[2025.07.05] The First Skate

[yuzurujenn]

*Please do not reply in this thread. Machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2025.07.16

 

Source: https://mag.minkabu.jp/life-others/34754/
Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250716123737/https://mag.minkabu.jp/life-others/34754/

 

The birthplace of Japanese figure skating... Remembering the origins of Yuzuru Hanyu. Essays from the Sendai City Arena Opening Commemorative Event "The First Skate" (1) 

 

Spoiler

Young Yuzuru Hanyu “Moment of Realization”

 

July 5, Sendai.

 

Now, he reflects on the origin of it all.

 

“But it was when I couldn’t skate to my heart’s content that I realized that figure skating is really fun… That’s when I truly remembered. I finally realized that I can’t live without skating.”  ※1

 

This was the “realization” of a nine‑year‑old Yuzuru Hanyu, over twenty years ago, after winning the All‑Japan Novice B in his first appearance. Young Hanyu, who admired Evgeni Plushenko, who loved Ultraman Gaia, and who once considered a career as a professional baseball player because he also loved baseball.

 

“Six years after I started skating. The rink I was attending closed down. Suddenly, we lost our practice venue, and to continue skating, I had to travel much farther to another rink.”  ※2

 

“Some skaters from the same club quit because of that. I think about three boys stopped.”  ※3

 

At the end of 2004, the Konami Sports Club Izumi ice rink—“the rink I used to attend”—shut down due to financial difficulties. Like many people associated with Yuzuru Hanyu, you probably understand me: around the year 2000, the Japanese figure skating world, especially men’s singles, was in a tough spot. After the bubble burst and the collapse of financiers like Yamaichi, many corporate teams withdrew not only from figure skating but from the wider sports world.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu’s “Economic Sphere”

It is precisely because of those difficult times that I have long written about the “post-Hanyu Yuzuru era”—not only in terms of technical and artistic aspects, but also in terms of the economic impact he has brought to figure skating in Japan, an impact worthy of being called the “Hanyu Yuzuru Economic Sphere.”

 

The Konami Sports Club Izumi, which had been shut down, reopened in 2007 as today’s Ice Rink Sendai. However, even then, the Katsuyama Skating Club was closed in 2009. Compared to that era, public interest and economic engagement in figure skating have clearly grown since the rise of Yuzuru Hanyu.

 

Of course, it’s not only thanks to Hanyu Yuzuru—but still, the economic effects he has brought—the economic benefits his presence has brought to the city of Sendai, and even to Japanese figure skating as a whole—are immeasurable. Today, it is no exaggeration to say that Hanyu Yuzuru is the driving force behind the global figure skating economy, but I’ll leave that point aside for now.

 

Even so, Yuzuru Hanyu himself has faced many hardships since childhood. While the 3.11 earthquake tends to be most frequently mentioned, and of course, that is an extremely important part of his story, long before that, Hanyu Yuzuru had already been yearning for a safe, reliable environment to train in not just for himself, but for all figure skaters in this country. The fact that many of his childhood peers were forced to give up the sport they loved because of those difficult circumstances is something truly heartbreaking.

 

There was even a report by Shukan Bunshun (published by Bungeishunju) that absurdly framed a training rink as if it were a “Hanyu-only” facility funded by taxpayer money and closed off from the public. That was an outrageous distortion. Now, in hindsight, it’s clear that this was fabricated, and I will continue to point that out again and again. It was, in fact, a fabrication.

 

Today, Yuzuru Hanyu’s donations to Ice Rink Sendai alone exceed 100 million yen (approx. $700,000 USD). Even though he is now in a position where he no longer has to worry about where to practice, he has continued to give back through donations.

 

‘I hope I can put on a show that can only be done here.’

 

I’ve written this many times, and in July 2023 I even posted on X:

 

“It’s not a simple matter. Anyone, thinking about their future, wants money. Competitive skating, of course, but pro skating costs even more. That is truly not easy.”

 

This attitude shown by Yuzuru Hanyu changes the world, creates an era. His achievements aren’t just about him, but they are undeniably his.

 

And so, Sendai City Arena (Xebio Arena Sendai, hereafter “Xebio”) came into being.

 

A year-round, international-standard rink. Thinking back, Xebio too was built after great struggle, especially since construction began right after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Young Yuzuru Hanyu, who had no great achievements yet compared to what came later, was gazing up at Sendai’s stars—how strange, cruel, and yet wonderful fate can be.

 

In the 2024 "Sendai City Newsletter," Mayor Kazuko Kori spoke of her conversation with Hanyu:

 

"We thought it was a problem that young skaters who aspire to become gold medalists like Shizuka Arakawa and Hanyu would leave Sendai midway through their training due to a lack of training facilities." (※4)

 

"We received a proposal to renovate the Xebio Arena Sendai into a multipurpose facility for figure skating and donate it to our city. We would love to have Hanyu perform a show here." (※5)

 

To that, Yuzuru Hanyu replied:

 

"Thank you very much. I hope to be able to put on a show that can only be done here, and I would be happy if I could convey the appeal of figure skating to even more people." (※6)

 

That, truly, was the embodiment of “The First Skate.”

