[2025.06.30] Quadruple Axel 2025 Yuzuru Hanyu Special

[Wintek]

QUADRUPLE AXEL 2025 YUZURU HANYU SPECIAL

Released: June 30, 2025
128 pages

More information about the edition:
https://www.yamakei.co.jp/products/2825908160.html
 

Magazine available in digital and printing format on Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/463590816X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=yamatokeikokusha-22&linkCode=as2&camp=247&creative=1211&creativeASIN=463590816X
(send me a DM @Wintek if you want to learn how to order the digital version)

Contents

[Yuzuru Hanyu Special Photo Gallery]

[Exclusive Interview]

✓ Yuzuru Hanyu “The body is the beauty of the soul.”

[Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu]
✓ Shae-Lean Bourne "The Stage of Thunderous Applause"
✓ Akiko Suzuki "A bond that connects on a silver board"
✓ Mikiko “The Chosen One, that mission.”
✓ Jeffrey Battle "Piano Collection of Souls and Passions"

[Special Roundtable Discussion]

✓ "BOW AND ARROW" behind the scenes of the MV production Mizuki Ohno × Koitaro Okuyama × Daishi Okuyama

[Ice Show Report]
✓ Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2025
✓ Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story 3rd "Echoes of Life" Tour
✓ Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance
✓ Fantasy on Ice 2024

[Photos and Columns]
✓ Yoshiki Kogaito “Capturing the Heart”

[Special project]
"Yuzuru Hanyu through the lens" Unpublished Photo Gallery

[Event Report]
✓ Mitsuru Tanaka × Yoshiki Kogaito Online Lectures

[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist. Additional notes added for context and interpretation.*

“The Body Is the Beauty of the Soul.”
Special Interview: Yuzuru Hanyu

[Page 24-33]

On March 10, professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu gave a solo interview to this magazine in Sendai.

This time’s theme was: “The Evolution of the Body.”

How has the flexible body that creates such high skating technique, such as his exemplary quadruple jumps, and the physicality and incredible stamina that have allowed him to complete solo performances three years in a row since turning pro, along with deepening expressive power, been cultivated through training and awareness?

How does he view the body that, since his days as a competitive skater, has overcome numerous injuries and become an unshakable foundation for captivating through his figure skating?

At the end of the interview, Hanyu carefully wrote in neat script on a square sheet of paper (shikishi board):

“The body[1] is, the soul’s beauty.”

Spoiler

We delved into the thoughts and intentions behind those words, which were spun from deeply considered reflection.

Text by Mitsuru Tanaka (sports writer / associate professor, Bigakuin University)
Photos by Yoshiki Kogaito

 

---

—Compared to your competitive days, or even since you turned pro, the impression of your movement becoming more supple over time has grown stronger. I imagine that in your training, you place a great deal of importance on the body, the foundation that creates both expression and technique.

Hanyu: Thank you very much. First of all, as a premise, figure skating is built on physical expression. Within that, something I personally value is wanting to be able to think, when I see (Yuzuru Hanyu’s skating or expression) from the outside, “That’s really something beautiful.”

In terms of the physical side, what’s been most difficult since turning pro has been performing multiple programs within a single show. To put it badly, if I created a program where I could hold back, I might be able to manage the physical and stamina issues. But if I did that, I would end up exposing weakness in the expressive aspects.

It’s not so much that I have a strong desire to improve just for the sake of it, but rather because I want to fully respond to the expectations people (fans and audience) have for me, and because I have something I want to communicate, and I want to convey it, so long as I’m facing skating with that mindset of wanting to get better, I don’t want to perform a program where I hold back.

Of course, the programs include jumping, but there are also programs that are very demanding on lung capacity and place are very demanding on the body[2] even without jumps. I’m also doing the Biellmann spin (which requires a high level of flexibility, as you lift one leg behind your head while spinning). So without holding back, how to adjust output (in order to show something in each program), what kind of training and practice are necessary for that? By strengthening the physical abilities necessary to bring together the kind of structure I want to perform, or to align my body with the ideal that I want to express, I have this sense that my body has adapted.

—In the course of your daily training, are there aspects you struggle with in trying to get your body to adapt toward your ideal form?

Hanyu: Actually, I was born with a rather limited range of motion in my right shoulder. I think, structurally speaking, the way my bones are shaped, it just doesn’t sit well. So having stiff shoulders has been a complex of mine for a long time. There was a time when I worried that I was “bad at presenting things” because my shoulder movement felt stiff when doing the Ina Bauer (a skating move where the feet open in opposite directions, and in Hanyu’s case, he performs it with his arms dramatically extended). On the other hand, among skaters, there are people who, for example, aren’t very flexible when bending forward. But when stiffness isn’t visible from the outside (to the audience or judges), it’s because they’re good at presenting[3]. I was taught that this presentation is what really matters.

It’s important to improve flexibility through daily training in regard to my right shoulder’s range of motion, but it’s also possible to bring out supple movement through how you present yourself. For the Ina Bauer, for instance, I think about how much I can use my chest, or how to show the lines of my body—I skate while studying those things.

Of course, I’m focusing on expanding the range of motion in my shoulders, but if I focus only on that, there are also risks. For example, when doing a quadruple jump, you need very quick arm movement to generate rotation. At that moment, centrifugal force pulls on your shoulders, so if I forcibly increase my range of motion, I worry that my shoulder might dislocate more easily. Balancing all this is really difficult, but first and foremost, I try to know my own body well, understand my right shoulder’s range of motion, and increase suppleness within the range that it can actually move.

—You seem to pursue each area deeply: skating to enhance technique, training to build stamina and physical strength, and lessons in ballet and dance to broaden your expressiveness.

Hanyu: Thank you. In my case, I think my daily training leans quite a bit toward the athletic side. Building endurance, recovering from physical fatigue, managing lots of pain from falls and injuries, dealing with persistent stress[4], there’s a lot of that. While it’s necessary to develop this athletic skill and physical strength, as a professional skater, I’m also expected to impress people in the area of “expression.” Of course, this is something I want to pursue myself, but balancing performance and elegance is still very difficult.

To broaden my expressive range, I’m steadily working on the basics of dance and ballet. But when I’m doing a one-man show (solo performances), there tend to be more expression-focused programs. If I concentrate too much on expressive programs in practice, I run out of time to work on jumps. To put it simply, figure skating has limited time for on-ice practice. If I spend that time on expression-focused programs, jump practice gets reduced. And training that can compensate for that, well, you really can only do it on the ice.

So, balancing expression-focused programs with training to enhance physical ability for things like jumps, when you think about it in terms of time, it becomes a major challenge. As the actual show date approaches, I inevitably have to prioritize jump practice. That’s because when performing a program in front of many people, I strongly feel, “You’ve got to land the jumps.” So I can’t afford to cut back on jump training.

With things like dance and ballet, I think it’s important to build up the base during times when I have more leeway in my schedule or when I’m creating new programs. And while focusing on jump training, I always try to keep my antenna up for the expressive side as well, always thinking about how to make beautiful movements and how to approach them, continuing to study that in my head.

—You’ve mentioned before that you study training methods through English-language materials from overseas.

Hanyu: Not only training methods, I've always felt that studying is important in every area. For ICE STORY “Echoes of Life”, I wrote the story myself, but until now, I hadn’t done any writing in a professional capacity. So I had to study how to write, too. When it comes to knowledge about the body and about expression, I still feel there are many areas where I’m lacking. I often ask myself, “You keep talking about expression, expression, but what do you even know about expression?” In order to make up for what I’m lacking and to overcome the challenges I feel every day, I think I need to keep studying and constantly updating what’s inside me.

—You also mentioned ballet and lessons earlier. In the official Echoes of Life program booklet, MIKIKO-san said she conveyed “the basics of the basics of the basics.” From your time as a competitive skater, it seems you’ve always built things up steadily through daily training and practice while aiming higher and higher.

Hanyu: In my case, I think I was really lucky that the first skating coach I had taught in a good way. They emphasized the basic movements and made sure I didn’t develop bad habits. When I was little, I didn’t yet have solid muscle strength, but my range of motion was wide, so if I’d wanted to jump in a way that was easier for my body at the time, I probably could have, using those traits. But if I had jumped that way, I think I would’ve developed strange habits. Instead, that first coach corrected me and helped me build jumps that were grounded in fundamentals. That’s what I think made it possible for me to have the jumps I do now. And after that, I’ve been lucky to have teachers who’ve helped me polish (those basics) further.

—In March this year, you performed a quadruple Lutz in the short program BOW AND ARROW, a music video you did in collaboration with singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu. You also landed a quadruple loop during the open rehearsal for your ice show notte stellata, which got a lot of attention. You’re continuing to captivate people with high-level skating technique.

Hanyu: The Lutz, it was really hard (laughs). How many years had it been since I’d last done a quad Lutz? Maybe about five years. With jumps you haven’t done in a long time, it’s not so much that your technique deteriorates, but more that you forget the feeling of it. It’s like, say, being asked as an adult to suddenly solve a factoring problem. Back when you were studying it, you could’ve done it easily, but now you have to recall the method. Factoring is math, but with a figure skating jump, if you forget the sensation, you go, “Wait, how do you do a Lutz again?” and the reaction becomes slower because you don’t remember.

(In the short program of the music video, I also did a quad Salchow–triple toe loop combination,) but I’ve kept doing the Salchow, so I can adjust it right away based on how I’m feeling today. With the Lutz, I had to revive my old memories and combine them with experience, so it was hard to get it to click perfectly.

—Why did you decide to go to such lengths to do a quad Lutz?

Hanyu: (There’s a character in the manga Medalist, which is about figure skating, who does a quad Lutz,) and I wanted to show respect to the original work. Plus, I had a desire to go beyond the original. I wanted to have all the weapons that every character had, and say, “And on top of that, I’m Yuzuru Hanyu.” That was the kind of mindset I had. So yeah, it was tough. I even got injured. My body took a serious beating. (From falls,) my legs, my back, my butt… I hurt just about everything (laughs).

Not having done it for five years had a big impact. The Lutz is honestly a huge trauma for me. I still have a vivid memory of landing weirdly on that jump, and barely making it to the Olympics. I don’t have many good memories from the seasons when I was using the Lutz, so to be honest, it’s not a jump I really want to do. But I still haven’t lost the desire to master jumps. That part hasn’t changed. That said, if someone asked me to do a quad Lutz in a one-man show, I’d say, “Only if I can do a six-minute warmup right before and then land it right at the very start.” That’s the only way I think I could do it. That’s how seriously I’m still facing jumps, not just as an artist, but as an athlete, too. And I don’t think I could have done Ballade No.1 in Echoes (of Life) without mistakes unless I’d had that mindset.

—It’s clear that you approach your body from both sides: as an athlete who connects it to performance, and as an artist who expands expression. The physical form you’ve shaped through that process truly seems to embody strength, beauty, and flexibility all at once.

Hanyu: I think the fact that I’ve gained more usable parts of my body through training is definitely a good thing. But on top of that, what’s important is that whether or not you can use flexibility and suppleness depends on skating technique. To make that possible, you need to pack in a lot of methods and knowledge, how to use the body well, biomechanics, theory[5]. That all comes down to studying. And I think if you don’t keep pursuing your ideals constantly, you probably won’t be able to arrive at a form of expression that you’re truly satisfied with.

It’s been a long time now, but at the press conference after the PyeongChang Olympics, I said: “Art doesn’t work without proper technique, a solid foundation, and expressive ability. I believe the most important thing is to use correct technique in every aspect and show it as art.” And now, as a professional, I feel that even more strongly.

〈Post-Interview Note〉

At the end of the interview, we asked Hanyu-san to write a few words on a shikishi board expressing what his body means to him, what expression and performance are, in relation to the physical self.

“Hmm, this is tough... It’s difficult, isn’t it... Would it be okay if it’s more of an ideal? Like, what I want it to be?”

He said this with a thoughtful, slightly troubled expression, taking his time to reflect deeply. He had just finished three consecutive days of performances and had another interview with a different outlet coming up. I thought he might write something down quickly and simply—but Hanyu-san faced the request with complete sincerity.

“I just want to double-check that the kanji are correct.”

With that, he took out his smartphone from his pocket and even looked it up.

“Sometimes I get worried—like, is the word I’m thinking of really right in terms of meaning?”

He must have confirmed the kanji and its meaning… or so I thought. Even then, with the shikishi board in front of him, Hanyu-san continued to hesitate. Ten seconds, fifteen seconds… a long silence passed.

“Uhh, hmm… Japanese is hard, isn’t it? Ahh, this is nerve-wracking.”

Another twenty seconds went by.

“Umm… I keep thinking of so many different words, but…”

It was a theme that couldn’t be taken lightly—how to express the meaning of his body, which he has pushed and endured for so long. Precisely because this expression would be directed toward that body, he couldn’t treat it superficially. Watching him struggle, I started to feel bad for having given him such a difficult theme.

A member of the team present gently suggested, “Should we come back to it later?” But Hanyu replied:

“If I leave it for later, I’ll forget what I’m thinking about now.”

And so he continued facing it head-on, giving it his full attention.

Another thirty seconds passed. The interview time was drawing to a close.

“Would it be okay if I wrote what I aspire to?” he asked again, confirming once more before finally putting pen to paper.

“Maybe it’s because I wrote the storybook for Echoes (of Life), but I feel like choosing the right words has gotten even harder.”

And at last, the words he carefully wrote were:

「体躯とは、魂の美しさ。」
“The body is, the soul’s beauty.”

“It’s what I hope to be, it’s what I want to become.”

I’ve never met another athlete who engaged with a single piece of shikishi board with such sincerity. I’ve never encountered words filled with so much thought.

Right after writing it, Hanyu-san looked at me and—completely changing the subject—asked:

“Have you lost weight?”

The last time I had a one-on-one interview with him was on October 18, 2024, for the publication of my book Yuzuru Hanyu Through the Lens: The Supreme Champion Seen by His Cameraman. Since then, I’d made some health changes—exercise, diet—and had lost about 10 kg. I never expected Hanyu-san to notice a change in the physique of one interviewer among so many he meets.

“I was like, wow, you lost a lot of weight.”

That wasn’t all. He had even read the article I had written and said:

“This article was really great. Thank you so much!”

At the very beginning of the interview, he had smiled and spoken warmly to photographer Ryoki Kogaito from Sports Nippon, who was in charge of this shoot. He even praised specific moments from Towa Yakuhin presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2025, for which Kogaito had served as official photographer.

No matter how busy he is, Hanyu never forgets to observe and care for those around him. His presence fills the interview space with warmth.

“Alright, let’s do our best for the next interview, too!!”

With that cheer as if to fire himself up, Hanyu-san briskly left the room and headed off to his next interview.

 

---

 

[Page 34-35] 

(Photo of the handwritten message)
 

体躯とは、[The body is,]

魂の美しさ。[the soul’s beauty]

羽生結弦 (signature)
2025.3.10

 

NOTES

[1]「体躯」（たいく / taiku）: Yuzuru uses this formal, literary word for the body. More dignified than 体 (karada) or 身体 (shintai), 体躯 (taiku) implies a physical form with presence and structure. It is often used in contexts like traditional martial arts or classical writing. 体躯 (taiku) is not common in everyday speech.

[2]「酷使」（こくし / koku-shi）“To overwork” or “to drive something to its limits.” This word is often used in contexts of pushing a body or mind past normal limits.
[3] 「見せ方」（みせかた / misekata）“The way of presenting or showing something.” Context/interpretation note: years ago, in a conversation with Shizuka Arakawa, Yuzuru had praised her Ina Bauer to which she responded that she wasn’t really flexible but that she made it look like that.

[4] 慢性的なストレス (manseiteki na sutoresu), which directly translates to chronic or persistent stress. ストレス (“stress” written in katakana because it’s a word borrowed from English) is often used broadly to include both body and mind, unless clarified otherwise.
[5] 「理論」（りろん / riron）”theory” or “principle.” Interpretation note: the inclusion of 理論 (riron) shows how Yuzuru sees skating as both an art and a science.

 

[Wintek]

 2025.06.30
*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

[Page 46-51]

 

Special Guest: [Speaking about Yuzuru Hanyu]
Shae-Lynn Bourne

The Stage of Thunderous Applause

“MANSAI Bolero,” performed at “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2025,” was met with thunderous applause. This piece beautifully fused classical music, kyogen (traditional Japanese comic theater), and figure skating to weave a story of recovery and rebirth following the earthquake disaster.

We spoke with Shae-Lynn Bourne, who choreographed the on-ice performance, about the thoughts she poured into the program.*

Spoiler

Interview & text by Yukiko Ogawa, Tatsuya Murao

---

Profile

Born in 1976 in Canada. As an ice dancer, she competed in the Olympics three times (1994, 1998, 2002), and won gold medals at the World Championships (2003) and Four Continents Championships (1999, 2001, 2003). After retiring, she has been active in a wide range of fields as a professional skater, choreographer, and coach. She has worked on many programs for the world's top skaters, including Yuzuru Hanyu.

---

— We'd like to ask you specifically about the performance you choreographed for notte stellata, which took place this March.

Shae: Thank you very much. For this show, I was contacted by Yuzu and the producers, and they asked me to choreograph “MANSAI Bolero.” That was the segment performed by Mansai Nomura, Yuzu, and the rest of us skaters. So, for this year’s show, I was deeply involved in that number in particular.

The version of “SEIMEI” that was performed this time was originally a program I choreographed. Actually, back when we created it, I said to Yuzu, “It would be wonderful if you could perform this together with Mansai-san someday.” I had a strong intuition back then that it would become something incredible. But until Yuzu contacted me earlier this year, I had no idea the two of them would actually be performing together, so when I heard about it, I was thrilled.

I wasn’t involved in the segment of “SEIMEI” they performed together, the interactions between the two of them were created entirely by them. Yuzu’s part kept the original choreography from his free program, and they created the transitions to tie it in with Mansai-san’s performance. Seeing the two of them perform that together was such a happy surprise. It also brought back so many wonderful memories. And it was something I had envisioned for so long, seeing it come to life felt very special.

—Both “SEIMEI” and “MANSAI Bolero” were truly magnificent programs. Can you tell us how “Bolero,” which you choreographed, came together?

Shae: There were a lot of elements interwoven, so it was really fulfilling work (laughs). First off, it’s a large-scale piece, it runs about 9 minutes. The original “Bolero” is around 15 minutes long, and although this was a shortened version, 9 minutes is still quite substantial.

—When you began working on the program, did you hear directly from Mansai-san about why he wanted to create this piece after the earthquake, or about the background behind it?

Shae: Yes, we had a meeting with Mansai-san, Yuzu, and the production team. During that, Mansai-san explained that this was a piece he had performed on the kyogen stage. He talked about the story he infused into the work, what it meant to him personally, and also shared his vision for this particular performance.

—What message was embedded in this performance?

Shae: In terms of the story, Mansai-san represented a god. Yuzu portrayed a kind of demigod figure, sent down to the rink. And the rest of us skaters represented humans.

In the opening scene, we humans are collapsed on the ground, having spent all our strength. Then, we’re revived, brought back to life. From there, we show the passage of seasons, and along with that, the various emotions and experiences of life. It’s like a journey that traces all kinds of human feelings, conflict, fear, resistance against nature, and at the same time, the sense of freedom, liberation, and joy that spring and summer bring. And finally, the god moves on to the next place to accomplish something even greater. That’s how I interpreted the narrative.

Mansai-san’s vision was incredibly beautiful and also very exciting. But expressing that through skating was a pretty big challenge. Because not only did I have to choreograph a unique part for Yuzu, who had a different character than Mansai-san, but I also needed to create choreography for the five accompanying skaters, while making sure all of it harmonized with Mansai-san’s movements. Everything needed to sync and resonate with each other. So it was both very interesting and very challenging.

Creating the piece together with Mansai-san, Yuzu, and the other skaters was such a fun experience, and our group rehearsals were truly wonderful. Both Mansai-san and Yuzu were really open, and it was such an enjoyable process to share ideas and build something special together.

—Did the process involve having meetings online beforehand, followed by everyone gathering at the rink?

Shae: Yes, exactly. I choreographed Yuzu’s part before coming to Japan. I first recorded myself skating it and sent him the video. Then he’d try it out on the ice and send back his video, and we went back and forth like that. We’re both pretty used to working that way over Zoom now (laughs). I also watched him skate live over video and fine-tuned the choreography while observing him.

Yuzu is so professional and picks things up incredibly fast. He had such a strong desire to portray his role well. He really immersed himself in the character and learned it all at an amazing pace. I also sent videos in advance to each of the other skaters because I wanted them to understand the concept we were aiming for. Thanks to that, things went really smoothly once we were all together.

—When blending kyogen movements with skating, was there anything in particular you had to be creative about?

Shae: I really had to think about how to make the different elements come alive. For one thing, there was a stage set up in the center of the rink, so figuring out how to use that effectively to create excitement was important. Unlike a traditional kyogen stage, this one was surrounded by audience seating on all sides. And the stage was quite large, right in the middle of the rink. So I had to ensure that the skaters had enough space to move, while still making Mansai-san stand out, and also highlighting Yuzu.

On top of that, I wanted Yuzu to appear as though he was guiding or controlling us skaters. So I had to approach this differently than usual. Rather than choreographing for a single skater or one unified group, I had to create separate choreography for three distinct groups in different moments, and make them look unified as a whole. That was a new experience for me, but it was also a fun challenge.

—There was even a moment where the distinctive kyogen-style walking was expressed on the ice.

Shae: Yes, there was. And beyond that, I also didn’t want Yuzu’s movements to be exactly the same as Mansai-san’s. Since Yuzu’s character was something between a god and a human, I wanted his movements to reflect a blend of both realms.

—The costumes were also striking. But weren’t those long sleeves difficult to skate in?

Shae: Yes, exactly. We actually had to connect online and do some practice runs in the costume to figure out which movements were possible and which weren’t. The sleeves were very long, and the body of the costume had quite a bit of length as well, so we had to make sure the movements wouldn’t get tangled up in the fabric. We adjusted the choreography so that the movements would suit the costume.

—Was that costume Yuzuru’s idea?

Shae: Yes. And I think it had a great effect. Wearing that costume changed how he moved and how he felt things, and that brought out a unique style of expression. He deeply respected the character he was portraying and sincerely wanted to bring it to life in the right way, and I think he did it beautifully.

—The interplay between Mansai-san and Yuzuru was also remarkable.

Shae: In the opening, Mansai-san is standing on stage and Yuzu moves toward him, and the moment they appear together, their movements are completely aligned, like a mirror reflection. Yuzu appears on the ice as the god’s mirror image, and then begins to skate with us.

At one point, I thought: what if we could have water flowing down a screen, and Yuzu’s image appearing within it? It would have been very hard to make that happen in a short time, but in the end, he expressed it through movement. Everything looked like a reflection in a mirror. I don’t know if the audience was consciously aware of it, but I think they could feel the power of that moment when they performed it.

—Did Mansai-san himself explain the meaning behind the piece?

Shae: Not every detail, but he shared enough for me to understand the work. From there, I formed my own interpretation and expanded it with my own perspective. There may have been parts where our interpretations differed, but the core of the work, the meaning and the expression, was something we shared. His explanation was really helpful.

That said, I didn’t try to replicate all of Mansai-san’s movements. The skaters, after all, weren’t gods, they were humans. So rather than copying the god’s movements, we made sure our choreography respected his presence while expressing something different.

As for Yuzu, there were moments where his movements matched Mansai-san’s and others where he performed something original. In the matching parts, he was meant to feel connected to the god. In the original parts, he was guiding us humans, observing our movements, and almost evaluating, "Has the world regained peace? Are people living joyfully again?” That’s what he expressed. And in the final scene, the feeling is one of celebration.

—That’s the scene where Yuzuru and Mansai-san jump together, right?

Shae: Yes. That moment felt very festive. The final circle formation and powerful skating expressed a sense of love for life and celebration.

—Mansai-san also said that synchronized jump at the end represented a transition from "death" to "life."

