I'm the youngest of two siblings, I have a strong desire to "communicate." I think that the desire I had as a child to communicate what I felt might be connected to something like language ability. There’s a common saying that the second child tends to be the talkative one (laughs).

 

What is the sense of time like when you’re skating and jumping on the ice?

 

The sense of time while jumping, hmm, might feel a little long. But not always, when I’m not fully focused, sometimes I land quickly in an instant.
There are times when it feels like slow motion. By the way, the last "Lutz" in the free skate at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics felt like slow motion. It was like, “Oh, I’m going to fall. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? Oh, I stayed up!” That kind of feeling.
It felt very long (laughs).

 

What does "happiness" mean to you?

The happy moments are when I'm with my family. Now that I’m in this position, I really feel that time with family is very important. I strongly feel how much that time enriches my heart and gives me energy in skating and in everyday life.

After the Olympics, I didn’t do anything special like a victory party or trips; I stayed in Japan and just ate meals with my family, but it was truly a happy time. Sitting around the dining table with my family, eating together, watching the same TV, laughing and crying together. Those “gathering” moments are happiness. It’s like I can be my true self, or that I have a place to return to, and I feel really grateful for that.