 

Sendai, the kingdom of figure skating, lives up to its name

July 5, Sendai.

 

I was at Nagamachi Station, the closest station to Xebio Arena. “The First Skate”—the inaugural event commemorating the opening of Sendai City Arena.

 

As a writer, I always try to maintain the mindset of “just one spectator” when I write. So unless absolutely necessary, I don't enter as press. But since this was a municipal event hosted by the City of Sendai, I obtained permission from the Sendai City Arena Opening Commemoration Event Office to attend.

 

That day in Sendai reached a high of 34 °C, and even before noon had surpassed 30 °C. Still, many figure skating fans gathered. This is a testament to Sendai being the kingdom of figure skating.  Earlier that morning, I had visited Goshikinuma in Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle), well known as the birthplace of Japanese figure skating.

 

In the late 19th century, figure skating—a sport originating in Europe—was brought to this area by foreign teachers. In the early 20th century, it began on the frozen surface of Goshikinuma by students of the old Second High School (Tohoku University) and locals in Sendai. ※5 At that time, stars like Ulrich Salchow and Gilbert Fuchs competed internationally. In Japan, as Kawakubo Shirou described, it was “winter playground exercise” ※6, and the best people could do was imitate and enjoy elements of figure skating.

 

Some time later, in 1931, Japan saw its first Olympians in figure skating, Kazuyoshi Oimatsu and Ryuichi Obiya, the country’s first Olympic figure skating representatives.

 

At the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics, legends such as Karl Schäfer, Britain’s Grafström, and Erneste Baier competed fiercely. The Japanese skaters didn’t fare well (Oimatsu placed 9th and Obitani placed 12th out of 12 participants), but those two athletes, chosen at the Second All-Japan Championships in this Sendai region, connect in lineage all the way to Yuzuru Hanyu.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu — the Culmination of a Century on the Ice Rink

Yes, all things follow the rule of fate and connection. And Yuzuru Hanyu is precisely the culmination of this country's hundred-year history on the ice.

 

That is why, to figure skating fans, Sendai is a “place to return to.” It is the hometown of Yuzuru Hanyu, and also the birthplace of figure skating in Japan. “I'm home”—what a beautiful thing fate is.

 

On the ice of Xebio Arena, a group performance by young figure skaters began. Spectators looked on, with facilities and athletes' skills now far beyond comparison to the past—yet, just like the ancient Goshikinuma long ago, the warmth of people and the passion poured into the ice remain unchanged.

 

Because Sendai is where we started. It's the hometown of figure skating and the hometown of Yuzuru Hanyu.

 

Now, the curtain has risen on The First Skate.

 

(To be continued)

 

 

References

1* Yuzuru Hanyu, Aoi Honoo (Blue Flame), Fusosha Publishing, 2012, p. 30.

2* Ibid., Hanyu, p. 27.

3* Ibid., Hanyu, pp. 27–28.

4* Sendai City General Affairs Bureau, Public Relations Division, Sendai City News, Aoba Ward Edition, January 2024 issue, p. 5.

5* Ibid., Sendai City General Affairs Bureau, same.

6* Ibid., Sendai City General Affairs Bureau, same.

7* Sendai City Museum, City History Compilation Office, Sendai City History Bulletin, No. 20, published January 31, 2009, p. 1.

8* Shiro Kawakubo, Hyōkatsu (Ice Skating), Tokyo-do, published in Taishō 6 (1917), p. 2.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Please do not reply in this thread. Machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2025.07.22

 

Source: AERA Weekly issue 2025.7.28, pg 50-53

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/AERA-アエラ-2025年-28-増大号/dp/B0FB98BFTR 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu – Feelings for Sendai
Ice Show “The First Skate” Is Held

 

An ice show held at a newly opened rink in Sendai. What the top skater born in Sendai showed there was a special performance filled with gratitude and thoughts for the future.

 

Spoiler

On this day too, he created a celebratory atmosphere with his overwhelming presence.

 

On July 5, the ice show “The First Skate” was held at “Xebio Arena Sendai” in Sendai City.

 

Xebio Arena Sendai, previously used as the home ground for a professional basketball team and other events, underwent renovations to install a year-round ice rink. By laying insulation and other materials on the ice, it was reborn as a multi-purpose arena that can still host basketball games and concerts as before. This event was held to commemorate the reopening.