Shae: Exactly, it was rebirth. Very powerful. (Looking at a photo of the moment) The way they jumped looked like birds taking flight.

—Had you seen any of Mansai-san’s kyogen performances before this?

Shae: I had seen videos of him performing solo on stage. In our first meeting, we looked over his movements minute by minute, even second by second, to identify the key moments we could align with. That helped us decide clearly where to synchronize with his movements and where to react to them, which made the choreography process much smoother. Knowing those highlights from the start was really valuable. Thanks to that, I think we were able to create a sense of movement that felt like a conversation with him.

—When choreographing this program, did Yuzuru make any specific requests, like “I want to focus on this part in particular”?

Shae: No, he gave me complete freedom. What he wanted was for me to understand the feeling of the piece, that was the most important thing. He didn’t give me any strict instructions about what he wanted to do on the ice. He let me create based on my own vision.

Once we began rehearsing in Sendai, we did make some adjustments to the movements and how they played out on the large rink, to make sure the meaning came through clearly when seen from a distance.

We spent a lot of time rehearsing. Everyone worked so hard, giving their all to make it perfect. The lighting transitions, the timing of the falling snow, the cues for when to rise, everyone had to memorize all those cues perfectly. Outside of that, Yuzu was very open to following my inspiration.

—Akiko Suzuki said she was overwhelmed seeing Mansai-san’s performance up close. What did you feel watching his expression?

Shae: What stood out most to me was his presence. He had so much passion, and he completely threw himself into his work. It felt like he was diving deep into the essence of what he was doing. Also, the way he connected with the music, it was very moving to see what he was feeling through the sound, and how sincerely he approached it.

But more than anything, I was drawn to who he is as a person. He’s incredibly professional and expresses his thoughts clearly, but he’s also very open to collaboration, and deeply humble. The more I got to know him, the easier it became to talk and share the experience together. And he always showed great respect for others.

At the start of the performance, when we humans are lying on the ice, I’m the first to begin moving in response to Mansai-san’s gestures. From that moment, I already felt a rush of emotion and energy. Then we lie back down, taking one final breath before collapsing again to express death. At that point, I turn my face toward him, and I cracked my eyes open just a little to watch his performance as he collapsed. That moment felt like something from a dream, almost magical. I was deeply moved to be part of that world.

Not only us performers, but also the audience, everyone’s emotions kept building. As the music swelled toward the ending, the atmosphere felt like it reached a climax. It wasn’t just cheers, it was like a rumble in the air. We gave everything to the audience, and it felt like they were giving everything back to us too.

Sharing that experience with Mansai-san, Yuzu, the other skaters, and the whole team was truly emotional and powerful. It felt full of meaning. After each show, I spoke briefly with Mansai-san, and I could feel how proud and satisfied he was with what we’d accomplished together. I felt that he truly appreciated what we had created.

And that meant so much to me. That Yuzu entrusted me with this project, and that I got to be a part of it, is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.

—That really shows how much Yuzuru trusts you, doesn’t it?

Shae: The more time you spend working together, the better you come to understand each other. So yes, between us, there’s an open and wonderful bond based on trust. And when that’s in place, anything is possible. There are no walls. It creates so many opportunities to build something interesting together.

It’s truly amazing how he constantly pushes himself, keeps challenging boundaries, and is always pursuing something new. That’s a wonderful thing for the figure skating world too, and I think he always delivers something special to the audience.

—The venue where the show was held was, at one point after the earthquake, used as a temporary morgue. Performing this piece there must have carried special meaning.

Shae: Yes, absolutely.

There was a kind of tragic atmosphere woven into the overall opening of the show. But Yuzu breathed life into that space and shifted the tone toward something different by the end.

It’s very much like life. Life includes many painful events. We are born into this world and eventually, we leave it. And we don’t always get to choose what happens along the way. Life is complicated and it isn’t always easy, but it’s also beautiful. And I believe that it’s precisely because we experience hardship and loss that we can love so deeply. Because there is love and there is life, we treasure them and give ourselves completely. Don’t you think so?

We’re grateful for the fact that we were given life. It’s like yin and yang.

Trials and hardships, things we have to overcome, are necessary too. I felt that this show captured an incredible range of emotions, including all of those elements.

—To Yuzuru, I think Mansai-san is someone he has admired for many years. Did you feel that from Yuzu?

Shae: I could tell that he was listening very intently to Mansai-san and respecting him deeply. And at the same time, he seemed very relaxed around him. He was able to express his own ideas and feelings about the performance with sincerity and respect, but also very openly. You could really feel that this was a true collaboration, two worlds meeting and creating something together.

Even if he was nervous, Yuzu didn’t show it outwardly. They already felt like old friends; the kind of tension you have when you meet someone for the first time was no longer there. And when Yuzu gets on the ice, he knows exactly what he needs to do. He’s mature enough to express what he wants and what he feels in the most appropriate way. So I think they were really communicating in a great way.

After every performance, all the skaters would gather around Mansai-san, Yuzu included, and they would all bow together. Sometimes they’d invite Mansai-san to join in dancing too. You could really feel the mutual respect and deep admiration growing between them.

—Was there anything Mansai-san said or did during the creation of the piece that left a strong impression on you?

Shae: After the final show, he came up to me and said, “Thank you. It was a pleasure to do this together.” He also talked a little about SEIMEI, how happy he was to see the program I had choreographed.

He starred in the film (Onmyoji) that used that music as its main theme, right? Before I choreographed SEIMEI, I hadn’t known about him, but I watched the movie with subtitles. So being able to actually meet him, and to hear that he enjoyed this experience, that made me really happy.

On the first day we met, I told him, “I’m so glad this collaboration is happening. It means a lot to me that these two worlds are coming together.” I also felt it was wonderful that he had the chance to perform in such a large venue, in front of a big audience. It felt like this was a new kind of experience for him, and when he talked about how much he enjoyed it, his eyes sparkled. I think we both had a really meaningful and wonderful experience.

—Another highlight of the show was SEIMEI. How did you see that performance?

Shae: As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t involved in the collaboration for SEIMEI this time, but watching the performance, it looked like Yuzu was skating the same version as the free program I originally choreographed.

They divided it into parts. After the first section, there was an exchange with Mansai-san, then a slow part, another interaction with Mansai-san, and then the ending. So the program itself was exactly the same, but they inserted transition sections for their interactions. For example, Yuzu would pause, and then Mansai-san would move, and so on. And those transitions were created by the two of them.

That was probably the most logical approach. Yuzu knows this program inside and out, and Mansai-san could judge exactly when to make his movements. Their interactions felt very natural and interesting, they really did a great job. And the spell that Mansai-san recited worked beautifully too. The use of monitors, the way he ran around the rink, it all helped bring a greater sense of unity to the audience.

—That running around the rink was actually Mansai-san’s idea.

Shae: Oh, really! I didn’t know any of the details about that piece, so I was really looking forward to it too. The audience loves this program from Yuzu, so I knew they would be thrilled. For them, to see this program brought to life in a new way, by the very actor who played the character in the film, was such a big, beautiful gift.

I watched Yuzu and Mansai-san’s SEIMEI performance on the monitor backstage. And there was Yuzu, doing a quad jump! Even though he’s no longer competing, he still performed every element, and honestly, he might be skating it better now than he did back then!

I think it’s because now, he can focus completely on his performance. Hearing that music again, watching his interpretation, it felt like the program had been given a new life. It was an incredible experience to witness.

—Earlier, you mentioned watching the Onmyoji film when you choreographed SEIMEI. How did you incorporate the film’s elements into the program?

Shae: I explored what we wanted to express through the performance together with Yuzu, but the base was definitely drawn from the film’s story. When I watched it, I was focused entirely on Mansai-san. I wanted to understand the role he played so I could help Yuzu embody it in his own way.

I think Mansai-san was quite young when he acted in that movie. One thing I remember clearly is the slightly devilish smile the main character gives, like a mischievous little grin. I remember laughing because I thought, “That’s just like Yuzu.” They both have that in common. They carry themselves with such grace and composure, but occasionally you catch this impish smile, it’s kind of charming and mysterious.

So yes, I felt a similarity between the two. And I channeled that feeling into the choreography as well.

—It’s fascinating that, as you mentioned at the beginning of this interview, when you first choreographed SEIMEI, you had already suggested a collaboration with Mansai-san.

Shae: I even asked Yuzu, “Do you remember that I said that back then?” We created that program two seasons before the PyeongChang Olympics, and it suited him so well that I thought, This is the program he should take to the Olympics. At that time, I said, Someday, you should perform with this actor. It was a wish of mine to see them collaborate. So to have it finally come true, and after so many years, it’s just incredible. I still can’t believe it.

—Each year, Notte Stellata brings in guest artists from different fields, and creates these amazing collaborations. The way performers and the audience come together feels very special.

Shae: That’s one reason why I chose “Bon Bon Bon”, an upbeat, feel-good number, for my own performance this year. Once again, my husband played the drums, walking alongside the rink as he performed, and the audience was so surprised to see the drummer come right up close to them. My husband said that when he looked at the audience, everyone looked so happy and fully engaged.

Also, my son and our friend participated this time too! Having those live-action moments helped the audience feel like they were part of the show. With the live drumming and the dance crew, everything layered together, full of energy. The whole atmosphere of the venue transformed—it became such a joyful space.

—Some of the skaters also joined in as part of the marching band.

Shae: Actually, my son was in that marching band, too! He was there with our friend from New York. My son’s grown up so much now, he’s even taller than me (laughs). The audience seemed to really enjoy it.

—Is your son a skater as well?

Shae: No, his interests are in theater, acting and film. He was thrilled to have this kind of experience. He said it was a really special one.

—It’s lovely to hear about this family collaboration. And like last year, your number really brought up the energy in the arena.

Shae: Every time I choose a program for a show, I feel like I’m being asked, What message do you want to convey with this piece?

The main message I wanted to share was: Yes, we go through hardships, but sometimes, we just need to laugh, to dance, to hear something uplifting. Because if we only carry pain all the time, we can get stuck there. We need moments of release.

When you’re having a bad day, or you’ve been going through something difficult, you need to take a pause, dance, sing, drum, feel the rhythm of your heart. Find that moment of freedom. That was my idea. This show also serves as a time to reflect on sad and painful memories, and I knew it could carry a heavy tone. But that’s exactly why it’s also important to celebrate life while we’re living it. To create memories of life in the best way we can... that’s what I wanted to convey with that program.

—That’s such a profound message. Notte Stellata has become an annual tradition for you now, hasn’t it?

Shae: I didn’t know at first that it would become a yearly event, but this was my third time. I don’t know if there will be another, but if there is, I would love to take part again.

After the last performance ended this time, before we left the venue, Mansai-san, Yuzu, and I took a photo together in the SEIMEI pose. In that moment, with all of us gathered there after so many years had passed, I felt overwhelmed by how beautiful an experience this was. It felt almost magical, mysterious and spiritual.

—It means so much to hear your feelings and reflections like this. We’re filled with gratitude and feel honored.

Shae: Yes, “honored” really is the word. I think I’ve come to feel that more strongly as I get older. That’s what life is, through the years, you come to understand and appreciate it more deeply. You begin to feel gratitude for the moments you’re given. Even having this interview, being able to share stories with people who care, it’s something I truly cherish.

To spend time doing something you love, surrounded by people you enjoy being with, if you’re lucky enough to have that opportunity, it’s something to be grateful for, isn’t it?

—Thank you so much for today. Lastly, could you share a message for Yuzuru and his fans?

Shae: Yes, Yuzu. I am so deeply grateful that I had the chance to meet you in this lifetime. From the very first time we worked together until now, getting to know you has been one of the greatest gifts in my life. Every time we collaborate, every conversation we share, I learn more about you. I see more of your beauty, your openness, and it is always a joy. It’s the most wonderful gift.

I hope we’ll have more moments together ahead. But even if we don’t, I’m thankful for every person I’ve met because of this life.

You have a truly beautiful soul. With your passion and love for skating and for life, you bring love and joy into this world. Thank you for being exactly as you are. And thank you for your open heart.

To Yuzu’s fans, I want to send you all the biggest thank you! You are incredible. You always welcome me and my fellow skaters so warmly at the rink. You come to the shows, you shower us with support and love, I’m so grateful for that. Without you, these shows wouldn’t exist. I feel like we are partners—you and us—creating this together through our shared passion for skating. I always feel your presence there. And when it ends, I feel sad, but I’m left with so many wonderful memories. I truly cherish you all. Thank you so much. I hope we’ll see each other again soon!

[Wintek]

2025.06.30
*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

 

[Page 52-57]

Special Guest
[Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu]
Akiko Suzuki -A Bond Connected by the Ice Rink

Akiko Suzuki, who has performed in Notte Stellata for three consecutive years under the leadership of Yuzuru Hanyu, also handled the choreography for the opening and finale of the Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance.

Having once based herself in Sendai and calling it her “second hometown,” Suzuki shares deep feelings toward recovery, which overlap with Hanyu’s.

We asked her to speak about her thoughts on the show, and about the professionalism she witnessed up close in Yuzuru Hanyu.

Spoiler

Interview/Text: Tatsuya Murao

---

―――This year’s “Notte Stellata” was a wonderful performance as well. You appeared in it for the third year in a row. How was it for you?

 

Akiko: That’s right. It’s something I feel every time, but Yuzuru-san’s strong feelings toward this show really come through. This time, it was also the much-anticipated collaboration with Mansai Nomura-san, so in that sense as well, I felt that all of us performers came together with a shared determination of “Let’s create something good!”

―――This show was conceived with the hope of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Since you were once based in Sendai, I imagine you must have a strong shared sense of that purpose.

Akiko: Yes, I actually have friends from university and skating peers who were directly affected by the disaster... At the time, I had already moved my base to Nagoya, but I’ve always considered Sendai my second hometown, so I felt deep pain in my heart, and at the same time, I also felt a strong sense of powerlessness, like, “There’s nothing I can do.”

I couldn’t just go to the affected area right away, and even if I did, what could I really do there?

At that time, I even felt guilty about continuing to skate. With so many people suffering so terribly from the disaster, I wondered if it was okay for me to be skating at all, whether skating could help anyone at all. I felt really down. But even if I couldn’t do anything immediately, through things like sending supplies via friends, I gradually came to think, “Maybe if I do my best in skating, I can give someone strength.”

For example, by participating in charity ice shows, I realized, “There is something I can do through skating.”

―――What you just said is something Hanyu-san himself has spoken about many times. He’s said that he wondered if it was okay for him to keep skating, and that “from that time on, the path I needed to walk changed,” that it was a turning point in his life.

Akiko: Especially because Yuzuru-san himself was also a victim of the disaster, and afterward he had to move from rink to rink to keep practicing and performing in shows. In one interview, I remember he said something like, “I ended up leaving Sendai as if I was running away,” and as someone in the same world of skating, I felt like I could understand what he meant.

――Do you feel that the experience of the earthquake lies at the root of Hanyu-san’s worldview and actions?

Akiko: Of course. That he even launched Notte Stellata is part of that, and the charity performance for Noto Peninsula last year as well. I think he truly understands the influence he has, and consciously channels that into action. Facing something like a natural disaster—something utterly beyond human control—must be emotionally painful in itself. But I deeply respect how he acts in a way that makes his abilities truly helpful to others.

――At the end of the show, there’s a scene where he addresses the audience with the straightforward words, “Please live!” [生きてください!]

Akiko: What I feel is that he himself must have wrestled with many things. But now, because he’s alive, because he has his life, he’s fulfilling it, so to speak. That comes through so clearly in his whole body when he skates, with everything he’s got. That’s the sense I get.

I’ve had the chance to appear in Notte Stellata three times, and during the first time, I really felt like he himself was still very much in the depths of sorrow. Especially since the performance was held on March 11 itself, there were moments, like during the silent prayer, that were painful to even watch. That’s how much I could sense that, for him, to skate “on this day,” “in this place,” meant carrying something tremendously heavy.

But then, by the second and third times, of course he still carries that feeling, but he had transformed into someone who was moving forward. Even while bearing the sadness, by facing forward himself, he was showing others that they, too, could face forward. That’s what his presence conveyed.

I feel like that change could be seen in the expression of fulfillment on his face after each show, or in the way he casually spoke, it’s in those places where I saw the difference from the first time.

――The other skaters performing with him must also share those same feelings.

Akiko: Yes, absolutely. I think what really comes through in the show is how deeply we all understand what it is we’re taking part in, and how we come together with one heart and move forward together.

Also, it’s rare for a show, but the opening and finale music don’t change from year to year, they stay the same. That part is gradually being refined, with David (Wilson), the choreographer, adding subtle new arrangements over time. I really love that opening and finale. It’s full of hope, and it gives you the feeling that people are sharing kindness with one another. I think it’s a beautiful number that lets you feel that.

And the fact that we get to perform it every year with those same members, that’s something I think is a truly special part of this show.

――The opening number, “Twinkling Stars of Hope,” was created specifically for this show. We’ve heard the concept is that the skaters on the ice represent the stars twinkling in the night sky. What kind of direction did you receive from David Wilson?

Akiko: Exactly, we are the twinkling stars. I and Rika Hongo are the first to step out onto the ice, and David said things like, “I want a sense of speed, like shooting stars,” and “Give the impression that a lot of twinkling stars are emerging in the night sky from there.”

The music has a sparkly, glittering sound—really kirakira kirakira kirakira—so he also said, “I want your footwork to move fast, like tatatatatatata.”

Then, when Jason (Brown) comes out, the choreography becomes elegant, with big Ina Bauers and spirals creating a grand movement. And when Shae-Lynn (Bourne) moves to the center and we gather around her, there’s a kind of staging where she looks like she’s guiding or conducting all of us.

I think David was carefully crafting the image of stars sparkling across the night sky. And since Shae-Lynn is also a choreographer, and all of us skaters offer our ideas, like “What if I do this here?,” and if it’s good, he’ll say “That’s nice!” and adopt it. That’s how we all create the piece together.

―――The finale number, MISIA’s “Kibō no Uta” [希望のうた / Song of Hope], is also wonderful.

Akiko: Truly, at the end of the show, I really feel like I’m sharing time together with these teammates and with everyone in the venue. Of course, from within the rink we’re the ones trying to bring hope, but we’re also receiving hope and power from the audience, their expressions, their applause, and it makes me feel deeply that this is how people live, supporting each other like that.

That’s why I think it’s such a wonderful thing when the people who came to see the show take the energy they received and carry it back into their daily lives. “Kibō no Uta” is a very straightforward title, but it really makes me feel again that I want the show itself to be something like that, a source of hope.

――The choreography and staging are moving as well, aren’t they?

Akiko: The opening scene of “Kibō no Uta” is particularly striking, I think. At first, everyone is standing still, gazing upward, or frozen in various poses, and that expresses the suffering of those affected by the disaster. Then, a goddess-like Shae-Lynn [Bourne] appears, gently gives strength, and everyone seems to come back to life from there, it progresses like that.

But every time, David [Wilson] asks for impossible poses, so it’s actually quite hard! (laughs)

――So the poses at the beginning change each time?

Akiko: Yes, they do. This time, Jason [Brown] and Rika Hongo stood facing each other, arms outstretched in a frozen pose.

It expresses that, in the final moment, they couldn’t reach the other’s hand. So if you look closely, I think it’s really realistic. I was back-to-back with Violetta [Afanassieva], in a posture like, “I’ve already used up all my strength.” That’s how it begins, with quite a serious tone. Then from there, as if we’re breathing life back in, everyone cherishes their lives, takes each other’s hands, and supports one another, that’s the message that I think is conveyed in that scene.

――That’s such a deeply meaningful production. I was very moved.

Akiko: And then, at the end, when Yuzuru-san comes out, and we all form a circle and start running again, he always says something to us in that moment.

He’ll say things like, “Really, thank you, everyone,” or “Thank you for skating together with me today,” and expresses his gratitude. So even though we’re all facing downward in that moment, we end up smiling.

――What a beautiful episode. As the show’s leader, how does Hanyu-san appear to the other performers?

Akiko: I really feel his professional spirit. From rehearsals, you can sense how strongly he’s determined to “absolutely create something good.” And the way he doesn’t allow any compromises, even though he doesn’t say anything directly to us, just by watching him, we all think, “We can’t cut corners either.”

Everyone naturally gets pulled along by his professionalism.

He truly gives his all, devotes everything to his performance, and that comes through every time. Seeing that, we’re also filled with the thought, “Let’s make this show something truly wonderful!”

Even without putting it into words, we all understand each other. Just watching him, you get it, and I feel like this team is made up of people who can properly receive and respond to that.

As was mentioned earlier, this year, special guest Mansai Nomura-san appeared. The piece you all performed together, MANSAI Boléro, was originally created with a spirit of requiem[1] [鎮魂 / chinkon] for the Great East Japan Earthquake, correct? Performing that piece here in Sendai, in a show like Notte Stellata, must have had a great deal of meaning.

Nomura-san also said, “This was the first time I’ve performed this piece in Tōhoku,” so I think it really became a special program. Being allowed to participate in that with him was an amazing experience, and when I first heard about it, I felt both joy and also quite a bit of pressure! (laughs)

But simply being able to perform together, that alone was such a tremendous joy. Opportunities like that are truly rare, I think.

Shae-Lynn choreographed the sections where we skaters performed. At first, we communicated via Zoom, and once we entered the actual venue, we began working with Nomura-san in person. When I first saw him move, his performance, his gestures, I was overwhelmed by how beautiful it all was... How should I put it?

Just the way he turned his head, or extended his hand, just a single movement carried such expressive power. It made me think, “So this is Nomura Mansai.” I felt like I was witnessing “the expression of an expresser.”[2] That’s how impactful it was, even during rehearsals.

Seeing him like that made me feel more clearly how I should be performing in MANSAI Boléro, what kind of attitude or presence I should bring to the piece.

I’m sure there were many parts that needed adjusting for Nomura-san to collaborate with us skaters as well. But he handled all of that very flexibly, and I think we really were able to create it together.

――In this piece, what roles did everyone play?

Akiko: Mansai-san played the role of “god” [神 / kami], and Yuzuru-san was what Shae-Lynn described as a “half-god”—half deity, half human [ハーフゴッド].

The other skaters were “humans” [人 / hito].

At the start, when we skaters first come onto the rink, we’re alive, but from there, we collapse one by one, and Mansai-san watches over that, grieves, and from that mourning we are revived. I think that really expresses the duality of human “life” and “death.”

Also, I felt that it portrayed how, even if the rain falls, a day will surely come when the skies clear again, it seemed to suggest a human life journey, that kind of cycle. That’s the feeling I had while performing it.

――Mansai-san also spoke of this piece as expressing the arc of a human life and a prayer for rebirth.

Akiko: Yes, that’s right. I felt like Mansai-san’s energy kept growing as the piece built toward the end. And then, in the final moment, he and Hanyu-san leap powerfully into the air. Since we’re on the ice, we can’t really see it well in real time, but I saw photos of that moment in various media, and I was stunned by how divine[3] [神々しい / kamigamishii] it looked. It made me think, “I want to see that from the outside…” There really are moments that feel that sacred.

――There have been many legendary figure skating performances set to Boléro, and in ballet too, Maurice Béjart’s version is well known. MANSAI Boléro, with its incorporation of kyōgen[4], is a wonderful fusion of many elements.

Akiko: I felt that this Boléro also evokes the feeling of Japan’s four seasons[5] [四季 / shiki]. It felt like being present at the birth of something new. I was truly lucky to be part of creating this first fusion between the piece MANSAI Boléro and figure skating. It was an incredibly valuable learning experience as well, artistically. The way Mansai-san handles “ma”[6] [間], and seeing how deeply Hanyu-san had studied that too, was really educational for me. It made this a very rich program.

――You also mentioned that Mansai-san’s footwork, his stepping and weight-shifting, was incorporated into movements on the ice.

Akiko: There was a part that really felt in sync. Of course, Mansai-san stamps and grounds his movements on the stage floor, while Hanyu-san glides across the ice, so syncing those movements must’ve been extremely difficult.

