[2025.07.05] The First Skate

[yuzurujenn]

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

 

 

2025.07.13

 

Source: https://www.ice-trace.com/post/仙台市アリーナ開館記念イベント
Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250713081544/https://www.ice-trace.com/post/仙台市アリーナ開館記念イベント

 

Sendai City Arena Opening Commemoration Event

 

On Saturday, July 5, 2025, the Sendai City Arena Opening Event was held. The venue was Xebio Arena Sendai, which has now reopened as a year-round ice rink.

Sendai is said to be the birthplace of figure skating in Japan and has produced two Olympic gold medalists: Shizuka Arakawa and Yuzuru Hanyu.  However, in recent years, Sendai had only one year-round ice rink. This marks the long-awaited birth of a second ice rink, eagerly anticipated by many athletes, stakeholders, and citizens. The ice show “The First Skate,” held as the opening commemorative event, had 3,378 attendees and 39 media outlets covering it. Here is a report on this much-talked-about event.

 

Spoiler

Before the ice show, an opening ceremony was held with many guests in attendance. Starting with a greeting from Kazuko Kori, Mayor of Sendai, congratulatory speeches followed from Tetsuichi Hashimoto, Chairman of the Sendai City Assembly; a representative reading on behalf of Tomoyoshi Morohashi, CEO of Xebio Holdings; and Hiroki Akama, Chairman of the Miyagi Skating Federation. The event opened with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. Next came the ice show, “The First Skate.”

 

Spectators came not only from Sendai but from all over Japan and even from overseas to see this show. Among them, we were able to speak with a woman from Sendai who had come alone.

 

She had been a figure skating fan for a long time, always watching broadcasts on TV without fail. Shizuka Arakawa and Yuzuru Hanyu, two gold medalists, are a source of pride for the local community. She had always wanted to see an ice show live, but with ticket prices often reaching tens of thousands of yen, she was never able to attend. Naturally, she had also never seen a competition live. This time, with the reasonable ticket price of 8,000 yen and encouragement from her family, she applied to attend. She was lucky enough to win the lottery and was able to come. She had been truly looking forward to it. Just like the title says — “The First Skate.” This year is an Olympic season. The athletes she’s most interested in are Momone Chiba and Shun Sato, both from Sendai. Though both are currently based in other prefectures, hopes are high with the opening of this new rink. She also mentioned Rika Kihira, who has been away from competition due to injury, saying she hopes to see Kihira’s beautiful skating again. And, of course, Japan’s ace skaters, Yuma Kagiyama and Kaori Sakamoto, are dependable and exciting to watch.

 

Before the show began, we listened to some skating talk at the “Sendai Omotenashi Plaza,” held in the adjacent Mori no Hiroba Park. Now, to the main topic: the much-anticipated ice show.

 

From the photographer’s section on the 3rd floor, the view of the packed audience was overwhelming. Each skater received loud applause, and when Yuzuru Hanyu appeared, the crowd’s excitement reached its peak. The heartfelt programs performed by the skaters captivated not only the audience but us in the press as well.

The show opened with performances by local skaters, followed by four professional skaters. Each one selected a program that beautifully expressed their individuality.

 

It was my first time photographing Yuzuru Hanyu as an official photographer. As a skating fan, I had taken photos from the audience during his competitive days, but the level of tension this time was on a whole different level. And I absolutely must speak about what I felt during the final moment of the ice show — Hanyu’s incredible presence.

 

During what’s called the “final lap,” when skaters go around the rink to greet the audience. On the first lap, it felt like he had decided to look around this area; on the second lap, around that area. And then on the third lap, his gaze finally turned toward the photographers' section. It felt like he gave eye contact to each and every camera. Was that just my imagination? No I don’t think so. I was truly impressed by his consideration.

 

Now, let’s delve into the post-show press interviews. Those who spoke to the press were: Yuzuru Hanyu, Akiko Suzuki, Takeshi Honda, and Rika Hongo. All four shared how happy they were that a new ice rink had opened, that such an ice show could be held, that they were able to skate together, and that they could share this with the people of Sendai and everyone who gathered there. The press conference began with those sentiments.

 

Rika Hongo: 🎶 "Love Never Dies"

She started skating in Sendai, where she had many great senior skaters to look up to and worked hard chasing after them. But the rink closed, and she had to move her training base to Nagoya. She hopes that future skaters won’t have to go through the same experience and will be able to train in a good environment. She’s also hopeful that the skating population will grow. The program she skated this time is from a genre that was a personal challenge for her, and a favorite of hers.