 

The audience seats were packed with people lucky enough to get tickets from a lottery with odds over 100-to-1. From the opening, the show was enveloped in a festive atmosphere. Following a group performance by two local skaters from Ice Rink Sendai, the aria “Nessun Dorma” from the Italian opera Turandot played. It is a song that became widely known when Shizuka Arakawa performed it at the 2006 Turin Olympics and won the gold medal.

 

The finale was ‘Haru yo, Koi’

 

Skaters connected to Sendai then appeared on the ice one by one to that melody. Rika Hongo, Akiko Suzuki, Takeshi Honda... As the fourth skater appeared, the arena erupted in loud cheers. It was Yuzuru Hanyu. As he gracefully performed an Ina Bauer to the beautiful yet powerful music, the crowd once again roared with applause.

After the opening, solo performances followed from two local skaters and four top skaters.

 

The final act was Hanyu. He chose “Haru yo, Koi” (“Come, Spring”) for this day — a familiar exhibition program he had performed since his competitive days. After the show, he revealed why he chose it:

 

“Since ‘beginning’ is one of the themes, I picked something that gives the image of spring, which is the season of beginnings for me. I skated with the hope that, for the kids who performed today and for the people who came to watch, something might start even just a little, or that they might be able to take a step forward after seeing this program. I skated with that wish in mind.”

 

The crowd, having watched his emotionally rich performance, seemed fully absorbed in the lingering afterglow.

 

But it wasn’t over yet. Hanyu returned to the rink once more.

 

Some skaters lost their training rinks

 

For the encore, he performed “Let Me Entertain You.” During the COVID-era 2020–2021 season, he brought this upbeat rock number to life with the wish to bring joy to others. With sharp movements that matched the rhythm perfectly, the atmosphere turned electric, like a live concert. It was a symbolic moment of the show’s success and a communal celebration of the rink’s completion.

 

Sendai is known as the birthplace of figure skating in Japan and has produced many renowned skaters. Among them are Hanyu, Honda, Suzuki, Hongo, Shizuka Arakawa (who sent a video message for the show), and Mone Chiba, the 2024 World bronze medalist.

 

Despite its brilliant history, there were times when the city lacked skating rinks, leaving skaters without a place to train. Even when rinks existed, the training conditions were far from ideal, prompting some athletes to move out of the prefecture in search of better environments.

 

Hanyu was one of them. When he was in elementary school, his main rink was shut down, and he struggled to find a place to train. In his second year of high school, he decided to move to Canada and left Sendai.

 

Reflecting on his own experience, he said:

 

“When aiming for the top of the world, you inevitably have to go to a more favorable environment. I had to as well. At the same time, there are always moments when you feel overwhelmed by thoughts of home, family, and your friends. I really did wish I could stay in the place I loved, with the friends and teachers I loved, and keep doing what I loved.”

 

Even as the environment for Sendai skaters remained challenging, Hanyu donated large sums of money to maintain and improve Ice Rink Sendai, the place where he began skating and still trains. In fall 2022, after turning professional, he even appeared on a local TV program and publicly stated, “Please build a rink in Sendai.”

 

The ice was finally made

 

That long-held wish was realized with the renovation of Xebio Arena Sendai. So first, he expressed his gratitude:

 

“Since this venue was originally made for basketball games and artist events, installing a permanent ice surface must have been incredibly difficult. Amid such circumstances, I’m incredibly grateful that they experimented with things like temperature and humidity control to finally make this ice. The water has just been laid down recently, so I believe that through more and more experience, including today, this ice will develop into something that will support future competitions too.”

 

He also gave a message to the young skaters who performed alongside him:

 

“If even a few of the kids who skated today felt inspired by us, or thought, ‘I’ll definitely become better than them!’ — I’d be really happy.”

 

This new rink, born in the birthplace of Japanese figure skating, is a long-awaited place that will provide a richer environment for young skaters.

 

But its significance goes beyond just that.

 

Built to international standards, the rink will likely host future competitions and shows. For the people of Sendai, it will be an opportunity to feel figure skating more closely.

 

Local citizens’ ticket allocation

 

This opening event was part of that. An hour before the show began, a long, winding line formed in front of the entrance. Compared to Hanyu’s usual ice shows, the crowd included people of a wider range of ages. That was likely due in part to the “local citizens’ ticket allotment” during ticket sales. It also seemed like many first-time ice show viewers attended. That, too, conveyed the significance of this new rink.

 

After Hanyu’s encore, the group finale began, and the show reached its end.

 

While circling the rink with the other skaters, Hanyu waved and smiled, responding to the cheers and looking carefully from the 1st-floor seats to the 2nd, then the 3rd, continuing to wave.

 

One by one, the skaters left the ice, and finally, Hanyu stepped off the rink and shouted at the top of his lungs:

 

“Thank you very much!”

 

The arena erupted in applause and smiles. This successful first stage left everyone with the feeling that a new chapter in skating history had just begun.