And then there’s the handling of the costume. When expressing rain, for example, Mansai-san uses his sleeves to cover his head. But Hanyu-san said, “Since I’m moving at speed on the ice, if I don’t account for the wind properly, the sleeve can fly into my face.” Even though it looks effortless, I imagine that was extremely difficult to execute. In skating, there’s also centrifugal force involved, so it’s really tricky to calculate. Yet he managed to express all of that clearly and gracefully—I thought that was truly amazing to witness.

――The spectacular MANSAI Boléro closed the first act, and the second act began with a special collaboration version of “SEIMEI.” What did you think watching that performance between Mansai-san and Hanyu-san?

Akiko: I really felt, “I’m so glad I got to see this.” I really wanted to see it live. I was watching from backstage while getting ready for my own part, but I thought, this must’ve been incredibly intense pressure for Hanyu-san. After all, in the performance, Hanyu-san jumps as though being controlled by Mansai-san, who plays Abe no Seimei. There’s absolutely no room for error, and I’m sure he wanted to fully realize the piece as a complete artistic work. To be chanted at by Mansai-san’s spells[7] [呪文 / jumon], then jump, then return to serve again, it must’ve been a scene filled with tension. That’s how it looked from a skater’s perspective.

――The program SEIMEI itself is inspired by the film Onmyoji, in which Mansai-san played the title role. Even the lead-up to this performance was a grand story.

Akiko: Yes. Ten years ago, when Hanyu-san was first creating SEIMEI, they had a dialogue together, and now they’ve finally performed side by side, I'm sure fans were as eager as I was to see that dream realized. And Mansai-san’s voice when he chants spells it’s just so beautiful, isn’t it? Hearing it live made me go “Waaah…”

And then when he declared “Shutsugen, Hanyu Yuzuru!”[8] the lighting was spectacular. When he said “ten” [天, heaven], the lights burst upward with a BANG! and when he said “chi” [地, earth], they crashed down with a DADAN! The entire staff brought that world to life with such clarity. I think it must’ve been extremely tough for Hanyu-san, but after the performance, there was this buzz in the venue, like “We just witnessed something extraordinary...”

――There was a long murmur throughout the arena that didn’t die down for a while.

Akiko: That moment also needed a scene change, so they had planned time for it, but maybe it was also necessary as time for the audience to let their emotions settle. That’s what I felt.

The world of SEIMEI was truly brought into that space. And Mansai-san, saying he wanted to be “as close to the audience as possible,” ran around the edge of the rink. I thought that was a unique choice, one that could only happen in an ice show.

――Mansai-san’s full-speed sprint really surprised everyone.

Akiko: On the kyōgen stage, he performs with a low center of gravity, so I always imagined he must have very strong legs, but you’d never usually get to see him dash like that, would you? And it wasn’t just running, he had to stop at precise spots, perform a dance, and chant spells.

I believe Mansai-san gives an incredible number of performances every year, so that moment also made me think: people who’ve stayed at the top for so long are truly trained, physically and mentally. It’s the fruit of relentless discipline.

――His posture, his every movement, everything is so beautiful.

Akiko: Yes. And not just when he’s onstage. Even backstage, his movements are elegant, and he speaks in that same calm tone, with a sense of refinement. Even when rehearsals were long and we were all getting tired and pressured, he always maintained that tone.

He didn’t panic or rush, instead, he conveyed everything accurately and steadily. I really felt how he calmly built everything up, step by step. Thanks to that, we performers were also able to stay calm and focused. That’s why, in the end, I felt really sad that both MANSAI Boléro and SEIMEI only had three performances.

I was skating while thinking, “I hope more people will have the chance to see this.”

――Despite all that pressure, Hanyu-san nailed the quadruple jump.

Akiko: He had really been practicing that section over and over in rehearsals, from the approach into the quad jump to the timing, so you could feel how strong his commitment was. To maintain that level of technique after turning pro is incredibly difficult. That’s another place where I see how deeply professional he is.

――Far from declining, Hanyu-san seems to be evolving physically and technically.

Akiko: I can really see how his strength has increased. In interview footage and such, you can tell he’s doing some pretty intense training. Even just taking a photo with him, you can see how defined the muscles in his legs are. In general, people lose muscle mass as they age, little by little, so the fact that he’s maintaining and even building strength is proof of how well he’s conditioning his body.

Also, putting on a solo show requires an enormous amount of stamina, so I get the sense that he trains seriously during the prep period. I think that’s also part of his professionalism.

――Hanyu-san has been performing in many different shows lately, not just “Notte Stellata,” but also solo ice stories, and, as you mentioned earlier, the charity performance for the Noto Peninsula. You choreographed both the opening and finale for the Noto event, didn’t you?

Akiko: Yes, that’s right.

――What kind of thoughts and feelings did you put into creating those?

Akiko: The opening performance used a traditional Japanese taiko drum ensemble from Noto. While choreographing, there was one major challenge I faced: taiko doesn’t have a melody. That makes it very difficult to choreograph a performance that rides on the music. On top of that, the rhythm is extremely irregular, it’s not your usual 4-beat or 3-beat meter, but constantly changing. That made it hard to find any consistent count to work with. And we had to coordinate four skaters moving together, so syncing their timing under those conditions was incredibly difficult.

But the power of taiko drumming conveys such a deep sense of life force. I wanted the opening of the show to feel like a heartbeat, something that makes your chest tremble with anticipation. So I focused on using the strength and energy of the taiko to bring out a sense of motion and vitality in the choreography.

――Skating in unison to the rhythm of taiko drums must have been very challenging for the four of you.

Akiko: During rehearsals, the first parts went fairly smoothly. But there was one section at the end where all four skaters had to move in perfect unison, and that was the toughest part. In terms of timing, Hanyu-san acted as the cue, everyone would start moving once he moved. But even then, keeping count was difficult. Hanyu-san naturally has an incredible ear for sound, so he can catch the timing well, but even he seemed to struggle with this one. It was hard for everyone. But it was a one-time performance, a single shot, so he really listened to the drumming again and again, right up to the end, to get the timing exactly right. In the end, we were really saved by Hanyu-san.

――The performers at the Noto show were also part of “Notte Stellata,” and I think they all shared a deep empathy for the cause of recovery. Their wish to bring hope and courage through skating really came through.

Akiko: Yes, absolutely. For someone like me, even if I say, “I want to do something to help with recovery,” there are limits to what I can accomplish. But when Hanyu-san steps up and takes the lead, it gives the rest of us a way to contribute, to feel like we can be of some help. I couldn’t do it on my own, but because of the strength he brings, I’m able to support, to participate. He gives that intention, to be of help to someone through skating, to offer hope, a concrete shape we can join in. So when I received the invitation, I felt, “This is something I can do,” and I immediately said, “Please let me join.” I think it’s really admirable that Hanyu-san isn’t just thinking about his own region in eastern Japan, but asks himself, “What can I do for the people who are truly struggling elsewhere?” That’s why I always want to support him in any way I can.

――It really is beautiful, how those connections form and people’s feelings gather together.

Akiko: I’m so grateful to be someone he chooses to reach out to. I truly appreciate it every time. And I hope that circles[9] [輪 /wa] like this will continue to grow in many places.

――Thank you for sharing such valuable insights. Lastly, could you share a message of encouragement for Hanyu-san, who continues to perform as a professional?

Akiko: From his days as a competitor and now as a pro, he’s never changed, he’s always given everything he has with his whole heart and soul. I’ve received so much strength just from witnessing that. I’m truly grateful for how he brings hope and courage to so many people, time and time again.

And that’s exactly why I also hope he’ll take care of his own body and mind. He’s always giving so much… it makes me worry that one day he might collapse. I really hope he continues to stay healthy, both physically and emotionally, and that we’ll keep getting to see him skate with that same full-hearted intensity for a long time to come.

---

 

Profile:
Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1985. 8th place at both the Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 Olympics. Bronze medalist at the 2012 World Championships and 2013 Japanese National Champion. As a long-time member of the national team, she played a central role as one of the team’s symbolic leaders. Retired after the 2013–2014 season and is now active as a professional skater, coach, choreographer, and commentator.

 

NOTES

[1] 鎮魂 / chinkon: 鎮 (chin) means “to calm,” “to pacify,” or “to still;” 魂 (kon) means “spirit” or “soul.” Together, 鎮魂 literally means “pacifying the soul” or “calming the spirits.” Originally, 鎮魂 referred to ancient Shinto rites or Buddhist practices intended to soothe or appease the spirits of the dead. The belief is that spirits, especially of those who died tragically or violently, may remain restless. The act of 鎮魂 is meant to bring peace to those souls and allow them to rest. In modern usage, 鎮魂 is used to describe events, performances, ceremonies, or even artworks dedicated to the memory of the deceased, particularly in response to natural disasters, war, or tragedy.
In the case of the “MANSAI Bolero”, calling it a 鎮魂の思いを込めた作品 means it was created as a kind of living tribute to those who died in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. It’s a spiritual offering, a way of acknowledging death and loss, and also honoring the possibility of rebirth or healing.

[2] 表現者の表現”を見たというか / hyōgensha no hyōgen: This phrase emphasizes not just the act of expression, but the embodiment of expressive mastery, as if watching someone who is expression itself.

[3] 神々しい describes something or someone that appears so beautiful, radiant, or otherworldly that it evokes a sense of reverence or awe, almost as if in the presence of something divine.

[4] 狂言, classical comic theater.

[5] 四季 (shiki), literally “the four seasons,” holds deep cultural and aesthetic significance in Japanese thought, far beyond its basic meaning of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In Japan, 四季 symbolizes the impermanence and beauty of life (無常 mujō). It is a core theme in Japanese art, poetry, and performance.

[6]  間, the use of space or timing.

[7] In Onmyōdō (陰陽道), the traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology combining natural science, divination, and magic,  jumon play a major role as mystical chants used to control spirits or balance energies.

[8] 出現、羽生結弦!: “Appear, Hanyu Yuzuru”

[9] 輪 /wa: literally means "ring," "circle," or figuratively "circle of people," "network," "bond," or "connection." Yuzuru has also used this concept often in the context of notte stellata and the Notto charity performance, as well as more general statements about supporting those affected by disaster.
Additional interpretation note: the term 輪 carries more than just the idea of "a group." It's warm, inclusive, and implies harmony– 和（wa) which shares the same pronunciation, it means peace, harmony, Japanese spirit. This layering of meanings aligns with how Yuzuru often expresses: a desire to connect through skating and emotion, a commitment to spreading hope, a wish for fans, victims of disasters, and collaborators to feel joined in purpose.

 

[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist. Additional notes added for context and interpretation.*

[Pages 80-85]
Special Guest [Speaking about Yuzuru Hanyu]
MIKIKO -The Chosen One, and His Mission

Following GIFT and RE_PRAY, MIKIKO directed the third installment in the Ice Story series: Echoes of Life. We asked her about the creative process and background behind the show — and what she witnessed up close about Hanyu’s astonishing presence.
Interview/Text by Tatsuya Murao

 

 

Spoiler

—The Ice Story Vol. 3 tour, Echoes of Life, recently concluded with great success. Looking back on it now, how do you feel?

MIKIKO: Every time, I find myself thinking the same thing: that we’re creating something that’s truly like nothing anyone’s ever seen before^[1]. Each time is a challenge [挑戦]^[2], so once it’s over, there’s this deep feeling of, “We gave it everything we had!” That sense of completion is still with me even now.

 

—It was a performance full of new types of expression and direction. After last year’s RE_PRAY tour ended, you mentioned that “nothing at all had been decided yet” for the next project.

MIKIKO: Yes, that was completely true.

 

—When did you actually begin working on this one?

MIKIKO: Let me think… I believe it was around June or July of last year. One thing that was a bit different this time was that we had the chance to have some brainstorming-style conversations, talking about “what kinds of things could be possible.” I think that was a really positive thing.

 

—What kinds of ideas did Hanyu-san share during those talks?

MIKIKO: From the very beginning, he said he wanted to value and center words [言葉] in the creation process. He talked about wanting to try something where his poetry would be used as a motif, treating the poem itself like music, and performing to it as such. That became what we now know as the program corresponding to M9^[3], “Eclipse/blue.”

As for the overall theme, we mostly left that in Hanyu-san’s hands. In the end, what he wants to express is always the same: “to live” [生きる]^[4]. That’s what I felt when I read the manuscript for this Ice Story.

 

—What stood out the most to you as you built this show as an Ice Story?

MIKIKO: With RE_PRAY, once we decided on the motif of “a game,” which everyone could intuitively understand, the creation process became much more manageable. But this time, the story leaned much more heavily into narrative—it had a proper storyline—so showing that live was extremely difficult.

Especially because the setting wasn’t the real world, but a futuristic story with fantasy elements. That made it even more challenging. Honestly, at first, I was holding my head in my hands a bit (laughs).

 

—Was there anything in particular you focused on when directing?

MIKIKO: Hanyu-kun has a very clear vision when it comes to things like the kinds of games or fictional worlds he draws inspiration from, so I felt it was best to leave that kind of output to him. He told me from the start about the setting and the concepts he was thinking of, and from there, it became about how to shape that into something real.

But if you portray that world exactly as-is, it starts to feel too much like a game or anime. So what I paid particular attention to was making sure it didn’t go too far in that direction. That became one of the key themes as I built the visuals.

 

—This time, you also tried something new by releasing the “Story Book” ahead of the performance.

MIKIKO: Reading through the manuscript, I felt that many of the lines had a distinct “Hanyu-ness” [羽生み] to them. That made me think: I want to frame this show as if it’s adapting an existing novel into an Ice Story.

In terms of structure, I thought it would work best to present it as: “This is a performance inspired by an original book,” even though the book itself was written by Hanyu-kun. And I also felt that people really should get the chance to read that whole text.

It felt like such a waste for it to remain just as internal reference material for the production team. So I thought, “Wouldn’t it be better if everyone got to read the whole thing?”

 

—Some people read the Story Book beforehand. Others saw only the performance. And some read it afterward. I think it’s wonderful that it works regardless of the order, each experience stands on its own.

MIKIKO: As a director, my role is to make the show understandable even to someone who comes in with no prior knowledge. To do that, it’s really important to trim down the text.

After all, a live performance is a living, breathing thing, rhythm and timing are key. That means it’s impossible to include every single line of the story. So I had to distill the material, while still making sure that someone seeing it for the first time could grasp what was happening.

In that sense, I think it’s really fun to compare the Story Book and the show, like a kind of answer check. Not quite hidden Easter eggs, but I definitely created certain parts with that idea in mind.

 

—There are some episodes that appear in the Story Book but don’t show up in the performance, right?

MIKIKO: Yes, quite a few, actually.

 

“Since stepping into the world of entertainment, the speed at which he absorbs things and the depth of his understanding are truly astounding.”

 

 

—On the other hand, it seems there are also elements that only exist in the show and not in the Story Book.

MIKIKO: One challenge from a staging perspective was the question of how to handle costumes. In figure skating, each program typically has a dedicated costume, right? In Hanyu-kun’s shows, too, the basic format is that the costume changes with each song.

But in this Ice Story, the protagonist Nova appears in the visuals always wearing the same outfit. So when we try to show that the Nova on screen and the Nova played by Hanyu-san on the ice are the same person, it can be confusing for the audience if the costume changes with each program. That was the first stumbling block.

Since this issue wasn’t addressed in the book, we had to solve it through stage direction. That’s why we decided to introduce a rule: “when a door opens, the costume transforms.” To do that, we created a distinct door for each program. This was a staging concept developed independently from the Story Book.

So we decided to use the door as a motif. In the final scene, 11 “doors of learning” [学びの扉] ^[5]descend from above, and the character passes through them, a storyline that ends with sublimation.

So, in addition to the concept that Nova enters a “room” in each scene, we tied the exit from that room to the skating program and built that into the stage design.

 

—That’s fascinating. You can really feel how the direction shapes the entire show. Could I also ask about the music selection? Was the story created first, and then songs chosen to match it?

MIKIKO: I think there were various patterns. For example, we might say, “Let’s make M1^[6] an original piece,” or “M2^[7] should have this kind of image.” Or, “This song we previously released on YouTube might be a good fit, how about showcasing it here?” It was a mix of previously performed pieces and new ones, chosen while maintaining a sense of balance.

 

—Hanyu-san also said that because this is a brand-new story, newly created programs are the most appropriate.

MIKIKO: Yes, that’s true.

 

—And you choreographed one of the new programs yourself, didn’t you?

MIKIKO: I did. I choreographed the piece called “Utai IV ~ Reawakening.” Also, for the second program, “Ubugoe ~ Meguri,” during our conversations about what kind of music might be good, I thought, “This would fit the scene,” and “I’d really like him to skate to this,” so I sent it over.

 

—Did you also choose the music for the newly choreographed “Utai”?

MIKIKO: Yes, I did.

 

—In the scene where this program is performed, the Room Guide prompts with the line: “The ‘sound’ of the words of aptitude and knowledge” [資質と知の言葉の「音」]. What led you to choose this track, and what did you focus on when choreographing it?

MIKIKO: I had a vague sense that this part should feel like a ritual [儀式]. So in the choreography, I added hand movements that look like casting a spell or chant, something slightly ceremonial.

I had always felt this track would really suit Hanyu-kun, and personally, I’d wanted to try working with it one day. So, it felt like this was the right moment to finally bring it to the stage.

 

—The song is sung in ancient Japanese, right? The melody has such a mysterious tone, it gives off a kind of shamanic feeling.

MIKIKO: Yes, exactly. That’s spot on.

 

—I heard that this song was also used in the Hollywood version of Ghost in the Shell. Do you feel like the context of that work connects with this Ice Story in any way?

MIKIKO: Maybe in terms of scale, a sense of vastness or magnitude. That kind of imagery might have been similar. As I listened to the track while imagining Hanyu-kun skating to it, I also began to picture the costume: “Something like this would work well.”

We created the movements with the idea of spreading wings, making broad use of the costume, and with a feeling of awakening. Kind of like a transformation from larva to adult, that sort of evolution.

 

—That costume left such a strong impression, it was truly stunning. Where did the idea for the design come from?

MIKIKO: One of the motifs, as I mentioned, was ritual [儀式] ^[8]and shamanism [シャーマニズム].

Beyond that, I also had this image of something non-national, a bit ethnic, but not clearly from any specific place. It’s not Japanese [和]^[9], but at the same time, it’s hard to say where it’s from. Because of the sleeves, it might seem vaguely Japanese, but in reality, it’s a blend of many different elements.

In figure skating, costumes are an important element that symbolizes the program itself. I had been thinking for a while that skating in a costume with a new kind of image could expand Hanyu-kun’s repertoire even further. This time, due to the schedule, we needed to have multiple people handling costume production. So I thought, why not pair Hanyu-san with a team I personally trust? That’s how this particular outfit came to be.

 

—Figure skating moves at high speed across the ice, which seems to contrast with the flowing, wing-like quality of the fabric. It must have been challenging to produce.

MIKIKO: We really had the costume remade many times. The wind pressure created while skating was much stronger than we had imagined. We wanted the sleeves to flutter like wings, but because the speed was faster than expected, they didn’t end up looking wing-like at all. So we kept experimenting with things like, “Should the fabric be heavier or lighter?” “Is one layer better, or should we use multiple layers?”

 

—And the result was a costume with a stunning silhouette. Hanyu-san wore it so beautifully.

MIKIKO: The fact that he could use the costume is what I think is amazing. It must have been incredibly difficult to perform in.

 

—Hanyu-san seems to immediately understand the features of a costume and has a remarkable ability to objectively see how he appears on the ice.

MIKIKO: That’s right. In ballet too, there’s a term called “hem handling” or “costume handling” [裾さばき / 衣装さばき]^[10], and people who understand how to use their bodies well tend to excel at it. It comes down to whether you can treat the costume as a part of your own body.

For example, someone who can feel that “a wing exists as an extension of the outstretched hand” will intuitively understand the trajectory the body should follow.

 

—In scenes with a deep, low skating posture, there’s also the risk of stepping on the hem with the blade, isn’t there?

MIKIKO: I think Hanyu-kun was adjusting the angle of his hands to control how the wind hit the costume so that the fabric wouldn’t fall and get caught. And what’s amazing is that he never makes it look difficult.

 

—Another striking costume was the one worn by the protagonist “Nova,” which had a near-future design.

MIKIKO: I sent reference images to the designer, and they expanded the concept from there. When you think of a futuristic costume, it often ends up being silver, spiky, hard, and heavy, right? But I asked them to consciously avoid that.

The designer is someone who really thinks through the backstory, and the discussion became: “If we imagined a truly realistic future, the costume would be more lightweight, and attention would be paid to the materials used.”

 

—The commitment to the worldbuilding, like not using cotton fabric, was very clear and impressive.

MIKIKO: Yes, yes, we were basically a bunch of nerds (laughs).

 

—As the programs unfolded, the “Piano Collection” and “Ballade No. 1” became highlights of the first half. The “Piano Collection” was composed of five piano pieces, each with its own theme. How did that concept come about?

MIKIKO: The idea for “Piano Collection” actually came up from the very beginning, during the same early conversations as the poem scene I mentioned earlier.

We were thinking, if we’re doing something different this time, let’s try having Hanyu-kun stay on the ice for over 10 minutes straight without ever going backstage.

Then came ideas like: “Let’s create a medley of short piano pieces,” “Let’s use a different skating technique for each program.” For example: “Let’s have a piece that showcases spins, another that highlights steps,” and so on.

After that, Hanyu-kun and the pianist, Shinya Kiyozuka, discussed which music should be used for each section, considering the characteristics of the composers and the historical context, and that’s how the final structure took shape.

 

—During this program, the Room Guide says: “The sound of the word ‘you’” [「貴方」の言葉の「音」].

MIKIKO: This is the scene where the character learns words, and that learning turns into sound, which they then absorb into themselves. I was hoping to express a kind of intensity, almost to the point of being overtaken by madness due to how deeply they’re learning.

As stage direction, I had a very strong image of “being inside the musical score.” So we created scenes using projection mapping and roll screens, where Hanyu is surrounded by notes, skating atop sheet music. It was as if he was soaked in sound, bathed in it, and installing it into his body.

 

“That presence he has when he steps onto the ice, you simply can’t fabricate that. In that sense too, he really is a ‘chosen one’ [選ばれし者].”

 

—And then that leads into “Ballade No. 1.”

MIKIKO: Yes, here Nova becomes invincible and then goes on to perform “Ballade No. 1” successfully, that’s the flow.

 

—I heard that Hanyu-san was deeply particular about performing “Ballade No. 1” using the jump layout he used at the Olympics.

MIKIKO: Yes. Since turning pro, Hanyu-kun has really refined his side as an artist, but at the same time, he’s always said, “I’m also an athlete.” He truly loves the athlete’s mindset.

So just like last time, I think this time too, when he performed “Ballade No. 1,” he built in a personal challenge to “not lose to his past self.”

 

—Before skating “Ballade No. 1,” the Room Guide refers to “the sound of the word ‘destiny’” [「運命」の言葉の「音」]. The flawless Olympic performance of that piece must feel like destiny.

MIKIKO: I think so. Only he knows for sure, of course, but I believe it’s one of those programs that changed his destiny.

 

—Did Hanyu-san speak about his feelings during your meetings?

MIKIKO: When we had to coordinate things like video production, he would occasionally say things like, “This is what I meant when I wrote this.” But for the most part, he would just share the text with us and leave the interpretation up to us.

Just the fact that he brought in his Olympic layout was enough for everyone to sense what it meant.

 

—It’s like a mutual understanding without words. To skate something as long as the “Piano Collection,” and then do “Ballade No. 1” with an Olympic layout, that’s physically unimaginable.

MIKIKO: It’s a challenge of “Can I raise the bar even higher than I did at the Olympics, and still succeed?” It makes you think, “You don’t have to go that far,” but… it still really moves you. Both the audience and the staff feel it.