 

Akiko Suzuki: 🎶 "Clair de Lune" (Moonlight)

She also experienced the closure of a rink in Sendai and even participated in a signature campaign to keep it open. Having a solid training environment is important for athletes. She hopes that dreams and goals like “I want to skate in a big show or competition someday” can take root. She hopes everyone will feel closer to skating and help energize the sport. The program she performed this time is an old one, but a personal favorite. When she’s feeling down, she sometimes looks up at the sky and feels comforted by the beauty of the moon. She put her feelings into the performance, hoping it would gently shine into people’s hearts and bring peace.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: 🎶 "Haru yo, Koi" (Come, Spring)

While continuing to train at the rink in Sendai, he eventually had to move to a better environment to aim for the top of the world. In those moments, he had days when his feelings for his hometown, his family, and his friends just overflowed. He often wished he could stay forever in the place he loved, with the people and coaches he loved. "New beginnings" was one of the themes behind this show, and for him, the season of beginnings is spring, which is why he chose this program. He put his hopes and prayers into the performance — that skating alongside fellow skaters today, and sharing the show with the audience, could become a new beginning or the first step forward for someone, not just in season but in life. Personally, he said, Takeshi Honda’s “River Dance” was absolutely fire!

 

Takeshi Honda: 🎶 "River Dance"

He commented on what a fantastic venue it was. He said he felt that having a facility like this would take things one step further — not only as a place to practice, but as a venue for competitions, and as a place that makes people want to come see skating or even try it themselves. He didn’t have a particular reason for choosing “River Dance,” but mentioned it’s a program from a slightly unusual era, with difficult steps that would be tough under current rules. The music is exciting and helped pump up his own energy as well.

 

On Yuzuru Hanyu’s future:

He said, as long as his body can move, he wants to keep skating with everything he’s got, with his whole heart and soul. It’s not about setting an example for the next generation or breaking new ground for figure skating. It’s purely about pursuing the things he himself wants to achieve, new ideas, ideals, and continuing to update and evolve those, sharing something good with Japan and the world.

 

 

📸 Photos from the opening ceremony, the ice show “The First Skate,” and the press interviews are included in the portfolio. Please take a look.

 

 

[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
Online version: https://dot.asahi.com/articles/-/261550?page=1 

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. 

 

[yuzurujenn]

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

 

 

2025.07.28

 

Source: https://nc.ox-tv.co.jp/news/detail/2025072800005

 

Yuzuru Hanyu's Sendai ice show will be streamed for a fee from August 8th for 1,000 yen including tax for one week only

 

Spoiler

The ice show featuring Yuzuru Hanyu and others, held on July 5th at Xebio Arena Sendai in Sendai City, will be available for a fee from August 8th.

 

Xebio Arena Sendai in Taihaku Ward reopened on July 5th as a year-round ice rink that meets international standards, and a commemorative ice show, "The First Skate," was held.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu and other skaters with ties to Sendai appeared in the ice show.

 

The show will be available for a fee from August 8th to 14th.

The distribution platform is "ZAIKO," and tickets cost 1,000 yen including tax. (*Separate payment fee applies.) Tickets will go on sale from August 2nd, and can be viewed from overseas.

 

There were over 30,000 applications for the venue's capacity of approximately 3,000 people, and many fans said they would like to watch it on streaming.

 

 

 

Source: https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/ice-show/114724/

 

The ice show "The First Skate" starring Yuzuru Hanyu and others will be streamed from August 8th to 14th. Tickets will go on sale from August 2nd.

 

Spoiler

　On the 28th, the event office announced on their official SNS account that a recorded version of the ice show "The First Skate," which was held to commemorate the reopening of "Xebio Arena Sendai" on July 5th and featured two-time Winter Olympic figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu and other skaters with ties to Sendai, will be streamed on the distribution service "ZAIKO" from August 8th. Tickets must be purchased to watch the stream.

 

"The First Skate" was held as the opening event for a new year-round skating rink to be built at "Xebio Arena Sendai," an indoor sports facility in Taihaku Ward, Sendai. In addition to Hanyu, Honda Takeshi, Suzuki Akiko, and Hongo Rika also appeared in the show.