 

—Hanyu-san has said that his body is more evolved now than during his competitive days, and that he’s skating better than ever. He’s also mentioned that figure skating is still fundamentally about the jumps. Hearing that, and hearing your own view that “even in an ice show, it shouldn’t lean too far toward art,” it feels like your thinking really aligns.

MIKIKO: It’s not just that his performance fits neatly into my direction, we might actually be doing opposite things.

Even in “Piano Collection,” doing all those technical elements while being bathed in projection light is incredibly intense. But he doesn’t choose to perform something easier, he fights through it while performing. And I think it’s through that struggle that something truly new is created. So in that sense, maybe neither of us is willing to compromise (laughs).

 

—Through the production process, did you feel once again how remarkable Hanyu-san’s approach to things is?

MIKIKO: Definitely. Watching him, I really feel that his body now, compared to when he was a competitor, is in its prime. And I think his thoughts and his body are beginning to align. That alignment is transforming into depth.

He only turned professional recently, right? But the speed at which he absorbs things and the depth of his understanding since stepping into the world of entertainment is just incredible. His ability to sense how to entrust his own body to a situation, it’s not normal.

The way he wears his costumes, as I mentioned earlier, is one example. But when it comes to syncing his skating with projections, he really only has the day before or the day of the show to check it. And yet he still manages to expand the image in his mind and bring it together perfectly. That, too, is a kind of superhuman skill.

And he makes it look so easy, that’s both amazing and, honestly, kind of a delightful dilemma. Because he never looks like he’s struggling.

It’s the same with Perfume, people like that can do things that “normal people just can’t.” You really feel like, “Ah, he was born to be a performer.”

 

—You mentioned how his thoughts and body are now becoming one. Hanyu-san studied the basics of dance with you in preparation for this show, right? What kinds of things did you teach him?

MIKIKO: Until now, he’d been self-taught in dance, and I think he always felt a bit of frustration about that. This time, we took the time to break things down, piece by piece.

In figure skating, Hanyu-san’s programs are built on a solid foundation, and the beauty of his performance emerges from that. This time, we basically did the “dance version” of that from the ground up. For example, in rhythm training, there’s an exercise where you ride the rhythm using each joint in your body. It’s not like stretching or strength training, it’s training that approaches rhythm through sensation.

And another element was ballet. Rhythm training and ballet actually rely on completely opposite fundamentals, but I had him learn both at the same time. Hanyu-san already had naturally beautiful hand movements and flexibility, so this process was about helping him do consciously what he had previously done unconsciously.

 

—And that changed his expression on the ice, didn’t it?

MIKIKO: I think it did. Even just the way he extends his arms, now his emotions and his body are aligning, and I feel like that’s where the connection has deepened.

One of Hanyu-san’s strengths is that he can let emotion explode and ride the music with complete rawness, but now that emotional power is backed by solid fundamentals.

On the other hand, dancers who are really skilled tend to have a kind of ease in their movements. They’re good at knowing when to hold back. He’s starting to learn that too. But that sense of relaxed control, that “effortless” quality, it doesn’t quite fit Hanyu-kun.

So we discussed how to elevate that relaxation into something more like the power people expect from him. How do you preserve that reckless intensity while also relaxing? That’s quite difficult. And I came to understand: Hanyu-kun has his own unique way of producing output that no one else can replicate.

 

—From a directing perspective, how did this production evolve compared to "RE_PRAY"?

MIKIKO: This time, I really focused on linking the stage set design with the world of the video. I wanted it to feel more like watching a unified film, an immersive visual experience.

“RE_PRAY” had a game-like setting, so it was okay for it to feel rough or have a variety of different styles. But this time, “Nova” was clearly the protagonist, and the world had to feel consistent, so I was very conscious of building something unified.

 

—At the heart of the story lies a universal question: “What is life?” It’s something everyone has pondered. How did you interpret that theme?

MIKIKO: For me personally, I feel like I have a vague intuitive sense of it, but I’m not the type to chew through philosophical ideas or try to solve riddles. But I think that question is always present for Hanyu-kun. He’s constantly thinking about why he exists, what the meaning of his life is. That comes from his unique identity, of course, but also from the fact that he fights alone. He’s constantly battling himself. That applies to practice, and even to writing the story.

He doesn’t really live in the “normal” world. He exists apart from it, and at the same time, he carries the expectations of so many people, as if he’s carrying all their lives on one body. That must be terrifying.

There’s joy, and there’s fear, and those two feelings are two sides of the same coin. I think he’s surviving by fighting himself. That’s just my impression, of course, only he can truly know what it’s like. But I feel he has this strong sense of mission, not “I want to help people,” but rather, “The only thing I can do is show them this, show them what I do. “My role is to stake my life on this.” That’s what he’s thinking, while constantly experimenting, trying to figure it out.

But the only reason he can do that is because he hasn’t been overly exposed to the “normal” world. You can’t be that pure unless you’ve cut yourself off from a lot of things. Of course, part of that is intentional, and part of it is simply the kind of existence he’s become. That’s why it’s important to understand that, and when I present something to the public, I have to be careful not to let it be misunderstood. If I were to present his message exactly as is, it might feel too pure, too unfiltered, for a society like ours, where people are worn down.

So I realized I need to pare down the elements, or change the expression so that people can see the message as relevant to their own lives. Still, I think it’s amazing that he’s able to stay like that. Always. His words, you can’t write them as they are. They’re too direct, too pure.

 

—When Hanyu-san speaks during encore MCs, his words and demeanor feel so innocent, so incredibly pure^[11].

MIKIKO: That’s why, no matter where you see him, that’s really who he is. It’s almost frightening. Even when he steps out for an encore with nothing put on, he’s exactly the same. And in the story, too, he completely becomes the character. “This is real. But it takes time to realize just how real it is.” That’s how real he is. It’s hard to put into words...

 

—Even when meeting with you, he’s still that pure?

MIKIKO: Yes. He’s pure, and at the same time, very normal. “Normal” is a hard word to define, but I mean he talks to you just like a regular person. And because of that normality, you know for sure he’s not acting. That’s why it feels like something he was born with. He really does feel like “a chosen one” [選ばれし者].

 

—He’s truly a rare person.

MIKIKO: So much of what he is was already there at birth. And then on top of that, he learns. No one can compete with that. Of course, with enough effort, anyone can reach a certain level, and having the right mindset can lead to success. But to be someone who combines all of those things, that’s very rare. But I think Hanyu-san was born that way. A bit beyond the realm of science. If I had to describe him in a word, maybe “a child of destiny” [申し子]^[12], “the child of skating” [スケートの申し子]^[13].

It’s like… he was born to bring balance to the world or something. And yet, like I said, he still has normal sensibilities, and he never stops learning as a performer. There’s so much to learn from him. But even if you take all of that away, that presence he has when he steps onto the ice, you can’t create that. So, in that sense too, he really is “a chosen one” [選ばれし者]^[14]. And I don’t think he’s even aware of it. It’s not about aura or anything like that. He truly is, a chosen one.

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Profile
Director and choreographer. Head of the dance company ELEVENPLAY. Known for choreographing and directing live shows for Perfume and BABYMETAL, as well as various music videos, commercials, and stage works. She is widely recognized both in Japan and internationally in the media art scene for her ability to fuse cutting-edge technology with entertainment, and collaborates with a wide range of creators across genres.

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NOTES:

[1]  いままでに見たことのないもの (ima made ni mita koto no nai mono), This is a commonly used phrase in Japanese creative fields (especially in design, performance, advertising, etc.) and it’s both ambitious and humble. It conveys not just novelty but a sense of awe or aspiration, something that defies expectations, beyond existing categories, surprising even to the creators. It’s often used when someone’s trying to break new ground or challenge aesthetic boundaries.

[2] 挑戦 (chōsen). The verb form is 挑戦する = to challenge / to take on a challenge. As a noun, 挑戦 can mean both the act of challenging and the attempt itself. While “challenge” in English can sometimes sound like an obstacle or hardship, in Japanese, 挑戦 tends to carry a more proactive, positive connotation, the spirit of taking on something daring, testing one’s limits, or pushing boundaries.

[3] M9 refers to the way Eclipse/Blue is presented in THE BOOK Echoes of Life (the post-show book with photos, commentaries, and interviews).

[4] 生きる (ikiru), “to live,” “to be alive,” or “to go on living.” While it can be translated simply as “to live,” in Japanese, 生きる carries more existential and emotional depth, especially when used alone like this — not just as a verb in a sentence, but as a concept.It evokes both the act of surviving and the spiritual or emotional will to live, often in contrast to despair, trauma, or meaninglessness.

[5] 学びの扉 (まなびのとびら / manabi no tobira), “扉” (door/ portal) and not just “ドア” (door) or “ドアのようなもの” (something like a door). Compared to “ドア” (loanword from English), which usually refers to literal physical doors, “扉” evokes the idea of transition, passage, initiation, or awakening.

[6] M1 refers to “First Pulse.”

[7] M2 refers to “Ubugoe ~ Meguri” (First Cry ~ Circulation).

[8] 儀式 (ぎしき / gishiki)  ritual, it implies something solemn, symbolic, and often sacred. It evokes transformation through form — doing certain gestures or wearing certain garments isn’t just symbolic, it enacts a shift (in state, self, or energy).

[9] 和 (わ / wa) , it can mean harmony, peace, balance; Japan or Japanese-ness (as in 和食 = Japanese food, 和服 = kimono); a philosophical or aesthetic ideal: naturalness, quiet elegance, social accord

[10] 裾さばき (suso-sabaki): the way a performer handles the hem of their costume,  especially during movement. Most commonly used in Classical Japanese dance (日本舞踊 / Nihon Buyō), Noh and Kabuki theater, Ballet.
衣装さばき (いしょうさばき / ishō-sabaki): How a performer handles and integrates the entire costume into their movement.

[11] 純粋無垢（じゅんすいむく / junsui muku）This is a compound expression that carries a strong sense of utter purity and innocence, both morally and emotionally. It combines: 純粋 (junsui) = pure, unmixed, genuine and 無垢 (muku) = undefiled, stainless, free of worldly stain or impurity. It conveys a feeling that Yuzuru, both in words and presence, is not just “pure” in a casual sense, but deeply, almost spiritually untainted, like someone untouched by pretense or cynicism.

[12] 「申し子」（mōshigo). Traditionally, 申し子 refers to a "child offered to the gods" or a "child born in response to a prayer," someone believed to have been sent by divine will for a specific purpose.  The term can also mean a person perfectly suited to or born for a certain field or era, like “a child of destiny” or “the embodiment of [something]”.

[13] 「スケートの申し子」(sukēto no mōshigo) “The child of skating” or “Skating’s chosen one”. MIKIKO refers to Yuzuru as though he was born for the purpose of skating, not just by talent, but as if skating itself willed him into existence. It suggests a predestined role, something beyond effort or chance.

[14] 「選ばれし者」（erabareshi mono), this is a poetic or literary way of saying "the chosen one", using an old-fashioned verb instead of 「選ばれた者」, which is more modern. “Erabareshi mono” carries spiritual or mythic weight, like someone singled out by fate, the universe, or higher powers for a unique mission or role. It’s commonly used in literature, anime, religion, or stories of destiny.

 

[Wintek]

 2025.06.30
*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist. Additional notes added for context and interpretation.* 

 

[Page 86-91]

Special Guest: [Speaking about Yuzuru Hanyu]

Jeffrey Buttle -Soul and Passion in “Piano Collection”

A new masterpiece has entered the history of figure skating through the ECHOES OF LIFE tour.

“Piano Collection,” comprised of five piano pieces, was choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle. We spoke with him about the behind-the-scenes creative process.

Text by Yukiko Ogawa and Tatsuya Murao

 

Spoiler

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—Today we’d like to hear the behind-the-scenes story of “Piano Collection,” which debuted in “ECHOES OF LIFE.” Was your last choreography for Hanyu-san the program to Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso?

 

Jeff: Yes, that was the last time we worked together. And this time, we used the same process as we did back then. At that time, we were in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Yuzu couldn’t come to Toronto, and of course, I couldn’t travel to Japan either. So, everything was done through video exchanges. And now, for this new project where we’ve teamed up again, we used the same method, which feels kind of surreal. Once again, we completed everything by sending videos back and forth.

—So the experience during the pandemic really helped.

Jeff: Absolutely. Working with Yuzu is always an amazing experience. Normally, I much prefer choreographing in person, side by side with the skater. That way, I can really receive their energy. But I’ve known Yuzu for so long, and we understand each other’s working style very well. So this was a very rare case where creating through video actually worked. If it were a skater I was working with for the first time, it definitely wouldn’t be an ideal approach. But he has such incredible intuition, he absorbs everything from the video and transforms it into something deeply personal, both expressively and physically.

—This show, “ECHOES OF LIFE,” explores themes like “What is life?” and “Who am I?” Did Hanyu-san talk to you about that theme?

Jeff: Yes, he shared with me the overall theme and the message he wanted to convey through the show. I believe that message was also embedded in the part I choreographed. And in fact, that section reflected a period in his life that closely connects to when I choreographed Ballade No. 1. So in ECHOES OF LIFE, the part I was in charge of was essentially a mirror of that time. This collection of piano pieces—each one beautiful and distinct—was meant to highlight what he wanted to express in the show as a whole.

—So the period leading up to the Pyeongchang Olympics, when you choreographed Ballade No. 1, was especially meaningful for Hanyu-san’s career.

Jeff: I think so. Even before that, I had choreographed pieces for him like Parisienne Walkways, which leaned more into showcasing his entertainer side. That program still carried a certain youthfulness and even a sense of vulnerability. So when we took on Chopin’s Ballade, I wanted to focus purely on the quality of his skating. By that point, he had grown immensely as a skater, he’d become so much more mature, and we really wanted that evolution to be reflected in the choreography.

—In “Piano Collection,” each piece has its own theme: “Awake,” “Impulse,” “Philosophy,” “Truth,” and “Zero.” Did Hanyu-san share these with you during production?

Jeff: Actually, I didn’t know the titles during the creative process. I think Yuzu didn’t want to influence the direction of my choreography. In the first email he sent me, he shared some general guidelines, what he wanted to express through this piece. But at that point, he didn’t explain the theme of each chapter. He only talked about the emotions he wanted each piece to carry.

—Can you tell us more about the musical background of each piece? The first one is by Brahms. What kind of requests did you receive about that?

Jeff: Overall, the idea was to highlight the simplicity of skating itself. We avoided complex or showy elements and instead focused on expressing the sheer beauty of skating. This first piece, which opens the program, was meant to represent the birth of inspiration for Ballade No. 1, I believe. So the choreography was stripped down, pure and simple. It’s a style that lets the audience fully enjoy his unadulterated skating, something like an awakening to a different approach than before...

—That idea of “awakening” beautifully connects to the title Hanyu-san gave it: “Awake.” This program really gave the impression that sound itself had been made visible through his skating.

Jeff: Exactly. I wanted the choreography to bring out the narrative quality of the music. Especially with piano pieces, it’s incredibly important for the movements to resonate with the musical development.

—What about the second piece, by Bach? Hanyu-san titled it “Impulse.”

Jeff: This one has personal significance for me. Back in 2006, I actually skated to this same piece — it was part of a medley program called Classic Variations Dedicated to Glenn Gould. I had prepared it for the Olympics as my free skate, though I didn’t end up using it at the Games. When I first heard it for this project, I couldn’t help but smile.

—So it was purely coincidence?

Jeff: Yes, completely. I had no idea what music he’d chosen, and I don’t think he knew I’d skated to it either. Creating a program for Yuzu with this piece turned out to be a really interesting experience for me. It brought back a lot of memories. The program I skated to back then was choreographed by David Wilson. So as I choreographed for Yuzu, I was also a bit immersed in those memories.

—Did you end up quoting any movements from your own past choreography?

Jeff: Haha, no, I didn’t go that far!

—What kind of story was embedded in this second piece?

Jeff: The meaning behind this piece was “development and construction.” The idea was to evolve from where you are now, and build upon it from there. Within that, Yuzu had a few specific requests, he wanted this program to make use of deep edges, and he also wanted to include certain elements: a triple loop and a double toe loop with a hand gesture. These are signature moves for him, he often used them as warmups before attempting a quad toe loop.

The story we aimed to portray with this piece was the day-to-day experience of training. There’s a repeating phrase in the music, and it overlapped nicely with the image of repetitive practice. Training is all about accumulating daily effort, doing the same thing again and again, every single day. And while doing so, keeping a clear sense of the goal you’re working toward and continuing to push forward. There’s a part in the music that builds in that very way, gradually rising, and to me, that felt like a reflection of him steadily moving toward his goal.

—The third piece is a composition by Scarlatti, right?

Jeff: Yes. This is a very passionate number, and I felt the raw power of the music itself. When I first heard it, the image that came to mind was of a stormy sky, like heavy, crashing waves. I pictured a ship floating on the sea, enduring massive waves. To me, it evoked the intense training and preparation leading up to the Olympics.

—So Hanyu-san was likely in that kind of psychological state just before the Olympics?

Jeff: Exactly. It represents a season heading into a major competition. That kind of season is full of ups and downs for any athlete. Even so, your eyes always have to stay on the horizon, on the goal. With the mindset that “I will reach that point.”

As for elements, one of his requests was to include a quad toe loop. And he wanted the jump to coincide with the start of the music. The program begins quietly, and then, with the jump, the music starts. He also wanted to include a triple Axel in this piece.

—The theme Hanyu-san gave to this piece was “Philosophy.”

Jeff: Philosophy? That’s an interesting one. The music feels more like intensity to me, like something powerful and fierce.

—The fourth piece is a Chopin étude, correct?

Jeff: That one was choreographed by Yuzu himself. He made a piece with a lot of spinning. What title did he give that one?

—“Truth.”

Jeff: “Truth,” huh... That’s fascinating. It’s really interesting to hear what titles he gave to each piece.

—And the fifth piece is also by Chopin?

Jeff: Yes. For this one, he requested that the step sequence be the main focus. He wanted it to feel like he was running across the rink with steps. He also planned to incorporate spins. The music itself has a lot of repetition, so I enjoyed blending those elements together.

We didn’t try to impress with difficult turns or anything like that. This piece does reflect his growth process leading up to the Olympics, but it’s not a program for competition. That’s why I focused on expressing the melody itself, with all its repetitions and quick tempo, through the choreography.

—It’s like an epic five-part work.

Jeff: When he first told me about the concept, I was shocked, I thought, How does he plan to skate all that? When you put all these short pieces together, it runs over eight minutes in total. Then when I heard he’d be performing Ballade No. 1 right after, I honestly couldn’t understand how anyone could have the stamina for that! (laughs) The endurance it takes to perform this entire work is just incredible.

—His stamina is clearly even greater now than it was during his competitive career.

Jeff: I definitely think so. And on top of that, skating under show lighting takes even more energy, it’s easy to get distracted, and that drains you physically.

—So overall, it sounds like Hanyu-san suggested the music and the elements he wanted to include, and then you expanded the imagery from there.

Jeff: Exactly. The final product was based on the choreography I created, but he added his own arrangement to it. I don’t know whether he already had those titles in mind from the beginning or if he decided on them afterward, but he has this incredible ability to take abstract concepts and express them in a way that’s visually real.

—Now that you’ve learned the titles for each piece, and you’re reflecting on the program again, do you feel they each represent stages of preparing for a major competition?

Jeff: Of course, these are deeply personal emotions for him, but I can definitely see it. For example, starting with “Awake,” it really feels like an awakening to a new side of his skating. A recognition of the joy that comes from simply skating.

Then comes “Impulse,” to me, that symbolizes the beginning of a season, the first steps toward the goal. “Philosophy” feels like it reflects the process and conviction behind what he’s pursuing.

As for the last two... I’m not quite sure. I’d really have to ask Yuzu about those, I’m curious too! (laughs)

—— The last piece being titled “Zero” is quite intriguing.

Jeff: Yes, the title “Zero” is definitely compelling. It might suggest that he has nothing left, that he left everything he had out there on the ice in that moment, and now there’s nothing remaining. The step sequence represents the end of a journey, a conclusion, so maybe that’s what “Zero” means. Of course, that’s just my interpretation.

 

“When he told me about the concept, I was honestly stunned, I wondered how on earth he planned to skate all of that.”

 

—— Hanyu-san mentioned that he crafted this “Piano Collection” with meticulous care. What would you say he was most particular about?

Jeff: He definitely had strong ideas about the guidelines. He gave very specific instructions about the elements he wanted in each piece, and the order in which they should appear.

So I paid very close attention to those points. But when it came to the overall choreography, he didn’t interfere too much, he gave me the freedom to create.

—— Is that typical of how Hanyu-san works?

Jeff: Yes, though when we first started working together more than ten years ago, it wasn’t quite like that! (laughs) It was more like, “Stand here,” or “Listen to me here.” Of course, even back then, his talent as a skater was already outstanding.

But as we continued working together over the years, our relationship deepened. Once we got more comfortable working together on the ice, he started to open up and express his own ideas more freely. Even during the creation process, he began trying out different movements and experimenting. That kind of back-and-forth between just the two of us made both the program and the creative process itself much more special.

—— Knowing that this five-piece collection leads into “Ballade No. 1,” did it bring back memories of when you choreographed that piece?

Jeff: Absolutely. I remembered the rink where we worked together, and how we developed the program over time. I recall how we were both completely focused on building that Ballade together.

That Chopin piece was designed to highlight his skating ability, we stripped away any unnecessary arm movements or overly decorative choreography. The program was meant to spotlight the purity of his skating.

—— That piece marked a huge turning point in his career, didn’t it?

Jeff: Definitely. It represented change, growth, and maturity. I think it was a real turning point for him. When we were working on that program, he had already won Olympic gold, and there was tremendous pressure to succeed again and create something historic.

—— Before he performs “Ballade No. 1” in the show, there’s a narration that says, “Now, play the sound of the word ‘destiny’ that belongs to you.” Like his free skate SEIMEI at PyeongChang, this is a program that holds deep meaning for him. It’s been said that landing a clean skate in the short program at the Olympics felt like he was being guided by fate.

Jeff: I really admire how he reflects inwardly like that, how he questions himself and sincerely thinks about what it all means to him.

When you create a program, you might start with a story, but that story evolves with the skater. Eventually, it becomes their story. That’s how Yuzu has carved out his own destiny, and I love how he lets his programs resonate with that journey.

The program itself is majestic and elegant. When we created it, it was after he became Olympic champion for the first time. He was being pulled in every direction, and people were demanding a lot from him. I remember wanting to express that kind of situation through the choreography.

For him, I think it was an incredibly hard time to stay centered and focused. The opening section of the music really reflected that feeling, like being tugged in all directions, with distractions everywhere. So, in that work, I wanted to create a space where he could focus entirely on just himself, like when he’s on the ice, and the only things that exist are him, his blades, and the ice.

—— That’s fascinating. I heard that for Echoes of Life, Hanyu-san insisted on skating the program in the same exact configuration as he did at the PyeongChang Olympics. I felt that showed a deep respect for the program.

Jeff: It definitely shows respect. But I also think it’s very symbolic of who Yuzu is. He’s not only a performer, but also still very much a competitor. That’s why he’s always pushing his limits.

He’s constantly striving to create something even better, even just a little bit better. That’s why I think from the very beginning, he had decided: “I’m going to skate it exactly the same way I did in PyeongChang.”

—— To be able to perform at the same level as in competition, even after leaving that world, that’s extraordinary, isn’t it?

Jeff: It really is. He’s still in peak physical condition. And I think the Piano Collection gives even deeper meaning to Ballade No. 1, not just in terms of structure, but in spirit as well.

I imagine that as he prepared Ballade again for this show, he went through a similar mindset and process to the one reflected in those five pieces: Awake, Impulse, Philosophy, Truth, Zero.

—— This was your first time working together again in a while. Was there anything that left a strong impression this time around?

Jeff: The way we worked this time was by filming our own skating and sending the videos back and forth. Of course, I’m not as young or physically capable as he is (laughs), so every time he sent a video back, it was like a leveled-up version of what I’d done, and it was a joy to see.

But more than that, I really felt that he’s grown so much as a performer. Watching him skate my choreography, I could see his personality radiating from it.

We’ve worked together for such a long time now, and seeing that growth fills me with pride. Every time I watched one of his videos, I could see how much he’s evolved in his own way, and that made me genuinely happy. I believe the first time we worked together was around 2012. I’ve seen him grow from those early days, through his development as a senior skater.

—— This was your first time creating a program with Hanyu-san as a professional skater. It must have felt quite moving.

Jeff: Yes, it really did. Even if someone steps away from the competitive world, that daily commitment and discipline as an athlete doesn’t just disappear, and I always support people who continue to approach their work with intention and ownership.

With Yuzu, I think he’s always had that kind of mindset. What he wants to achieve this year will be completely different from what he sets out to do next year. Next year, he might head in a new direction, take on new challenges, try things he’s never done before.

That approach is what allows him to continue growing into a richer, more multidimensional skater. Challenging yourself to go in different directions really helps you become a more balanced skater.

If you just keep skating to similar music and doing the same jumps year after year, that’s not growth. Sure, you might be maintaining your current level, but you’re not evolving.

Yuzu has always had a deep desire to grow and improve — creatively, technically, and artistically. And I think that’s exactly why he’s achieved the kind of success he has today.

 

“Yuzu has always had a deep desire to grow and improve — creatively, technically, and artistically. And I think that’s exactly why he’s achieved the kind of success he has today.”

 

—— He always seems to want to surprise and amaze people.

Jeff: Absolutely. He wants to excite people. He wants to bring surprise and delight. And surprise is fun!

—— You’ve choreographed for many skaters, but your programs often give the impression that the music itself becomes visible through movement. They’re so musical.

Jeff: Of course, I consider each skater’s character and abilities, but I also think it’s incredibly important for the skater themselves to have their own interpretation of the music.

To me, choreography has to let you feel the music. What we’re creating always begins with the music — so I believe every movement in a program should be guided by it. That’s a principle I’ve always stood by.

—— Do stories and ideas come to mind when you hear music?

Jeff: Yes, I think I’ve always had a natural sense of how movement fits with music. Ever since I was little, I’d be practicing at the rink and hear music someone else was skating to, and I’d start coming up with choreography in my head and moving to it myself. So I guess I’ve always had an instinctive connection to music.

—— It sounds like you were meant to become a choreographer.

Jeff (laughing): Exactly. Of course, I do it to make a living too! (laughs) But yes, the greatest joy is knowing that people enjoy the work we create.

—— Thank you for your time today. Lastly, could we ask for a message for Hanyu-san, and for his fans?

Jeff: Hi, Yuzu! It’s Jeff. I’m so proud of you, of the skater you’ve become, and the person you’ve grown into. It’s been such an honor and a joy for me to work with you ever since you were young.

Getting to watch you grow not only as a skater, but also mature as a person, both on and off the ice, truly makes me happy. I’m wishing you all the best in everything that’s to come, and I really hope we get to see each other again soon. Thank you for everything.

And to all of Yuzu’s fans, thank you for your support. Your passion for skating, and for his skating, is what gives him the strength to deliver incredible performances, to keep growing, to keep improving, and to keep wanting to show his love for skating through every performance.

That energy is what helps him become an even more amazing skater. He really enjoys every opportunity to perform for you.

Thank you so much for supporting both him, and me!

 

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Profile
Born in 1982, from Ontario, Canada. As a competitive skater, he excelled in men’s singles: bronze medalist at the 2006 Torino Olympics, 2008 World Champion, and two-time Four Continents Champion in 2002 and 2004. Known for his refined skating and elegant appearance, he earned the nickname “Prince on Ice” and enjoys wide popularity in Japan. After retiring from competition, he has continued to work as a choreographer, coach, and professional skater.

 

[Wintek]

 2025.06.30
*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

 

[Page 100-107]

BOW AND ARROW -Yuzuru Hanyu Short Program Version

Special Talk

 

Behind the scenes of the making of the "BOW AND ARROW" music video, talking about Yuzuru Hanyu

Created as the opening theme song for the TV anime Medalist, the music video for BOW AND ARROW, a collaboration between Kenshi Yonezu and Yuzuru Hanyu, garnered immense attention.
How did such a miraculous collaboration come to be realized? We spoke to three of the creators involved in the video production —Mizuki Ohno, Kyotaro Hayashi, and Hiroshi Okuyama— to hear their passionate thoughts on the project.

Spoiler

Interview and text by Tatsuya Murao (for this publication)

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— Thank you very much for making time for us today, even with your busy schedules. First, I’d like to introduce each of you to our readers. We have three members of the production team for the “BOW AND ARROW” music video: producer Mizuki Ono, director Kyotaro Hayashi, and cinematographer Hiroshi Okuyama. It’s quite a luxurious lineup, thank you all for being here.

 

All: Thank you for having us.

— The music video was released in March and has received an incredible response. How have you each been receiving that reaction?

Hayashi: Honestly, my reaction was, “Well, yeah, of course it would.” (laughs) Like, “That’s what I expected.” I already knew it would be like this before we started making it.

Ohno: On the contrary, I felt crushed under the pressure, thinking, “If this doesn’t get a response, we’re in trouble.”

Hayashi: Ono-kun probably felt the pressure. I was more like, “This looks like it’s going to be interesting.” But I did get a little anxious, so I reached out to Okuyama to get him on board (laughs). I already had a lot of trust in him, and I knew he had skating experience, so I felt like he was the only one I could ask.

Okuyama: By the time the offer came to me, it was already less than a month before filming, so I kind of jumped in with a feeling of “Something amazing is probably going to happen,” and “This seems fun.”  So honestly, I couldn’t fully imagine at that point that it would become this talked about. After it was released, I thought again, “Ah, it really was an amazing combination.”

— In terms of the sequence of events, the anime adaptation of Medalist was confirmed, and then Yonezu-san expressed his desire to provide a song for it, right? At what stage did each of you become involved in the project?

Ohno: I was the first one brought in. I got the request from Yonezu-san’s side and took on the role of producing the music video. The song was to be the theme for Medalist, so the process began with, “Who should direct the MV?” But actually, there wasn’t much discussion, right from the start, it was, “It has to be Hayashi-san!” Yonezu-san had initially mentioned “a blue image” as a concept, and when it comes to blue, that’s Hayashi-san. So we decided very early on to ask him.

— At that point, had the collaboration with Hanyu-san already been decided?

Ohno: No, nothing had been decided yet.

Hayashi: At first, Ono-kun talked to me about the project and played the song for me. I said something like, “This is a very conflicted (迷い) song.” Later, we had a meeting with Yonezu-san’s team where they talked to us about the feelings behind the song. They also shared what they felt about Medalist, which depicts the relationship between a skater and a coach. That’s when they introduced the keywords they got from the work: “bow and arrow” and the motifs of “the bow that releases” and “the arrow that is released.” Since I also teach at a university now, I really resonated with the ideas of “transmitting” and “passing down” [継承]. After receiving those thoughts, I started brainstorming what we could do with it as a concept.

Ohno: We came up with about three possible plans.

Hayashi: One of those included a concept using an ice rink. I suggested, “How about we try creating visuals based on the trajectory of the flying arrow or the trajectory that the skate’s edge draws on the ice?” The image of filming while following a skater on the ice was already there at that stage, but during that time, various exciting things were happening in the conversations between Ono-kun and Yonezu-san’s team.

Ohno: Yes, exactly. Since one of the ideas was already about using an ice rink, as we kept talking, the dream just kept growing, like “Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could get Hanyu-san to appear?” It was such a pure idea (laughs). But since it’s Hanyu-san, of course we hesitated, more like, “Would he even appear in a music video...?” It all felt like a far-off dream, and we were kind of moving forward softly, with that mindset. But then, in another meeting, it turned into, “Let’s go ahead and ask Hanyu-san.”

Hayashi: You see, Ono-kun has also been producing the visuals for Hanyu-kun’s ice shows. How many years now?

Ohno: This is the third year, I think. I’ve been working with him since GIFT, the ice story. Hayashi-san was also involved in directing visuals for GIFT. After that, I also worked on RE_PRAY. Actually, this MV has no direct connection to that, but I had invited Yonezu-san’s team to come see a RE_PRAY performance. It was just, “Hanyu-san is doing this amazing solo show — you’ve got to see it.” I think that was right around the time the MV project started moving forward.

Hayashi: And then, Yonezu-san’s team was like, “Hanyu-san is incredible,” “His skating is insane.” And from there, the conversation naturally shifted to, “We’d love to have him appear.” It was kind of a dream, but then it became Ono-kun’s mission to see if that dream could be realized.

Ohno: Right after the Echoes of Life Hiroshima performance ended, I went on-site to have a meeting. There, I explained the background: that there’s a manga called Medalist, it’s being made into an anime, and that we were working on an MV for the opening theme. Hanyu-san already knew about Medalist, so I gave him the full manga series and said, “We’d love for you to appear in this.”

A few days later, we got a reply: “I’ll do it.” And we all went: “Uwaaaah!” (laughs)

— The Hiroshima performance was in January of this year, wasn’t it? I’m surprised the project progressed so much in such a short time. Was Hanyu-san’s response a straightforward acceptance?

Ohno: It seems that Hanyu-san had been listening to Yonezu-san’s music since his Hachi days. He resonated with the songs and received courage from them. So, he said, “If I get to appear in a MV by that Yonezu-san, I’ll do my best and take on the challenge.”

— That’s quite a development. Since you and Hayashi-san had already worked with Hanyu-san on “GIFT” and other projects, did that help things progress smoothly?

Hayashi: I think it definitely wasn’t irrelevant.

Ohno: We had already witnessed Hanyu-san’s way of thinking and high level of professionalism during GIFT. We saw firsthand his energy and power, enough to fill the Tokyo Dome solo, and how he trained toward that goal. On the day of the performance too, I was with Hayashi-san and we were just amazed, saying, “This is incredible.” So we already knew what kind of energy he brings, and it made us think, “We have to give it our all too.” It was like, “We can’t afford to lose,” and we were bracing ourselves and giving it everything we had. (laughs)

— Once Hanyu-san gave his OK, how did you proceed with the filming plan?

Hayashi: As I mentioned earlier, at first we had been planning around things like the skate’s edge tracing lines on the ice. But once we knew Hanyu-kun would appear, we shifted a bit, we redesigned the concept around the relationship between Yonezu-kun and Hanyu-kun.  Yonezu-kun’s position is that of the “bow” [弓], the one who remains still and conveys intent. On the other hand, Hanyu-kun’s position is that of the “arrow” [矢], the one who moves with great intensity. That’s how we started thinking about it.

— Okuyama-san, you were in charge of filming on the ice. What kind of plan did you envision?

Okuyama: At first, I kind of replied with a light-hearted, “I’ll do it!”  But as I heard more concrete details, I started really thinking, “What can I do here?” While talking with Kyotaro-san, the phrase “I want to push harder” came up multiple times. And what “pushing harder” meant was: increase the speed, get as close as possible to Hanyu-san, that kind of thing. So I started thinking about how that could be done, and went to a skating rink in Tokyo twice.

Ohno: We did some tests, right?

Okuyama: Yes, with the help of a skater, we tried out various filming methods.

— Okuyama-san, you’re making a film called “Boku no Ohisama” (My Little Sunshine) in 2024, with figure skating as the subject. You handled the camera work yourself for that too, right?

Okuyama: That’s right. I filmed all the skating scenes myself. But that movie was about children skating, so the speed was slow. So, when it came to filming Hanyu-san, I was honestly terrified.

Everyone: (laughs)

Okuyama: I thought, There’s no way I can keep up with Hanyu-san’s skating. And when I first heard the plan, it was that Hanyu-san’s skating would be inserted over footage of Yonezu-san singing. I thought, “Maybe I can handle that.” But gradually it turned into, “Let’s build this as a full program.” And the thing I was most concerned about was speed. If we were going to “push” things, how do I get closer to Hanyu-san? That really worried me.

— By “push,” do you mean capturing Hanyu-san’s speed and intensity?

Hayashi: Exactly. The song itself has a strong sense of arrow-like velocity [疾走感], and I really wanted to express that. I like figure skating myself and often watch it, but most skating footage up to now has been filmed from outside the rink, it’s always objective. That’s natural, of course, but for this, I wanted the audience to feel like they were close to Hanyu-kun’s perspective. If we could film it like we were skating on the same rink, moving at the same speed, chasing his back, I knew that would be amazing. That’s also why we wanted this to be a more “aggressive” skating film.

— The song is 2 minutes and 55 seconds long, basically the same as a short program. Was that intentional?

Ohno: We asked about that, and it turns out it was just “coincidental.” They hadn’t meant to match it, but it just happened to be the same length as a short program. So I thought, “That’s fate, isn’t it?” But then I kind of casually said something like, “Well, I think everyone would probably love to see a short program with this…” (wry smile)

Everyone: (laughs)

Ohno: At the time, I didn’t think it would actually happen. So I was just speaking offhandedly. But then, gradually, I started to sense: “Wait a second... is he seriously creating a full short program?” Right after finishing his Ice Story performance, when he entered the practice period for BOW AND ARROW, it was like a switch flipped. I felt, “Something amazing is coming.”

I went to Sendai a few times for costume meetings and each time, Hanyu-san shared his vision with me, but I still couldn’t grasp how incredible it would be. Then, finally, we received the full-length video of his performance from him. And when I watched it... it was so amazing, I was deeply moved. I thought, “This is unreal…”

Hayashi: I still remember the moment that footage arrived. It was so incredible that I thought, “There’s no way just the two of us, me and Taishi-kun, can film this.” It’s not something you can do over and over, right? So we had to capture as many of those moments as possible. That’s when we decided, “We need to bring in more camera operators,” and in the end, it became quite a big team.

Ohno: We had people that Hayashi-san and Okuyama-san really trusted, their team of camera operators, all come together in Sendai. In total, how many people?

Okuyama: Just counting camera operators, there were eight of us. Each of them had about two assistants, so just the camera department alone was quite large.

Hayashi: The lighting department, which was responsible for creating the atmosphere of the space, also joined in large numbers.

Ohno: That’s right (laughs).

Okuyama: It was packed (laughs).

Hayashi: I really wanted the space itself to match the program. The full-length video arrived relatively late in the process, but it was also the moment when everything became clear. Like, we fully realized just how insane it was (laughs). It felt like, “If we don’t step up, we’re doomed.”

Ohno: We knew something amazing was coming, but it far exceeded our expectations... As professionals in video production, we felt we absolutely couldn’t let this chance slip by.

Hayashi: Exactly.

Ohno: That moment was when we flipped the switch and thought, “Let’s go all in and confront Hanyu-san with everything we’ve got.”

Hayashi: The video, Hanyu-kun shot and edited it himself. And seeing that made me think, “We have to put our energy into capturing these fleeting moments.”

Ohno: Even the choreography and everything else, we didn’t direct any of it. Hanyu-san listened to the song, drew out his own imagery, and created it all himself. When we saw that footage, we were stunned.

— Okuyama-san, did you also watch the video [of Hanyu’s performance]?

Okuyama: Yes, I watched it. Honestly, I just thought, “This is simply incredible.” Since there wasn’t much time left before the shoot, we quickly increased the number of camera operators and got into a setup where we wouldn’t miss anything from outside the rink. But what I got a bit worried about then was, if we ended up just making it look like a competition broadcast, that would be such a waste. As a cameraman, I thought really hard about how to differentiate it from the footage you always see on TV. I wanted to capture it from perspectives no one had seen before, and I really wanted to do the side-by-side tracking shots [並走撮影・へいそうさつえい] properly. Watching the video again really reinforced that desire.

— Was the on-ice filming done in a single day?

Hayashi: Yes, it was.

— Watching the video, you can see a lot of skate traces on the ice. That means Hanyu-san did several rehearsals before the filming, right?

Hayashi: That’s right. He practiced and then we filmed.

— About how many times did he skate it?

Ohno: How many times would that be?

Hayashi: Hard to say. He also did partial practice runs.

Ohno: He gave us explanations about certain movements and paths [軌道・きどう], but each individual element takes a lot out of you physically, so for the “serious” runs, we basically filmed them in one-shot takes.

Hayashi: Yeah, exactly.

Okuyama: In terms of filming time, it was around six hours, wasn’t it? During that whole time, Hanyu-san kept repeating the cycle of skating and taking short rests. Even when he rested, he made sure to keep his body warm so it wouldn’t cool down. Since I had learned skating as a kid, watching him I just thought, “His stamina is unreal.” It was honestly hard to believe.

 

---

 

— Because you have skating experience, you could really appreciate that, right? Seeing Hanyu-san’s skating technique and jumps up close, what did you feel?

Hayashi: Yes, please tell us all about that! (laughs)

Okuyama: No no… it feels presumptuous of me. (laughs) I used to take lessons in Shin-Yokohama, and at the time, Shizuka Arakawa-san was also there. Even as a child, I could feel, “Top athletes have a totally different sense of speed.” But now, experiencing it firsthand, it was even more intense and overwhelming than I had imagined.

— You skated for about 7 years as a child, right?

Okuyama:
To be precise, it was about six and a half years. I was taught by Nobuko Fukui-sensei [福井信子]. But my older sister was the one who really did it seriously,  I just kind of tagged along without much thought. So when Hanyu-san casually asked me, “Where did you skate?” I honestly froze.

Everyone: (laughs)

Okuyama: I was like, “He’s going to find out how half-hearted I was.” (laughs) Even during the side-by-side skating, he’d sometimes speak to me, and I’d just be in a total panic.

Ohno: Yeah, I remember him saying things like, “Can you keep up?” (laughs) I thought, “Wow, Hanyu-san’s totally teasing Taishi-kun.”

Okuyama: When we were by the side of the rink, Kyotaro-san said to me, “Can you get a bit closer to Hanyu-kun?” and I was like, “I’ll do my best.” Hanyu-san happened to be there too, and as we walked back to the start point together, he said, “All right, let’s go even faster next!”

Ohno: Yes, yes, I saw moments like that often.

Okuyama: Of course, he adjusted his skating so we could film, but he also engaged with us in those kinds of playful conversations.

— It wasn’t like he was teasing, more like he was helping to keep the atmosphere light?

Ohno: Exactly.

Okuyama: I was really thankful for that.

— Seeing Hanyu-san’s skating firsthand this time, what did you think?

Hayashi: For me, I was already completely shocked during GIFT. When the rink was set up inside the Tokyo Dome and we looked at it before he came in, it looked huge. I was thinking, “He’s going to perform alone in this massive space?” I was honestly anxious, like, “Is this project okay?”
But once Hanyu-kun stepped onto the ice, the audience instantly went, “Whoa!”  There were all these breathtaking scenes, and the time just flew by as you watched. He’s someone with an incredibly strong ability to draw people in. The rink that had looked so big suddenly felt small, or rather, it felt like he was moving through it with ease. He has that kind of awe-inspiring presence.

With that as my prior impression, I got to watch him up close during filming this time. And something Yonezu-kun mentioned also really stuck with me, the sound of landing a jump. You know that “BOOM!” when he lands? Watching that, you can feel just how powerful it is. And yet, he never wavers, always keeping perfect posture, I just thought, “That’s seriously cool.”

He did it over and over, without even a hint of fatigue on his face. He was constantly battling himself, staying mentally sharp, and fully motivated. Just on a human level, I thought he was truly amazing.

—— What about you, Ono-san? How did you feel?

Ohno: I had already been able to watch many things since the Ice Story shows, so of course I knew it was amazing, but the process of how that gets created, the sheer amount of effort, I don’t think it’s something we can casually call “effort” [努力・どりょく], you know? He fights every day, pushing himself to the absolute limit, all for the sake of making something good. And every time I see it, I feel like I’m really witnessing something incredible.

Even for this MV, he made it in time for our shoot, and brought something far beyond what we imagined. I honestly think that’s just amazing.

—— Did Hanyu-san make any specific requests, like “I want the visuals to be this way,” or “Please shoot it like this”?

Ohno: He really trusts Hayashi-san, so when I told him, “This time the video director will be Hayashi-san,” his response was kind of like, “Okay then, no problem.” So he really left it all in our hands. Which, on the flip side, was a lot of pressure! (laughs)

Hayashi: When I heard that from Ono-kun, I was like, “Wait, what’s supposed to be okay?!” (laughs) I thought, “There’s literally no reason to be reassured yet!”

Ohno: Totally. (laughs) But we really do trust Hayashi-san, so from our end, we were able to let him work with a good amount of freedom.

Hayashi: Speaking of reassurance and trust, this was totally by chance, but the woman who always does our video editing actually has skating experience. I think she skated about as long as Okuyama-kun. She was able to edit the scenes smoothly and beautifully from a skater’s perspective, which made me feel really at ease.

Ohno: So for this project, it feels like there were all sorts of coincidences, it was almost like something was guiding it.

Hayashi: Yeah, we were definitely guided.

Ohno: The three of us here today, we’ve really been working hard together since we were young, so being able to create something together now, that in itself made me really happy.

—— There’s a lot of resonance between the kanji for “Yuzuru Hanyu” [羽生結弦], “Kenshi Yonezu” [米津玄師], “Yui Inori” [結束いのり], and even the theme of “Bow and Arrow” [弓と矢].

Hayashi: It’s like someone set this all up.

Ohno: Maybe there’s someone who can already see everything! (laughs)

Hayashi: Maybe even this very moment we’re spending right now was all planned.

—— Okuyama-san, you used to skate, and you also made a film on skating. That too led into this project, didn’t it?

Okuyama: Yes, that’s right.

Hayashi: Actually, before I saw your film, I had no idea you could skate. So I was like, “Wait, he shot all of this himself? That’s amazing!” But I didn’t think it would lead here, to this.

Okuyama: It was all kind of accidental. The fact that I happened to make that film… and that Hayashi-san happened to watch it, that was huge. Also, I owe a lot to Ono-san for producing it, and to Yonezu-san, who once let me film a music video for him and gave comments on my movie. Skating became the subject of my film, and this time, I participated with a sense of wanting to repay those debts. But in the end, it was me who ended up having so much fun and feeling like I owe everyone even more now.

—— It feels like all these threads were tied up and resolved at once.

Hayashi: That might be true.

—— What did you sense from the “chemical reaction,” so to speak, between Yonezu-san and Hanyu-san in this collaboration? How did you perceive their relationship?

Hayashi: The two of them hadn’t really met before this, right?

Ohno: This shoot was their first time meeting.

Hayashi: It was their first time?

Okuyama: They were talking quite a lot, weren’t they?

Hayashi: They got along so well! It honestly felt like they already knew each other. After the MV shoot, they were scheduled to do a conversation segment, and I wanted to hear their exchange, so I went to the recording site. They got so into the conversation that they ended up talking for around three hours straight. The MV shoot went from night to morning, and then they did the talk right after, so by the time they finished, it was already lunchtime.

Okuyama: That’s wild.

Hayashi: Their conversation was so interesting, It felt like I could literally feel adrenaline shooting through my brain. Like, “Wow, I just heard something amazing.” They talked about struggles unique to being in their thirties, and I felt like I could relate to a lot of it too. In some way, I think the two of them are similar. It really felt like they were destined to meet.

Ohno: It was like, “You finally met.” Two very special people, in the same place at the same time.

Hayashi: Exactly.

Ono: When we were filming the MV, we were literally laughing watching the scene where the two coexisted, it was too incredible. I think Okuyama-kun was filming on the ice, and we were watching the monitor, but it was so overwhelming that we burst into laughter.

Hayashi: They’re both just so cool. When coolness x coolness multiplies to that level, it becomes funny. How do I even explain it… (laughs)

Ohno: It was during a time slot that had the most pressure, a very important scene to shoot, but Hayashi-san was just laughing so hard. (laughs) But really, it was that incredible. Seeing the two of them standing there together, it was something we couldn’t have imagined, something you’d think is impossible.

Hayashi: It started to feel surreal. The two of them existing in the same space within the video… the moment we saw that, it became kind of hilarious in its own way. They each have that kind of energy. There’s a scene in the second half of the video where they resonate with each other for just a moment, you can really see it. But in the edit, I didn’t try to emphasize that moment too much. Just giving the viewer a brief glimpse felt like the right balance. I remember adjusting it like that.

—— During the editing process, you honed the footage even more. This might be a difficult question, but is there a specific scene you really want people to pay attention to, the one you poured the most into?

Hayashi: Each and every shot, we really managed to capture them beautifully. There are so many moments where Hanyu-kun brings things to a perfect finish, and Yonezu-kun does the same. We were incredibly selective, so rather than saying “this scene is my favorite,” I feel like... the whole video is my favorite.

Okuyama: For me, from the scenes I personally shot,  the step sequence I tracked from behind, with Yonezu-san singing in the background, that cut really struck me as a great image. Also, the close-up on Hanyu-san’s face during the line “I was born” [生まれてきたんだ]. I didn’t shoot that one myself, but as a viewer, I really love his expression in that moment.

Hayashi: Oh, totally. That moment had everyone going, “We got it!” The whole place lit up. Yeah, that was a good one.

—— The way you filmed the Biellmann spin from a low, diagonal angle, that could only be done because you were actually on the ice with him, right?

Okuyama: Yes, exactly. Earlier you mentioned “Okuyama going all in,” but the truth is, it’s really difficult to keep a consistent distance when following Hanyu-san’s speed. So I figured, “The spin is where I can be the most aggressive.” Because spins happen in place, they don’t travel across the ice. I tried to figure out how to create movement in the image even in that stationary moment. And in the end, thanks entirely to Hanyu-san’s performance, I think we got some really great shots.

Hayashi: Yeah, I totally agree.

—— It really feels like this work was the result of everyone’s combined strengths. Thank you so much for sharing so many valuable insights. Lastly, could each of you give a short message to Hanyu-san?

Hayashi: Let’s see… I think I’d say, “Let’s do it again!” Like, “See you next time!” (laughs) It feels a bit bold to say that, but it was such an amazing time, and I genuinely want to do something new again. So, yeah, “Let’s do it again!”

Ohno: Every time I see him, it makes me straighten my back, you know? I always want to be honest and meet him with the same level of seriousness. I feel like every time I work with Hanyu-san, it’s a full-on showdown, and I don’t want to lose. I want to keep pushing myself just as hard.

Okuyama: Ono-san and I would often message each other things like, “Let’s not lose to this!”

Ono: It’s because Hanyu-san really brings that competitive energy, you feel like you have to bring it too. That’s especially true when we work with him. We also talk about how we want to capture what we really want to shoot, and that there shouldn’t be any compromise. We’d often say things like, “Let’s properly go to battle, as professionals in visual media.”

Okuyama: I honestly think this was something that could only have happened with this particular team. Because it was Yonezu-san, because it was Hanyu-san, because we had Hayashi-san, and because there was Ono-san, the producer who could connect everything.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something that can’t be replicated, and I’m truly grateful I got to be part of it. I just want to say “Thank you so much.”

Also… if I could go back and tell my younger self, “You’re going to be skating with an Olympic gold medalist someday,”  he would be so shocked.  I’d love to say that to the younger me, who was just messing around on the ice. Though… I’m sure he wouldn’t believe it! (laughs)

Hayashi: That’s a great one.

Ohno: So good. That really hit home.

—— What a wonderful way to close. Thank you all so much!

---

 

Profile: Hiroshi Okuyama

Born in 1996, Tokyo. Film director and screenwriter. Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University and the Film School of Tokyo. Made his feature debut with I Hate Jesus (2019). His 2024 film My Sunshine (Boku no Ohisama) was officially selected for the “Un Certain Regard” section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. He has directed, shot, and edited music videos for artists such as Kenshi Yonezu, Foorin, and Nogizaka46.

 

Profile: Kyotaro Hayashi

Born in 1989, Tokyo. Video artist, cinematographer, and photographer. Graduated from Tama Art University. He has directed numerous music videos for major artists like Gen Hoshino, Kenshi Yonezu, and RADWIMPS, and has worked on advertising for global brands like Sony and Toyota. Served as video director for Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2023 “GIFT at Tokyo Dome.”

 

Profile: Mizuki Ohno

Born in 1991, Tokyo. Video producer. Graduated from Hosei University. After working at a major securities firm, joined a video production company. Active across commercials, dramas, MVs, and films. His production work on Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2023 “GIFT at Tokyo Dome” was highly acclaimed, earning him the Grand Prize in the Producer category at the JAC AWARD 2023.

 

 

[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

[36-45]

 

Special Report 

Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2025

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2025," led by Yuzuru Hanyu as zachou [座長, lead performer], was held from March 7 to 9 at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture.

This year marks the 14th year since the Great East Japan Earthquake, in which Hanyu himself was affected.

The show takes its title from the "sky full of stars" that Hanyu saw when he looked up at the sky on the night of the disaster. Since turning professional, he has held this show for three consecutive years. With prayers for the repose of the souls of those lost, a feeling of compassion[1], and the hope to shine even a small light of hope on those living in the affected areas, Hanyu poured these feelings into this performance. This year's show included a special collaboration with kyogen[2] master Mansai Nomura.

Spoiler

Text by Mitsuru Tanaka (sports writer / Associate Professor, Komi Gakuen University)

 

"We skaters who are here today want to perform while shining as individuals, and become stars for each and every one of you."

Hanyu's words were filled with warmth, and his soft, smooth skating carried his unwavering kindness toward those affected. He opened the show with "notte stellata," the same piece he performed in the PyeongChang Olympic exhibition. Making full use of his supple body, he enchanted the audience, enveloping the venue in a warm and gentle atmosphere.

During his competitive years, March was always a time when he had little freedom due to the Olympics or World Championships. But now as a professional, he returned to the disaster-stricken region with special feelings in his heart.

In the program list distributed at the venue, two collaborative numbers stood out with remarkable presence: "MANSAI Boléro × notte stellata" and “SEIMEI" by Yuzuru Hanyu × Mansai Nomura.

"MANSAI Bolero" is one of Nomura Mansai’s signature works, first performed in 2011 as an expression of "requiem" and "rebirth." This time, it was reimagined as a group number in collaboration with figure skaters including Yuzuru Hanyu—dressed in traditional Japanese attire—as well as Satoko Miyahara, Akiko Suzuki, Keiji Tanaka, Takahito Mura, and choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne, blending kyogen and figure skating into a singular performance.

When Mansai appeared briefly in the hushed, solemn arena, cheers and applause erupted from the audience. As the sound of dripping water echoed through the venue and visuals played across the screen, Mansai made his way to a special stage set in the center of the rink. There, he performed the powerful footwork unique to kyogen. Gradually, an artistic expression of unity unfolded with Hanyu on the ice. This moment of intersection between traditional Japanese performing arts and figure skating culminated in Mansai’s leap from the stage at the end, earning an immediate standing ovation from the entire audience.

For Hanyu, collaborating with Mansai held a particularly deep meaning.

"Of course, I’ve cherished every collaboration I’ve done so far, but it’s never just about collaborating with figure skating in mind. I always consider what kind of guest would elevate the show to something with real gravitas, something that anyone could see and say, 'That was truly incredible.' From the very beginning of notte stellata, I had always talked about wanting to collaborate with Mansai-san someday. And knowing that Bolero tells a story of requiem and rebirth, I just knew we had to do it."

“MANSAI Bolero” is a solo performance born from years of Mansai’s conceptual planning, combining dance music with the ideas of kyogen. Bolero also holds a special place in the figure skating world, it was the program that earned Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean (UK) a legendary gold medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, receiving perfect scores in artistic impression under the old scoring system.

Blending the distinct worlds of kyogen and figure skating within the limited time of a show was an immense challenge, one that went far beyond what words could express. In a post-show group interview, Hanyu shared details:

"The choreography for the group number gradually came together after the other skaters arrived. So when Mansai-san first saw it, it was still far from finished. He was kind of like, 'Hmm, what should we do?' Shae, who did the choreography this time, also said, 'It’s really hard.' But we spent so much time at this venue, going through the performance again and again—and Mansai-san was incredibly accommodating. I also spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of movements would allow me to sync with him. I think that’s how Bolero finally came together."

That’s why this collaboration, created in the disaster-stricken region, together with skaters, became a profoundly meaningful performance for Mansai as well. After the show, he reflected:

"I almost got overwhelmed with emotion at the beginning. Just for a moment, as it all began, I felt... not quite a spiritual vision, but it was as if everyone’s souls were flowing into me. It reminded me of the responsibility that comes with performing kyogen. Especially in a process of transformation like this—marking March 11—we imagined scenes like a parent holding a child and seeking help... even amidst pain, flowers bloom, rain falls, summer arrives. We tried to embody those images while also abstracting them. In the end, we aimed to reflect the arc of a human life.

From death, we leap once again toward a new life, that’s the meaning behind the final jump. So, while it may appear abstract to viewers, if you watch it with those thoughts in mind, you might find something truly special in it."

—

The second act opened with what could be called the climax of the show: a highly anticipated collaboration between Mansai and Hanyu in "SEIMEI." Ever since the announcement of the special guest, fans had been eager for this moment.

From the top center of the screen, Mansai appeared in the role of Abe no Seimei. As he descended, a transcendent world emerged, created by the collaboration of a solitary skater and a kyogen master.

Normally, in "SEIMEI," Hanyu portrays Abe no Seimei. But this time, Hanyu took on the role of a shikigami, a summoned spirit. Accompanying the words “Heaven, Earth, Humanity” [天/Ten・地/Chi・人/Jin] spoken by Mansai’s Abe no Seimei, Hanyu skated a powerful version of the legendary program that propelled him to back-to-back Olympic golds in PyeongChang. The one-of-a-kind skater performed in perfect synergy with the kyogen master standing tall behind him. On the ice, a pentagram formed by the five divine beasts—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Yellow Dragon—brought purification and peace to wandering souls.

Hanyu, embodying the shikigami, shared:

"Because the perfect and mysterious being Abe no Seimei is present, I needed to move like a shikigami, not perfect, but someone granted power. I poured all my strength into expressing that role, even more than when I normally perform 'SEIMEI.'"

As both a performer and skater, Hanyu faced his greatest obstacle: two types of quadruple jumps, which allowed no room for error. This time, unlike his usual program that flows from one move to the next, the performance required dramatic contrasts between stillness and motion. Even so, his strength in critical moments never wavered. He nailed a vivid quad Salchow and followed it with a clean three-jump combo starting with a quad toe loop.

"I was just incredibly nervous. I constantly felt this overwhelming presence behind me—as if I absolutely could not make a single mistake. Honestly, it felt as intense as the Olympics."

In fact, just before the second act began, Hanyu had appeared suddenly on the still-bright ice. While the audience buzzed in surprise, his face remained tense with concentration as he glided across the rink. He checked his jumps and fine-tuned his posture.

This scene, so much like the six-minute warmup before competition, was part of his complete preparation to withstand the crushing pressure he later described in the post-show interview: “the pressure of not being allowed to make a single mistake.”

When coordinating between stage kyogen and ice skating, a slight time lag is inevitable. Mansai later commented:

"When we took turns performing, there were moments when I wanted to hit a sound precisely, like a sharp 'snap', but because skating needs a preparatory motion to build initial momentum, I realized that extra space was necessary. That really made sense to me."

It was through bridging those tiny gaps in timing that they achieved true unity. Mansai enhanced the effect by incorporating more smoke and adding flair to his exits. He approached "SEIMEI" with fierce commitment, refusing to compromise on quality. Even during the actual performance, he sprinted around the rink's perimeter, playing the onmyōji role to perfection.

Mansai explained:

"I realized just how much Hanyu-san truly loves the onmyōji. He knows more about it than I do, he even remembered things I had forgotten."

Hanyu also reflected seriously on their collaboration, from rehearsal to final curtain:

"I don’t think there’s anyone else who could make Nomura Mansai run so hard he was out of breath. I feel so honored and humbled. Mansai-san truly gave his all to 'SEIMEI.' During rehearsal, I realized just how demanding I had made it for him. He was sprinting full-speed at the end... I felt genuinely sorry, and at the same time, I was filled with new respect for his capacity and strength."

Just before the real performance, Hanyu’s last jump had gone off wrong, but in the show, he corrected it flawlessly, sending the audience into a roar. By the finale, the crowd was clapping along, and kyogen and figure skating—tradition and sport—had come together in a profound harmony on the very soil affected by disaster.

Mansai expressed his respect:

"This is the program that earned him Olympic gold, a pinnacle of his career. I feel deeply honored to have been part of something so important."

And Hanyu, his face glowing with satisfaction, responded:

"It felt like the final day of the tour. I gave everything I had, every bit of strength and spirit."

Of course, it wasn’t just physical effort or intensity on display. It was the unwavering resolve of Yuzuru Hanyu the artist.

"Speaking for myself, since stepping fully into the professional and expressive world, I still feel like a complete novice. Mansai-san carries on the long tradition of Japanese performing arts and excels within that world. Collaborating with someone of that stature requires me to match that level, to bring skating worthy of artistic expression as a professional. I felt that deeply throughout rehearsals. But having gained experience as a pro, I was able to meet him as an equal. I stayed focused and mindful through all our meetings, striving to face him as a professional skater."

Ten years ago, at just 20, he was a nervous young man during their first conversation. Witnessing his growth, Mansai offered the highest praise:

"Back in 2015, when we talked, he hadn’t yet found the words for what he carried inside. But through experience, he’s broken through that shell. A seed has sprouted, and now it’s in full bloom. It’s wonderful to see. I consider myself someone who carries Japan’s traditional culture, and I introduce myself as 'Profession: Nomura Mansai.' I sense that Hanyu-san also carries something truly great.

I remember our conversation about manipulating space and time, about being clothed in music. Now that he’s producing and directing ice shows, he’s truly commanding heaven, earth, and humanity. That’s how much he’s grown. I first called him 'Profession: Yuzuru Hanyu,'but even in his closing remarks, it was clear that his work has transcended individual activity. His intentions, creativity, and energy have all been distilled into this extraordinary show. I truly believe that 'Profession: Yuzuru Hanyu' will continue to accomplish incredible things. That’s something I’m deeply grateful for."

Hanyu, upon hearing these words from a reporter in the post-show interview, humbly replied:

"I’m still far from that level. I’ll keep working hard."

What does it mean to be a professional artist? Through this collaboration with Mansai, Hanyu’s expression has undoubtedly reached a new level.

 

NOTES

[1] 富まる気持ち: 富まる (tomaru), from the verb 富む (tomu) meaning “to be rich/abundant in.”

"富まる" is a literary or archaic-sounding conjugation, giving a poetic nuance of something being richly filled or endowed. 気持ち (kimochi), feeling, emotion, mood. 富まる気持ち can be translated as a feeling of abundance, a richly endowed emotion, or a heart full of something profound (like compassion, gratitude, or sorrow) depending on context.
[2]  Kyogen is traditional form of Japanese comic theater, often performed as an interlude during Noh theater. It blends humor with social satire and stylized movement.

 

[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

 

[Page 60-79]

Special Report
Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 3rd "Echoes of Life" TOUR

 

Saitama Performance

The Grand Theme of “Life,” Brought to Life by “Sound”

 

The third instalment of Yuzuru Hanyu’s solo show, Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 3rd "Echoes of Life" TOUR, opened on a clear day—December 7, 2024—at Saitama Super Arena.

 

Following GIFT and RE_PRAY, this third ICE STORY performance, which he both starred in and oversaw as executive producer, unfolds a grand philosophical narrative exploring the meaning of "life," written by Yuzuru himself.

 

Spoiler

In a fully realized stage production that included special effects shown on the venue’s massive screen, he portrayed the main character “Nova” and introduced many new pieces including Ubukoe ~ Meguri (First Cry ~ Circulation), Utai (Song), and Piano Collection.

Even on the day he marked his 30th birthday, he left a deep impression with his ever-evolving skating skills and superb expressiveness, achieved through tireless effort and a fertile imagination.

 

Text by Mitsuru Tanaka (Sports Writer / Associate Professor, Shobi University)

 

The space was like a movie theater. A desolate world with collapsed skyscrapers appeared on screen. The protagonist, played by Hanyu, awakens with only vague memories. He brushes the dust off the capsule he had been contained in, revealing the words:

"VGH-257" “Nova”

 

He comes to recognize himself as "Nova", but the questions remain. Why is he here? What is his purpose?

 

These simple questions spark a confrontation with a vast mission.

 

"Why was I born?" "What is life?"

 And so begins a journey into the philosophical questions of “living” and “life.”

 

He skates twelve programs in the main storyline, each in sync with the narrative, gradually approaching the answer to the question of life.

 

As Hanyu later reflected,

“I’ve always been curious about the philosophy of life—ever since I was little, and I also studied bioethics at university. I’ve had these swirling thoughts and ideas inside me for a long time, and I decided to revisit and refine them. I wanted this show, Echoes of Life, to offer everyone a chance to find their own answers to what it means to live, especially in the world we live in now.”

 

This worldview, formed through personal reflections and expanding knowledge over the course of his life, was vividly brought to life on the ice.

 

Unlike his previous two ICE STORY productions after turning pro, this time Hanyu wrote the story himself, and the Storybook was published in advance. That’s how complex and layered the theme was.

 

In his post-show talk, he shared with a laugh:

“When I handed the storybook I wrote to the visual team, they were like, ‘This is great!’ But then came the next question: ‘How do we turn this into an ice story?’ (laughs). The director and I just kept going back and forth like, ‘What do we do? Let’s try this.’ We were all kind of screaming inside, but we kept at it and somehow pulled it off. When everything, direction, my skating, finally came together, I could really feel like, ‘Yeah, we created something good.’”

 

Bridging such deep philosophical thought with figure skating was no easy task. But one key element, Hanyu’s longtime strength, made it possible: sound.

 

The story takes off with this line from the narrator:

“You can perceive words and letters as sound, and embody them.”

 

This setting brings clarity to the story’s vision. And behind it lies Hanyu’s own lived experience.

 

“I’ve always perceived the world around me, scenes, colors, emotions, as sound. Take the color red, for example. Some people associate it with passion, others with fear. Everyone interprets it differently. For me, when I imagine words or letters, I’ve always been the type who hears ‘sounds.’ So I gave Nova this ability, to feel the intonation and meaning of words as sound. That sound becomes philosophy, which transforms into music, and from that music, the skating program is born. That’s how I wrote the story.”

 

He elaborated in an earlier solo interview this March:

“I think my rhythm and sensitivity to music are innate. I’ve always been really sensitive to sound. It’s not some kind of special ability, just a personal trait. Some people are more attuned to sight or smell. For me, it’s always been hearing.”

 

In order to vividly express a story interwoven with “sound” as its core element, he created dazzling skating programs.

 

The music selection leaned toward classical piano, most notably highlighted by the transition from Piano Collection to Chopin’s Ballade No.1. Hanyu explained:

“I wanted to do something classical this time. Since the theme was philosophy, I chose piano melodies and pieces that stir emotions. While shaping the story, I thought about moments where I should fight, where I should remain centered, and where I should let the words speak for themselves.”

 

As for that pivotal sequence, he said proudly:

“It’s this run of classical piano music, ending with Ballade. I’d never done something like that before, performing continuously without once leaving the ice for even 30 seconds. I studied classical music with [pianist] Shinya Kiyozuka, and worked closely with [choreographer] Jeffrey Buttle on how I wanted the skating to feel.”

 

Despite the demanding nature of the programs, Hanyu delivered narrow-axis quadruple jumps, powerful and spacious triple Axels, and a beautifully timed delayed Axel. At the heart of it all was his deep connection to the character.

“Since I wrote the story myself and created a protagonist I could fully become, I felt I had to be the one to perform as Nova.”

 

That’s why he also took special care with the character’s costume:

“Filming took about three full days. Two whole days, then another half day, and then another half. Plus, I had to record narration too, which took two more days. It was rough! (laughs) I’d never previously matched the costume in the video with the one I actually skated in. Nova’s outfit was designed to be wearable as real fashion, which made it pretty difficult to skate in. But I was really attached to it. This time, in addition to working with people who specialize in figure skating costumes, I also brought in designers who had never made skating outfits before. We repeated many arrangements to finalize each one. The textures and designs are unlike anything I’ve worn before, you can only see them in Echoes. I hope people can really feel that through the fabric too.”

 

This performance was not just about the grand theme, nor skating alone, it was a singular world born from deep thought and performance. When the main show ended, Hanyu returned to the ice in a white T-shirt, looking slightly freed from the pressure of opening night, and bowed deeply to the cheering crowd.

 

“Thank you so much for coming today! It was opening night, how was it!?!?”

 

Voices filled with gratitude and emotion called back to him from the stands. Taking the mic again, Hanyu said:

“If this show, this story, could become even a small source of strength for your life, I’d be so happy. Whether you're watching from around the world via streaming, or feeling the air here with us in the arena, so many of you looked forward to this. The pressure and expectations were something I felt deeply, not just me, but the entire staff. We poured so much time and energy into creating this.”

 

He looked relieved as applause filled the arena. In the creative process of crafting something utterly original, there’s no model for success. So the audience’s response to the opening night becomes the first and most important signpost.

 

Seeing the emotional faces in the crowd, Hanyu could feel their connection to the story he told:

“I was really nervous (laughs). How do I explain it... it felt like the inside of my stomach flipped inside out. But now that it’s done, I feel such a strong sense of fulfillment, like, ‘Yes, it went well!’”

 

14,000 fans had packed the arena that day. It was a special day for them all: Yuzuru Hanyu’s 30th birthday.

 

After asking the audience to applaud the staff, he changed his tone and said with a slightly bashful grin:

“So, it’s my birthday today! Yay! I was born, I’m alive! Okay, all together now!”

 

Cries of “Happy Birthday!” rang out, but also, many shouted “Thank you!”

 

“Wait, wait! Oh right, some of you are saying ‘thank you’ instead! (laughs),” he said, delighted but surprised. Then the whole arena broke into a joyful chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you so much! It’s rare to have such a huge happy birthday celebration. I’m really happy. How many thousands of people were here today? And those watching from home, did you sing too? Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

 

The atmosphere shifted from solemn performance to festive celebration. Hanyu made another announcement:

“Since it’s the Yuzuru Hanyu Birthday Festival 2024, let’s do some choreography together! It’s not too hard, so I hope you’ll join in. I’d love for everyone to dance during the chorus of Let Me Entertain You.”

 

He cheerfully demonstrated the moves, gesturing to every side of the audience, rehearsing together with them.

“Nice, nice! You got it!” he said as he encouraged the crowd.

 

With the entire venue united, the encore began.

 

The opening Let Me Entertain You lit up the arena with synchronized dancing. Then he called out:

“Okay, let’s keep going just a bit longer! I’m sure there are things out there that make you go ‘ugh,’ or things that personally leave you feeling cloudy. But today, let’s scream it out together and have fun!”

 

He followed this with a sharp, exhilarating performance of Ashura-chan, lifting the energy of the entire arena.

 

To close it all, he performed a special piece: his legendary free skate SEIMEI, the defining program of his competitive career. Announcing it as his “very, very important program,” he conjured the world of the Onmyoji on the ice with solemn music and striking presence.

 

All told, Hanyu performed 15 programs in the show and encore. As he circled the rink, he waved energetically to the audience, those by the boards, those in the upper seats, and even the ones reflected on the giant screen. Then, finally, he put down the mic and let his own voice ring out clearly through the massive arena:

 

“THANK YOU SO MUCH~!!!”

 

Chiba Performance

The Masterpiece "Ballade No. 1" Revived on the Final Day

 

Yuzuru Hanyu’s third solo tour as a professional, "Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 3rd 'Echoes of Life' TOUR," reached its grand finale on February 9 at 66 Arena Tokyo Bay in Chiba. After opening in Saitama in December 2024 and making a stop in Hiroshima, Hanyu brought the third chapter of ICE STORY to a close with this final Chiba performance, his seventh show in the tour. Filled with deep emotion, he grew visibly overwhelmed during the post-show mic performance.

 

Spoiler

What unfolded during the show was not only a breathtaking display of skating that surpassed his competitive era, but also the power of bonds formed with the people who helped him bring this one-of-a-kind production to life. Both on stage and in later media interviews, Hanyu reflected on facing the vast and philosophical theme of "life" and what it means to live "in the present."

 

Text by Mitsuru Tanaka (Sports writer / Professor at Meikoku University)

 

"I poured my entire soul into this performance."

The expression on his face as he held the microphone was filled with emotion. As though drawing on sheer willpower to sustain his body beyond its physical limits, he panted heavily, shoulders rising and falling. The brand-new arena was, of course, completely sold out. The lucky 8,300 people who managed to secure these platinum tickets were swept into a fever pitch by this final performance. It was, without question, a complete burn-out.

 

In the third encore, he performed one of his signature programs, "SEIMEI." Hair disheveled from his intense performance, Hanyu brought the curtain down on a solo show that lasted over two and a half hours and included a total of 15 programs.

 

"Thank you very much!"

 

After placing the microphone on the ice, he took a deep breath and projected his thanks in his natural voice, reverberating through the packed venue. This solo show, lasting around two and a half hours, unfolded in a dazzling array of light and shadow, drawing the arena into a whirlwind of emotion.

 

Among the many stunning performances, one stood out above the rest: Chopin’s "Ballade No. 1," revived in the first half of the show.

Yuzuru Hanyu's "Ballade" is legendary, a treasured masterpiece that has the power to move an entire venue in an instant. This is the program he performed at the PyeongChang Olympics after suffering a serious right ankle injury in the fall of 2017. Like a phoenix, he returned to the Olympic stage and led the short program, bringing Japan its first back-to-back Olympic gold in men's figure skating in 66 years. He revived it once more at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, where he became the first male skater to achieve a Super Slam, winning every major title at both junior and senior levels.

 

In Echoes of Life, the program was placed right after the intense flow of the "Piano Collection," where he skated continuously with little pause. Riding the waves of piano melodies and barely stopping, the demanding program tested the limits of his finely honed stamina.

 

"Ballade" was performed under extremely tough conditions. In fact, the rules had changed since his Olympic and Super Slam days. During PyeongChang, two of three jumps could be placed in the second half of the program for a 10% bonus. But after the Olympics, rule changes only allowed one jump to receive the bonus. Though the newer rule eased the burden, Hanyu chose the more difficult Olympic layout.

 

He allowed no compromise for his unique solo show. That choice reflected his unwavering commitment.

 

From the opening, the audience was riveted. He skated with delicate softness to the piano's tune, nailed a beautiful quad salchow, and flowed effortlessly through his transitions. In the second half, he landed a triple axel, followed by a flawless quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination. It was a commanding performance that seemed to own the ice.

"In the old scoring system for short programs, you had to place two of your jumps in the second half. One of them was a triple axel, and the other a quad-triple combination. It reminded me again just how hard that was."

 

Even if he had chosen the lighter layout, no one would have faulted him. But Hanyu is committed to delivering the very best to his audience. The higher he sets the bar for himself, the more he thrives. It felt like the return of the absolute champion who had rewritten the highest scores in history multiple times.

 

On a pro stage, it's even more difficult to perform competitive programs.

 

This was made clear by Hanyu’s own comments when he looked back on "Ballade."

"I had hoped for certain lighting, but since the rink size varied depending on the venue, it was really hard to make adjustments."

 

Preparations had been meticulous. For this day, the press seating was positioned closer to the rink than ever before in his professional shows.

 

From that vantage point, the sheer force of his presence was palpable. Hanyu's battle had already begun, even before the spotlight hit.

Scrape. Crunch. As the spotlight dimmed, the sound of Hanyu’s skates cutting into the ice echoed faintly. Between programs, when the audience focused on videos and narration on the screen, he took that time not to rest, but to prepare. In the darkness, his silhouette could be seen gliding across the ice, repeating jump patterns, even a full jump combination including a quad.

 

It wasn’t about resting. It was about doing everything possible until the very last moment to ensure success. The glitz of the professional stage, complete with elaborate lighting and sound design, didn’t overshadow the tireless devotion and competitive fire of Yuzuru Hanyu the athlete. This was a glimpse into his true essence: a competitor through and through.

"Ballade" is a short program, which makes it unforgiving. One mistake can throw off the entire performance.

 

"Short programs bring a different kind of tension than free programs, because there's no room to recover from mistakes. That makes them even harder than free programs."

 

And yet, he delivered a perfect performance of "Ballade" on February 9—the same date he achieved the Super Slam five years ago.

 

This third installment of ICE STORY also marked the first time Hanyu himself wrote the full story. Since turning pro, he has taken on total direction for each of his solo productions, expanding the range of his creative expression. 

 

This time, he ventured even further, crafting the narrative in his own words.

 

In today’s world of smartphones and predictive text, writing can become almost automatic. But Hanyu chose to write everything by hand to avoid letting such tools influence his thoughts. He poured meaning into each character and word.

 

Because the central theme was so personal to him—"life" and "living"—he wanted to infuse the story with the same depth as the words he has spoken over the years. Even if it took more time, he was determined to express it all in his own voice.

 

"I'm better at expressing myself through skating, so putting my thoughts into Japanese was really difficult. But I wanted to tell you, through both words and skating, that you are stronger than you think. You are living strongly. I believe that just being alive is natural and also a miracle. Some people are at the mercy of fate, some continue to believe in it, and some keep hoping for the future. In a world full of so many kinds of people, I hope you can feel, just a little, that you are alive in this very moment."

In the post-show press conference, there was one more question worth highlighting. After completing the final performance, Hanyu was asked:

 

"Each of the three ICE STORY shows deals with profound themes. It seems like 'solitude' has been a source of inspiration. What does solitude mean to you?"

 

He tilted his head slightly and responded:

"Lately, I don't really feel alone."

 

That answer may have come as a surprise, but he explained:

 

"I think everyone experiences moments when they have to fight through something. But we can’t always share the pain or joy of those moments completely. In that sense, everyone is a little bit lonely. But that’s why we have words, writing, and sound. What I wanted to express in this ICE STORY is that even if you're the only one in your world, as long as you have words, letters, and sound, you're not truly alone. I wanted to say: it's okay, even if it's a kind of solitude no one notices."

 

In his competitive years, Hanyu often seemed like a solitary figure, burdened with the mission of delivering otherworldly performances. After his first Olympic gold, he was expected to surpass even his own record-breaking scores. After his second, he took on the challenge of the unprecedented quad axel. Though many young skaters chased his back, there was perhaps no one truly walking the same path beside him.

 

Now, as a professional, he said with a softer tone, "Lately, I don’t feel lonely," smiling as he spoke. Perhaps it’s because he now has a team of deeply connected collaborators who share his creative vision’ performers, directors, choreographers, video artists, costume designers, makeup artists, and staff behind the scenes. Everyone works together toward a common goal: to create the best possible work.

 

Because he is surrounded by these people, maybe loneliness no longer defines his world.

"I really feel that I'm living in a creative space now," he once said in an interview. "You have to create something from nothing. That’s hard, but also incredibly fun. And I’m lucky to have people who are truly serious about creating with me. It’s tough, but because we are a team of professionals, I feel a strong sense that we’re making something at the highest level, and that I need to be at that level, too."

 

There is one more presence that Hanyu holds dear: the fans who wait for his work and feel a deep connection to his art.

 

Once a lone champion climbing to new heights, he now has a team that helps him shape these one-of-a-kind solo performances, and a group of devoted fans who embrace and expand the world he wants to share. He bows deeply to the audience and every member of the team, no longer feeling alone, but thankful that he can offer this heartfelt vision to the world.

 

Of course, carving out a new path on ice and staging these massive solo productions isn’t easy. Every part of the show is a crystal of tireless effort. To keep delivering "the best Yuzuru Hanyu," he trains persistently, keeps evolving his skating, and studies ballet and dance to deepen his expression.

 

Having poured every ounce of his energy into Echoes of Life in his third year as a pro, it’s no wonder he might feel a sense of emptiness once it ends. When asked about his future plans at the press conference, he said with a hint of exhaustion:

"I have none. Zero."

 

Yet his face wasn’t weary or defeated, there was even a sense of peace. Perhaps it’s because from zero, he can create again. That feeling of enjoying the creative void might already be bubbling up inside him.

 

"I look forward to the day we meet again. See you in the future!"

 

With that final voice echoing across the arena, one can only wonder what surprises await in Hanyu’s fourth year as a professional. The next ICE STORY surely lies not far ahead, somewhere in the future.

 

[Wintek]

 2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

  

[Page 92-99]

Special Report 

Charity Performance for Noto Peninsula Earthquake Recovery Challenge~

On September 15, 2024, Yuzuru Hanyu performed in a show imbued with prayers for recovery from the earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day of the same year.

The event, titled the "Charity Performance for Noto Peninsula Earthquake Recovery," was held in Kanazawa City. It was streamed live exclusively nationwide via NTT Docomo’s video distribution service "Lemino," with more than 10,000 fans watching.

Spoiler

The charity T-shirts sold out their first 4,000 pieces, prompting additional sales due to overwhelming response.

Despite the event being a streaming performance, Hanyu made the deliberate choice to travel to the disaster-stricken area and skate on a rink without special lighting.

"Someday, for the disaster-stricken areas."

His decision came from a sincere desire to be close to those who must endure suffering and to support them.

The source of Hanyu’s strength lay in his two shining Olympic gold medals.

With gentle, embracing skating set to the melody of the piano, Hanyu's emotionally rich performance of "Haru yo, Koi [Come, Spring]" poured warmth and calm over the disaster-stricken region.

He performed a high, dynamic delayed Axel and a supple hydroblading so deep his face nearly brushed the ice’s surface, conveying a prayer for the repose of souls through these movements.

"The ground around here shook heavily too. This region (Ishikawa Prefecture) suffered truly, truly significant damage. Because of that, I also had the feeling of wanting things to calm down."

Professional skaters who shared his feelings gathered in Ishikawa: Takahito Mura, Akiko Suzuki, and Satoko Miyahara. The finale performed by the four of them was set to Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "Que Sera Sera," conveying the message: "We want to support the people in the disaster area as they move forward with hope." Hanyu and the others gave it their all, skating with everything they had. Their radiant smiles spread across the rink in the disaster area.

At that moment, the internet was abuzz. Posts about the performance trended to #1 on X (formerly Twitter). Hanyu’s fans and many viewers posted about it in succession. More than six months had passed since the earthquake, and the greatest fear of the affected region, fading public attention, had begun. But Hanyu and the others’ performance drew society’s gaze back to Ishikawa and Noto. A local reporter quickly noticed this phenomenon and asked about it during the post-performance group interview. Hanyu looked straight at the reporter and replied:

"We think about '3.11' [March 11, the date of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami] as well, and I also thought, when I actually went to these places, that it must be the roads and infrastructure where recovery is difficult. It might be hard for us to do something about fading public memory. But I want to support disaster recovery."

Even as traffic restrictions and a lack of media coverage due to distance from the capital made things difficult, Hanyu expresses words of solidarity and follows them up with action. That is his guiding principle.

 

"Is there anything I can do for Noto?"

Rewind to about six months earlier, in March 2024. Right after his hometown ice show "notte stellata 2024" ended, Hanyu reached out to TV Kanazawa, the host broadcaster, with this question. What could he do as Yuzuru Hanyu, as a professional skater? Thus began the project to launch a performance from scratch.

What he was particular about was skating in Ishikawa and delivering a performance to the nation from the disaster area.

"I wanted to skate near those who experienced pain due to the disaster, those who are still in pain now, and those who are struggling. We truly feel the energy of the venue, I wanted to send a vibration[1] from this place, even if just a little, and I skated while thinking, "I want to send it to everyone (all over the country who are supporting us)."

Hanyu's programs touch people's hearts not just because of his skill or artistry. It is because he is clear about who he is skating for, and why he is skating. His soul and heart are embedded in every performance. This time, he also placed importance on his connection with the local community.

The show opened with a performance to the live taiko drumming by "Wajima Wadaiko Toranosuke" from Wajima City. In a live connection with a local high school, members of the calligraphy club delivered a powerful performance.

One of the taiko drummers expressed gratitude: "Seeing the strong and beautiful performances of the skaters, I think the people affected by the disaster received tremendous strength."

There was a particular intention behind calling this event an "engikai [performance meeting]" instead of an "ice show." All glittering spotlights and show-like elements were stripped away. Everything was done to maximize support for the disaster area.

"First of all, thinking about the situation without lighting, we wanted to keep costs down as much as possible, and since it was a charity event, we wanted almost all of the proceeds from streaming and merchandise to be donated. That’s why our first priority was to minimize scale—like by having no audience—and then reduce production costs further, which led to 'no lighting.'"

Did reducing the lighting affect how it looked or the overall production?

"No matter the time or situation, we always skate with our feelings in it. When we practice, the lighting is like this anyway, so I don't think it had an effect."

In fact, the condition of the rink that day was extremely difficult.

Kanazawa in September is still hot, and due to the difference in temperature inside and outside, condensation formed on the ceiling of the Kenmin Sports Recreation Plaza, the performance venue. When drops of water fell on the ice, they froze into small bumps. As the facility only operates its rink seasonally from winter to spring as a leisure facility, this was unavoidable. Staff worked hard to maintain the ice and dehumidify the space, but little improvement was seen during rehearsal or the main event.

Even so, not one skater complained. The professional pride of Hanyu and his fellow performers shone through. It’s reasonable to think that professional skaters cannot perform without satisfactory conditions. Yet Hanyu and the other top-tier skaters knew that a heartfelt performance, no matter the situation, could still touch people's hearts. Their expressive power and spirit of solidarity with the disaster area overcame any limitations in production.

Hanyu has personally experienced what a disaster means. Many of his iconic programs, created during his brilliant competitive career, carry the breath of life at their core. That, too, is born from his experience as a disaster survivor. Right after the 2011 earthquake, there wasn’t even a rink to practice on. He trained for the coming season by making use of time before and after touring ice shows across the country. Rather than complain about what was lacking, he made the most of what was available. Because that attitude is deeply ingrained in him, he was able to embrace this audience-less "performance meeting."

 

This event was also a chance for Hanyu, who always looks forward and hungers for evolution, to return to something that had supported him in the past: his two Olympic gold medals from Sochi and Pyeongchang.

"For me, one big reason I wanted to win two Olympic gold medals was so I could start supporting disaster recovery from that place of having won twice. That's why I kept working hard as a competitor. And now, finally, I’ve become a professional, and little by little, I’m able to think more and more about the disaster areas. Above all, I'm a skater. So I wonder if, through my performances, I can be of some support to everyone in the disaster zones and to their emotions. That includes 3.11, and I think it applies to various disasters that happen from time to time. This time, it happened to be the Noto Peninsula earthquake, so I skated for that."

When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, Hanyu was a high schooler in his second year as a senior skater. Though he had potential, he was still powerless. Seeing the devastation firsthand, he struggled with the thought: "Is it really okay for me to just be doing figure skating?"

Back then, Hanyu rarely spoke about the disaster. But in later reflections, he shared, "For about the first six months (after the disaster), I really hated being treated as a 'representative of the disaster area.'" He felt that he could never bear or speak on behalf of those who had lost loved ones or homes.

There was more. In a 2015 interview with Newsweek Japan (Oct. 1 issue), he revealed that when he resumed training in Kanagawa after the disaster, he carried the thought: "I felt like I had run away from the disaster area."

However, as he saw people gain strength from his performances and realized his success was bringing good news to the disaster-stricken areas, his feelings began to shift. His bronze-medal performance at the 2012 World Championships in Nice—his debut at Worlds and a milestone just one year after the disaster—is etched into the memories of many in the figure skating world.

NOTE

[1] 波動 (Hadō) , Wave motion / Vibrations / Resonance / Energy flow

 

[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

 

[Page 108-115]

 

Special Report

Fantasy on Ice 2024

Turning the Rink into Outer Space. A Tribute to Gundam

The excitement from one year ago still lingers vividly in memory. The Makuhari performance of Fantasy on Ice 2024, the figure skating show centered around Yuzuru Hanyu, opened on May 24, 2024, at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe, with the press in attendance. Now in his third year as a professional skater, Hanyu closed the show as the final act, delivering a spectacular collaboration with Takanori Nishikawa (also known as T.M.Revolution). For the first time, they unveiled a new program set to “Meteor,” an insert song from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED[1]. Under Nishikawa’s live vocals, the world of SEED came to life on the ice, transforming the Makuhari rink into the vast reaches of outer space.

Spoiler

Every detail of Hanyu’s costume was meticulously crafted. Combined with his finely tuned body and overwhelming performance, he held the audience spellbound.

Text by Mitsuru Tanaka
(Sports writer / Associate Professor, Shobi University)

 

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The audience erupted in thunderous applause, rising to their feet and filling the Makuhari night with cheers.

Taking the final spot in Fantasy on Ice, widely known online by the hashtag #FaOI, Hanyu appeared before a sold-out crowd and drew them into the world of Gundam. As the music surged, the ice, the ceiling, and the entire venue seemed to merge into one immense cosmic space.

Gundam SEED FREEDOM[2], the latest installment of the SEED series, premiered nationwide on January 26, 2024, and became a long-running hit, earning over 4 billion yen and drawing more than 2.8 million viewers. Its theatrical run, with few exceptions, concluded on May 23, just one night before the show. This timing seemed almost woven into the performance itself.

Among the many songs in the SEED series, “Meteor” stands out. Used in combat scenes, its lyrics reflect the complex inner emotions of the warriors, giving it a powerful and poignant message. Its melody, tinged with melancholy yet resolute, holds a unique allure. Hanyu, who had loved the song since elementary school, clearly felt a deep emotional connection to this program.

His dazzling costume, with shimmering blues and whites, appeared inspired by the mobile suit “Freedom” from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. A wing-like design adorned his right shoulder, showing his attention to detail. He didn’t just skate to the song, he built an entire world on the ice. That depth of performance spoke volumes about his profound respect for both the artist and the source material.

This kind of spectacular collaboration with top-tier musicians is one of Fantasy on Ice’s most distinctive charms. Over the years, Hanyu has performed countless programs set to live vocals by renowned artists. But this time, the collaboration went beyond skating to a song, it recreated the universe of Gundam on ice.

It marked a new evolution, both in theme and scope, as he kicked off his third season as a professional. It wasn’t just about the program itself, it was about immersing the entire venue in a single unified world.

Such depth demands more than just performance; it requires exhaustive preparation. Most of all, it takes genuine love and understanding of the original work. Hanyu soared over that high bar with ease, weaving even the mechanical movements of mobile suits into the choreography and skating freely across a rink transformed into outer space.

As if embodying his reverence for the Gundam franchise, he launched into a triple Axel that soared with both height and breadth, fusing technical brilliance with artistry into a program unlike any other.

Earlier in the show, Nishikawa had also appeared onstage. During that segment, he performed the theme song FREEDOM from the Gundam SEED FREEDOM film, while ensemble skaters danced around the central stage, an imaginative staging that made it feel as if he were commanding mobile suits in battle. Keiji Tanaka performed to “BEYOND THE TIME,” a famous track from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s[3] Counterattack, with Nishikawa again on vocals.

These two programs, unveiled in the show’s first half, set the stage for Hanyu’s climactic performance, elevating the entire show’s quality and cohesion.

And then came the finale. With Hanyu’s performance, the Requiem[4], the ultimate weapon, was destroyed, and the world was saved. The audience, overwhelmed by the catharsis, reached a fever pitch. As the number ended, more than 5,000 fans sprang to their feet in a standing ovation, while banners waved throughout the venue.

Hanyu, clapping as he walked to the rinkside stage, encouraged the audience to cheer for Nishikawa as well. Then, he firmly grasped the artist’s hand in a heartfelt handshake.

 

That day, Hanyu also made a surprise appearance in the first half of the show. In recent years, his usual appearances at Fantasy on Ice had become something of a tradition, joining the opening and closing numbers in collaboration with musical artists. But this time, he added a dramatic moment near the end of the first half as well.

After landing a quadruple toe loop in the opening, Hanyu returned later in a costume of pure white. The program he performed was Danny Boy, a piano piece he debuted at Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2024 in March.

Even before the lights came up to mark the beginning of the piece, his silhouette could already be seen in the dimly lit venue, prompting a wave of cheers from the audience. This poignant Irish folk song, arranged for piano, created a serene and heartfelt mood. In this program centered around the theme of “hope,” Hanyu performed two types of triple jumps, flip and loop, along with his signature delayed Axel, which added both tension and release. He arched his back in a deep Ina Bauer, tracing a graceful curve across the ice, and executed complexly woven spins to bring the vision to life.

Back when Danny Boy was first unveiled at notte stellata 2024, Hanyu had shared the following thoughts during a press interview:

“The theme is hope. And within hope, there is both the past and the future. Past hopes can mean joyful memories, or a longing to return to a time before—like before the earthquake (referring to the Great East Japan Earthquake he experienced). On the other hand, there’s also a hope that reaches toward the future, a prayer for what lies ahead. If you imagine the center of the rink as the present, the stage-left side of the choreography represents the past, and the right side, the future. That’s the concept we built into the movement.”

The powerful physicality and stamina Hanyu developed through skating nearly two-hour solo shows became the foundation for this night’s performances. He poured every ounce of energy into the opening, the finale, and his climactic collaboration, and even found room to add one more piece. Here again, his growth since turning professional was on full display.

 

In the finale, set to Nishikawa’s iconic song HIGH PRESSURE, Hanyu and the other skaters performed sharp, rhythmical steps with precision and flair. His sleeveless costume revealed the finely honed muscles of his upper arms, clear proof of the tireless training and discipline behind his performances.

In a press interview following the final show of Hanyu ICE STORY 3rd: Yuzuru, Echoes of Life TOUR in February 2025, Hanyu had reflected on his training mindset with characteristic determination:

“Even during the tour, I’ve started incorporating new forms of training. It’s not just about expanding my range of motion or improving flexibility. I’m also thinking about how to move my body more effectively, and how quickly I can recover. I’ve been focusing on how to further refine what I consider my strengths, my flexibility, my elegance. I actually started working on that seriously just before the Hiroshima show in January 2025. I feel like it finally came together for me in this performance. And because of that, I can sense that I’ll keep evolving from here.”

In a solo interview with Sports Hochi published on February 6, 2025, Hanyu revealed that his body fat percentage remained the same as it had been during his gold-medal-winning performance at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, but his muscle mass had increased by about 1.5 kg. “It feels ideal to me,” he said, not for aesthetic reasons, but to maximize his performance. The physical beauty glimpsed through his finale costume spoke volumes. It was the result of relentless training, more rigorous than during his competitive days, etched into the body of a professional skater.

The Fantasy on Ice finale, as always, delivered a highly anticipated highlight: a showcase moment where each skater, one by one, performs dazzling moves or flourishes. And as the final star of the night, it fell to Hanyu to bring it all home.

With the audience’s expectations soaring, he delivered a brilliant, clean quadruple toe loop, bringing the show to its exhilarating conclusion.

As always, Hanyu showed his appreciation for the artists who had joined him. He crouched out of view, behind the stage step where the musicians couldn’t see him, and—facing the audience—gestured and called out:

“More, more!”

He urged the crowd to offer even greater applause, pouring his gratitude into one final shout that rang through the venue:

“Thank you so much—!!”

And with that, the unforgettable night came to a close, leaving behind a swell of emotion and joy.

 

NOTES

[1] Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is a science fiction anime series set in a future where humanity is divided between genetically enhanced Coordinators and ordinary Naturals. The story follows Kira Yamato, a young Coordinator who becomes the reluctant pilot of a powerful mobile suit, as he’s forced into a brutal war between the two factions. The series explores themes of identity, war, and the cost of peace, and is one of the most popular entries in the Gundam franchise. “Meteor,” the song used by Yuzuru as well as the story that inspired his program are from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

[2] Gundam SEED Destiny is a Japanese animated series and the sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.

[3] Char Aznable is one of the main antagonists of Mobile Suit Gundam. In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, Rau Le Creuset –also an antagonist— is a clon of Char.

[4] Requiem is a powerful super weapon introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.

 

[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

[Page 58-59]

Photo & Column 

"Capturing the Heart" Yoshiki Kogaito

A soul-stirring shot, where the shadows of god and his incarnation overlapped.

This is a soul-stirring shot.

It captures the final moment of "MANSAI Bolero," a collaboration between the principal skater Yuzuru Hanyu and guest Kyogen actor Mansai Nomura, from the ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2025."

Spoiler

For this program, a special stage was built at the center of the rink, and light was directed only from one side of the stage at the back. Under that lighting, "the god" Mansai, bathed in light, leapt from the stage with his back to the audience. Simultaneously, Yuzuru, who had descended onto the ice as "the god's incarnation," jumped into the air with the light behind him. The shadow of Mansai, who was directly lit from the front, stretched long and large onto the ice, overlapping with Yuzuru’s flame. At that moment, I focused the lens on Yuzuru and pressed the shutter.

With their backs to each other, the two soared in perfect unison. I had the fortune to witness this moment directly through the lens.

When I learned of the upcoming collaboration between Mansai and Hanyu in this show, the first thing I did was watch videos of Mansai's Kyogen performances. I was struck by the final scene of "MANSAI Bolero," where Mansai leaps backward into darkness as the stage goes dark. So when I found out that this same flying scene was to be included in the collaboration, I was convinced: a photo capturing this moment would be the defining image of "notte stellata 2025" that would live on for generations.

In post-show interviews, Mansai said of this scene, "It holds the meaning of glimpsing the human life cycle, a flight from 'death' back into the next 'life.' That final jump carries this implication." The flying scene is thus deeply important and meaningful.

During rehearsals, the two discussed things repeatedly and, at Yuzuru's suggestion, they decided how to light the final scene. The staging that caused the shadows of these two exceptional performers to overlap and merge on the ice took my breath away.

The problem was: how to shoot it.

From the rehearsals, I could keenly feel Yuzuru's deep respect for Mansai. If I were to honor those feelings, a photo capturing both of them together would be essential. I had to make a photo that would preserve the moment of their shared performance forever. I also wanted to capture the lighting they had carefully crafted.

Considering that, I thought a photo shot from a slightly pulled-back composition, rather than a close-up showing expressions, would better convey the sacredness of the moment and allow the scene to appear deified. As for the photo position, facing them head-on seemed ideal. From there, I could capture the perfect composition of their overlapping shadows.

However, the front-center location was blocked by lighting scaffolding. I couldn't enter that space. On the first day of the performance, March 7, I had no choice but to shoot from a diagonal position in front of the special stage. I was amazed by Mansai's jump, it betrayed none of his age. On the second day, I shot from Mansai's side. The audience's excitement reached its peak thanks to the high-level performance. But I couldn’t get the ideal composition out of my mind. I wanted to shoot from Yuzuru’s side, capturing the moment their shadows overlapped as Mansai leapt backward.

As I wrestled with this problem, my fellow official photographer Noto-san gave me a helpful tip: "You might be able to crawl under the scaffolding."

There was only one shot left: the final performance on March 9. This was my last chance. When I approached the scaffolding I'd given up on once, I found that, indeed, I could crouch and squeeze under it. But there was a narrow 120cm equipment case right in the center. If I straddled it, I might manage. The question was whether I could hold steady. If my leg hit the case mid-performance, it would cause a noise. So just before "MANSAI Bolero" began, I got into position, straddling the case in a wide-legged sumo-like stance and readied my lens. For about 10 minutes, the strain on my lowered hips pushed me to the limit.

But this was a matter of grit and determination. In that tense stance, I managed to capture what I believe to be not a "miraculous shot," but rather, "an inevitable shot" for these two.

I got the moment their overlapping shadows soared in perfect unison, from the ideal photo position. I felt I had fulfilled my mission as an official photographer.

Then came a surprise on March 10. I was scheduled to meet Yuzuru for an interview shoot at a hotel room in Sendai.

When he entered the room, Yuzuru immediately smiled and said:

"That shot was really great, you got it! I knew what kind of shadow effect the direction aimed for, so I thought you’d try for it. But I figured, 'That’s gotta be really hard.' But when I saw the angle of the arms and everything was perfect, I was like, 'OHH!' That was amazing!!"

He spoke with joy as if it were about his own achievement. I didn’t even have to ask which photo he meant. He knew that I had aimed for that scene, knowing the director's intent, from rehearsal on. He had seen the resulting shot and offered heartfelt praise.

Remembering the strain of that crouched stance, I was deeply moved, as though everything had been rewarded.

 

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This series features columns by photographer Yoshiki Kogaito sharing the stories behind his photographs of Yuzuru Hanyu (published irregularly).

 

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Profile
Yoshiki Kogaito
Photographer for Sports Nippon Newspaper. Born in 1983 in Mie Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Sports Science, School of Human Sciences, Waseda University. Covers figure skating as well as soccer and baseball. Has worked on photo collections such as "Yuzuru Hanyu Photo Collection" (Sports Nippon), "Mao Asada Ice Show Everlasting33 Photo Collection," among others

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[Wintek]

2025.06.30

*Machine translation from Japanese to English, inaccuracies exist* 

 

[Page 126-129]

 

Event Report
Publication Commemorative Online Lecture for the Book "Yuzuru Hanyu Through the Lens"

Getting closer to the appeal of the subject, Yuzuru Hanyu: Over two hours of passionate discussion

Yoshiki Kogaito
Photographer, Sports Nippon Newspaper Photo & Video Department

Mitsuru Tanaka
Sports writer / Associate Professor, Shobi University

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An online talk was held on February 24 featuring sports writer Mitsuru Tanaka, author of the book "Yuzuru Hanyu Through the Lens: The Absolute Champion Seen by the Divine Photographer"[1] (published by our company), and the book’s central figure, Sports Nippon’s photographer Yoshiki Kogaito.

 

Here we present part of the passionate discussion—which went over the scheduled two hours—as a special feature “Digest Edition.”

Spoiler

Text by Editorial Division

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Tanaka: Today, I would like to speak extensively with Mr. Kogaito, who appeared in the book "Yuzuru Hanyu Through the Lens" as the “God Cameraman” “[神カメラマン] (kami cameraman),” about the behind-the-scenes of the much-talked-about newly shot gravure photos of Hanyu-san, as well as his deep commitment to photography. Also, from the perspectives of myself, who has covered Hanyu-san from the “writing” side, and Kogaito-san, who has looked at him through the lens, I hope we can deeply explore the appeal of Hanyu-san. Thank you very much for being here!

Kogaito: Thank you very much for giving me this valuable opportunity. I’m looking forward to our conversation, thank you as well!

Tanaka: Getting right into it: I was assigned to figure skating starting in the fall of 2011 while working at Sankei Shimbun, and began seriously covering Hanyu-san from the World Championships held in Nice, France in March 2012, where he won the bronze medal. Since then, I’ve reported from many major international competitions, including the Sochi and PyeongChang Olympics, where he won gold. Even now that he’s turned professional, I continue my reporting activities.

Kogaito-san, you began photographing Hanyu-san at the Four Continents Championships held at the PyeongChang venue in the year before the PyeongChang Olympics, and especially since the Olympics, you’ve followed him to all of his competitions. Now that he’s turned pro, you’re also involved in photographing him as an official photographer for ice shows. You've taken numerous outstanding photographs, and earned strong support from Hanyu-san’s fans. So first, I’d like to ask: what keeps you motivated to continue producing so many photos that could be called masterpieces?

Kogaito: Thanks to everyone, I do receive words of praise from many fans, but honestly, I’ve never once felt satisfied after a shoot. Every time I head home, I carry this constant sense of regret, wondering, “Wasn’t there a better angle or perspective from which I could have captured Hanyu-san’s expression that I saw through the lens?” So I think what becomes my motivation is this strong feeling of “Next time, I’m going to capture a photo that gets even closer to the appeal of Hanyu-san!” That’s also part of the joy of facing him through the lens.

Tanaka: To have put out that many photos to the world and still not be satisfied, I think that shows how strict you are with yourself. In fact, when I interviewed you for the book, I came to understand very clearly that each photo has intent and a target behind it, and that you prepare thoroughly for it. I already knew you always arrive earlier than anyone else at the venue, but even for the gravure shoot in Sendai (for the book), you were at the studio hours in advance, setting everything up. I was truly surprised by something when I accompanied you to the shoot. During the session, Hanyu-san kept moving and posing continuously without pause, while you, Kogaito-san, were almost entirely silent, just pressing the shutter.

Kogaito: Yes. I treat the sequence of Hanyu-san’s movements toward the lens as a kind of program in itself. When I’m photographing performances on the ice, I can’t exactly call out something like, “That silhouette or expression was great, do it again!” right? Even in a studio shoot, I deliberately avoid introducing any kind of repeatability. I think the idea of not missing the moment and just pressing the shutter is a mindset rooted in being a photographer grounded in sports journalism. Hanyu-san expresses what he’s feeling at the moment through his movements, and I focus completely on capturing the dazzling instants he creates, in a state of silence, with the tension of knowing that no two poses will ever be the same.

Tanaka: To share a bit about the actual shoot: regarding the “Amazon Limited Edition” cover, at the beginning, Kogaito-san told Hanyu-san something about “an image like a sculpture.” And then Hanyu-san, standing on a pedestal draped in white cloth, began expressing various movements. Since it was shot digitally, I thought perhaps you’d check the photos as you went, but you didn’t. Wasn’t there some anxiety that they might not be coming out well?

Kogaito: No, not at all. I think that’s because I have a strong sense of trust in Hanyu-san. Just like in previous shoots, I always have this reassurance that I’ll have beautiful photos in my hands afterward. The fact that we can’t do retakes is scary in one sense, but it also becomes part of the fun for me. For the limited edition cover, I believe Hanyu-san was embodying poses that could only be captured because of the presence of that pedestal, producing dynamic movement or using his strong core to strike unique poses. The photo on the cover, where he stretches out his long legs, was just one shot among that sequence, but it was very well received by readers. Actually, at first, only a standard edition cover was planned, so that photo wasn’t going to be used. The fact that a photo that was originally never meant to be seen ended up being used, and not only that, but chosen as the cover, that really reminded me again of how amazing the subject “Yuzuru Hanyu” is.[2]

Tanaka: At the shoot, I was completely overwhelmed by the space where the subject Hanyu-san and the photographer Kogaito-san were facing each other. According to the book’s editor, when Hanyu-san heard that the theme of this shoot was “how to face the camera as a subject,” he approached it with the spirit of a “[真剣勝負] (shinken shōbu – serious match or earnest battle).” When I heard that, I felt so grateful and happy. Did you, Kogaito-san, sense that “[shinken shōbu]” spirit from Hanyu-san?

Kogaito: Yes, I did. When I heard that Hanyu-san was approaching the shoot with that kind of determination, my heart trembled. I had had a previous opportunity to photograph him one-on-one. At that time, he chose the music himself and played it during the shoot. I thought it might be a similar setting this time too, but he didn’t play any music. That made me feel, “This is different from last time.” Of course, even with music, his sincerity toward the shoot probably wouldn’t change, but when I heard the phrase “[shinken shōbu],” I began to feel—this is just my interpretation—that rather than immersing himself in his inner world, he was trying to create a state in which he was facing the external world, facing me and the lens I was pointing at him.

Kogaito: Regarding the term 「真剣勝負」 (shinken shōbu – serious match, earnest contest), I’d like to ask you as well, Tanaka-san, watching the shoot from the outside, how did you perceive that shinken shōbu?

Tanaka: As I said earlier, I felt “overwhelmed.” In that completely silent space, with Kogaito-san pointing the camera and clicking the shutter, and Hanyu-san directing various poses toward the lens, I was entirely drawn into the tension of the moment. From my perspective, the shinken shōbu between the two of you gave me the impression of a fierce offense and defense between a “shield and a spear [盾と矛].” When Kogaito-san pointed the spear of the lens, Hanyu-san received it with his shield, then turned the tables and pointed the spear of his pose, which Kogaito-san received with the shoulder of his lens. Throughout the shoot, as the offense and defense switched back and forth, I felt like great works of art were being born.

Kogaito: I see. That’s an interesting way to look at it. In the book interview, I think I also described how, when I clash with the enormous energy of Hanyu-san using my own small energy, a sort of “bang!”—like a scattering of sparks—occurs, and that is what becomes a photograph. However, in regard to this term shinken shōbu, I don't feel it was about facing each other in a back-and-forth of offense and defense. Rather, I believe Hanyu-san tried to become one with the photographer in order to create a good piece of work. In other words, the direction that shinken shōbu was aimed at wasn't each other—but toward the work of photography itself.

Actually, when the shoot ended, Hanyu-san deliberately walked over to me and gave me a high-five. I kept thinking deeply about what that meant. If we had been facing each other as opponents in a shinken shōbu, then I think the natural thing after the shoot would have been a handshake.

But doesn’t a high-five carry the image of allies exchanging recognition? A shared goal, aiming for the same outcome—the piece of work. I believe that, because Hanyu-san felt a kind of response or conviction that said, “Maybe a good photo was taken,” he gave that high-five as a form of mutual praise. Thinking about it that way, shinken shōbu wasn’t a confrontation—it was collaboration [協働].

Tanaka: That’s incredibly convincing. Even from just this single word shinken shōbu, we could go on discussing endlessly. Earlier we talked about the cover photo for the Amazon limited edition, but I’d also like to ask about the photo used for the regular edition. My impression was that the expression was incredibly rich, that it carried a kind of gentleness that envelops, or strength, or a calm emotion. Though it’s the same face, the way it looks changes depending on the viewer, or the emotional state of the viewer at that time. It’s a photo with emotional range that allows for multiple readings.

Kogaito: I believe the cover of a book is the photo that will be seen the most. So in that sense, I think it’s appropriate to have a photo for the cover that you don’t get tired of looking at, no matter how much time passes. During meetings with the editor, they requested that Hanyu-san’s face and hands be visible in the cover image, so I relayed that to him. During the actual shoot, Hanyu-san himself used his expressions and hand movements (his gestures) to create all kinds of forms. When you present him with a broad theme, he always responds with something that exceeds your expectations, that’s something I often feel when photographing Hanyu-san.

As for the face on the cover showing various emotions, I myself am not trying to provide a specific “answer” in the photo. There’s no single “correct” interpretation of what emotion it’s showing. I think it’s a good photo precisely because each viewer can find their own answer, and because there is no one correct answer.

 

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Tanaka: For this shoot, we actually have the costume that Hanyu-san wore on hand. When you touch it a bit, the fabric is smooth, soft, and has a sheen to it. I heard that you conveyed your image to the stylist, and the costume was prepared based on that, could you tell us more about the concept behind it?

Kogaito: Yes. First, regarding the color and silhouette, I had an image of a sculpture, so I thought a material that shows the lines of Hanyu-san’s well-trained body would be good. In terms of length, I thought making it a little longer would allow the silhouette created by Hanyu-san to be presented more beautifully. The sleeves were made seamless so that they would flow smoothly along his body. Sculptures often give the impression of having fabric draped casually over them, don’t they? I thought it would be nice if it resembled that kind of shape. From this kind of image, I left a large part up to the stylist to interpret and create the costume.

At the time, the stylist brought two outfits of the same type. In terms of color, the other one was actually closer to my original image, but in terms of silhouette, I chose this one. Once we actually began shooting, I felt that for the theme of this shoot, this costume had been the right choice.

Tanaka: Actually, there was an unexpected situation during this shoot. Because of bad weather, we couldn’t do the planned outdoor shoot, right? This photo (see page 4 of the fold-out poster in this magazine) was taken in place of the originally planned outdoor shot. We suddenly changed to shoot near a small indoor pond.

Kogaito: The studio’s outdoor space had a vast garden with grass, and even a fountain pond. So personally, I had really been looking forward to it as a perfect shooting location from before the shoot. But the sky was overcast, a light rain started to fall, and the temperature began to drop. Thinking about Hanyu-san’s condition, we judged that it would be too harsh and had to switch locations. The final decision was made about 15 minutes before the actual shoot. But I had already prepared for this kind of situation and looked around indoors for locations that matched my visual image. That preparation really paid off.

As I imagined the shoot, I thought, “Maybe I can make this work by taking close-up shots and cropping them.” That idea hit me in that moment. The location was a small pond in the studio’s lobby.

Tanaka: What was the concept behind this shoot?

Kogaito: I imagined Hanyu-san as if he were sleeping near the water’s edge. Before the shoot, I told Hanyu-san the theme was “Sleeping Beauty,” and asked him to lie down on the lace and explained the posture. That’s how we were able to capture this photo.

Tanaka: The expression fits perfectly with the image of Sleeping Beauty, but did that expression really come just from hearing the theme word? I think it’s extremely difficult to derive such an expression from just a single word, but this is exactly what you always say, Kogaito-san: “a photo where Hanyu-san exceeded your imagination,” isn’t it?

Kogaito: I think that’s exactly right. Everyone’s eyes will probably be drawn first to Hanyu-san’s expression, but I’d like them to take a close look at his right hand. The position of the hand and the beauty of the fingertips really enhance the concept. He understood the image we had in mind and then went beyond it. That moment was proof of everything I’ve said all along, and I believe this is the true expressive power of Hanyu-san.

Tanaka: Could you tell us why you chose “Sleeping Beauty” as the concept?

Kogaito: Within me, if I ever had the chance to photograph Hanyu-san, I’ve always had a lot of ideas in stock like, “I’d like to shoot this kind of scene.” One of those was that I wanted to turn the lens toward the “静” [sei – stillness] of Hanyu-san. Since the sculptural image we photographed was “動” [dō – movement], I was thinking about whether we could include both extremes of “静” and “動” in one book. And in that context, the ultimate “静” would be the state of sleeping.

It was a difficult situation, but the shot ended up becoming one that brilliantly saved us from the pinch of not being able to shoot outdoors.

Tanaka: Just now, you mentioned the idea of a “stock.” For me as a writer, I also suddenly have thoughts like, “If I had another chance to interview Hanyu-san, I’d like to ask this,” maybe when I’m riding the train. When that happens, I write it down using the memo function on my smartphone so I don’t forget. How do you accumulate your own “stock,” Kogaito-san?

Kogaito: I’m always thinking about it in my head. Once a shoot is decided, I go even deeper with the image, not just for the photos, but also regarding the costume. As you said, for writers too, ideas often just pop into your mind in casual moments, right? Then you develop that idea over days of planning, and finally, the photo is realized. When I photograph Hanyu-san and a wonderful piece of work is completed, and fans are happy about it, that’s what gives me the sense of fulfillment that lets me push through the 99% of difficult times.

Tanaka: I also get really nervous before interviews. But once I experience the richness of the words that Hanyu-san spins, I’m so uplifted right after the interview ends that I want to start writing the article right away. It’s like the nervousness from before just vanishes. Even in the car on the way back from the shoot in Sendai, you, me, and the editor, we were all kind of buzzing with excitement.

Kogaito: It really was a time wrapped in happiness. Being given precious time by Hanyu-san and being able to do interviews or photoshoots means we’ve received the baton to convey that to the readers. That’s why I think we were so emotionally charged, feeling a strong sense of responsibility to “deliver it properly.”

Tanaka: In writing the book, I was able to hear so much from you, Kogaito-san, about your sense of pride as a cameraman. One thing that really left a strong impression on me was when, during the interview, Hanyu-san described you as “a cameraman who photographs the inner self [内面を撮ってくれるカメラマン].” You yourself said it was “the best possible answer,” and seemed to be savoring those words. I’d like to ask again: how did you take in that description, “a cameraman who photographs the inner self”?

Kogaito: To be honest, before this photoshoot, I thought, in my own interpretation, that I was the one one-sidedly pouring in passion, chasing after Hanyu-san. I always had a bit of anxiety about what Hanyu-san might think of the photos I took. I’d only ever put out photos that I personally thought were “good,” so I didn’t really know if my interpretation, one-sided as it was, was correct or not. But when I heard those words from Hanyu-san, I realized that the thoughts I’d poured into those photos had reached him. It was a moment where everything I’d done up to that point was rewarded. At the same time, it became a moment that made me think, “Maybe I can keep walking forward.”

That phrase “the best possible answer” [最高のアンサー] really felt like the ball I had thrown was returned to me on a beautifully curved trajectory.

Tanaka: Now we’ll move to the audience Q&A. We’ve received the question: “When interviewing or photographing Hanyu-san, what is something you value or hold dear?”

For me, in the position of interviewing and writing articles, I try to avoid trimming Hanyu-san’s words as much as possible and deliver them as-is, as “raw material [素材].” Since we’re given such high-quality material, rather than forcing them to fit into a fixed article “container” (in terms of word count), I try to adjust the container to match the quantity of his comments. Because his words themselves carry weight, I don’t add unnecessary embellishment. On the other hand, things like his expressions and gestures while speaking, how he acts before and after the interview, his consideration toward the media, those are things only someone at the scene would know, so I try to describe them in as much detail as possible.

How about you, Kogaito-san, what do you focus on?

Kogaito: As I mentioned earlier, I try not to present a specific “answer” in my photos. I believe it’s up to each reader to feel something in their own way when they see a photo of Hanyu-san. So I’m careful not to impose my own answer too much on the photo. Also, since many photographers are shooting from the same position at the venue, it’s possible to imitate surface-level techniques like composition or angles. But the deeper parts of a photo are full of individuality, that’s sacred ground, so to speak, and can’t be touched.

Even for similar-looking photos, the evaluation completely changes depending on the feelings or intent of the photographer. As Hanyu-san graciously said, I want to be someone who “photographs the inner self [内面を撮りたい].” That part isn’t technical, it’s something you can only capture by pouring your feelings into it. And it’s that part that I want to pursue to a level that no one else can imitate.

Tanaka: This is the final question: “Going forward, do you have a dream scenario or situation where you’d like to photograph Hanyu-san?”

Kogaito: Yes. I already have two ideas. One is to photograph Hanyu-san skating in an opera house with ice laid out across the stage. I’m sure it would make for a stunning, cool photo. The other is Hanyu-san skating on a frozen lake in the middle of vast nature. That would also, without a doubt, be an amazing photo. Both are just my personal wishes, but because an opera house is a manmade structure and the other is untouched nature overseas, I think the expressions Hanyu-san would show in each scene would be completely different, and I’m really looking forward to that.

Tanaka: Please, let me accompany you to write the report when that happens! (laughs)

We’ve talked about so much up until now. When I first started covering figure skating, newspaper articles were mostly text, and photos were just something to add a little color. But photographers like you, Kogaito-san, and like your senior at Sports Nippon, Yutaka Nagakubo, put so much creativity into shooting that you really won over the hearts of fans. The value of sports photographers, who had once been seen as distinct from freelancers or magazine photographers, grew. Fans started going out to buy the sports newspapers the day after Hanyu-san’s shows.

As a result, newspapers have also shifted dramatically toward a style where they “show the story through photos” rather than just text. I have the deepest respect for all the hard work photographers have done to make it that far. As people on the “writing side,” we’ll continue doing our best too. I hope we can keep working together to share the appeal of Hanyu-san going forward.

Kogaito: I completely agree. From each of our positions, our role is to put in the effort and produce something good. I hope we’ll have more opportunities to talk from our respective standpoints in the future. Thank you so much for today. I’ll continue doing my best so we can have another roundtable like this. Thank you again.

 

NOTES:

[1] The discussion goes into the experience of developing the book that includes studio photos and the experience of photographing and interviewing Yuzuru. More information: https://www.yamakei.co.jp/products/2824550260.html

[2] Cover of the regular edition and cover of the special edition are shown here https://fan.books.rakuten.co.jp/articles/721