 

Delivery details
◆Program name: "The First Skate"
◆Streaming service: ZAIKO
◆Ticket sales period: August 2nd (Sat) 10:00 – August 14th (Thu) 22:30
◆Streaming period: August 8th (Fri) 10:00 – August 14th (Thu) 23:59
◆Ticket price: 1,000 yen
◆Ticket user fee: 209 yen
◆Streaming fee: 135 yen

*You will need to register for a ZAIKO account to purchase tickets and watch the video.

 

Streaming ticket purchase site
https://l-tike.zaiko.io/e/sendaicityarena-op

 

Sendai City Events Office website
https://www.sendaicityarena-op.jp/ticket/

 

[yuzurujenn]

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

 

 

2025.07.28

 

Source: https://dot.asahi.com/articles/-/261550?page=1 

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250728072620/https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/907962?display=full

 

Yuzuru Hanyu's "Prayer" performance that was not shown on TV - A soulful performance on the new Sendai rink [Complete report]

 

"Everything about that day" that could not be fully conveyed through video.

 

Spoiler

On that day, on the ice that had just been laid in the arena in Sendai, Yuzuru Hanyu was quietly praying.

 

He didn’t want this performance to end as just a performance. He wanted to deliver it as something that would surely remain in the hearts of the spectators who overcame the high-odds lottery to attend, the fans across the country and around the world who missed out in the drawing, and someone who might start skating in the future.

 

However, only about one minute of footage from this show was broadcast on television. Many moments that couldn’t be fully reported definitely existed on the ice.

 

That is why now, I want to convey all of it through words what Hanyu entrusted to the “first ice.”

 

He skated “Haru yo, Koi” with a wholehearted desire to reach others, right up to the moment he stepped onto the rink

 

On July 5, 2025, Xebio Arena Sendai, located in Taihaku Ward, Sendai City, made a fresh start as a year-round skating rink.

 

A venue that had previously been used for professional basketball and music events was reborn as a full-scale, 60m x 30m rink capable of hosting international competitions.

 

To celebrate this historic “opening day,” Yuzuru Hanyu—the world champion born in Sendai—appeared in the inaugural show, The First Skate.

 

At the start of the show, young skaters from Ice Rink Sendai graced the stage with a group performance. As the aria “Nessun Dorma” from the opera Turandot echoed through the arena, top skaters with ties to Sendai such as Takeshi Honda, Akiko Suzuki, and Rika Hongo appeared one after another.

 

Then, the moment Yuzuru Hanyu emerged, the atmosphere in the venue completely changed.

 

Swaying lights, unending cheers. Just the sight of him standing quietly on the ice seemed to take the audience’s breath away.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu’s solo program that day was “Haru yo, Koi.” Set to Shinya Kiyozuka’s piano arrangement, he skated as if putting a prayer into each and every movement.

 

As the arc of his Ina Bauer sliced through the ice, a sigh escaped from the audience. It was a performance they must have seen many times before, and yet, for some reason, they couldn’t look away.

The ice reflecting the light under the spotlight, the utterly still atmosphere, it was a performance that seemed to illuminate the depths of each person’s heart.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu:
“One of the themes is ‘beginnings,’ so for me, I chose this piece with the image of ‘spring’ in mind.
If seeing it could spark something to begin, or help someone take a first step… I skated with those feelings in my heart.”

 

The arena shakes to the passion unleashed by ‘Let Me Entertain You’

 

The encore applause gradually swelled into a wave of excitement, calling Hanyu back onto the ice once again.

 

He performed “Let Me Entertain You.”

This program was created in 2020, when anxiety and loneliness swirled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the hope of bringing at least a little joy.

 

It was a performance where the emotions he had held back were suddenly unleashed all at once. Hanyu thrust both arms upward and dashed across the rink, stepping rhythmically.

 

The audience’s cheers exploded in response. “Frenzy,” “ecstasy,” “festival” — those words perfectly captured the moment. There was a side to figure skating here that you don’t see in competitions, a “live” aspect. It was a miraculous moment where the audience and performer connected with exactly the same intensity.

 

To the younger skaters who skated together with him: The ‘future’ and ‘origins’ entrusted by Hanyu

 

This show featured the seniors Hanyu once admired, as well as the juniors he now watches over, performing together.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu:
“I’m glad we could bring the joy of creating something together to the people of my hometown.”

 

Hanyu’s roots lie at Ice Rink Sendai. However, that rink once faced closure. In the winter of his second year of high school, after losing his training base, he decided to move to Canada. For Hanyu, “having a rink in my hometown” was an ideal he always wished for.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu:
“If I could keep skating with friends I like, coaches I like, and in a place I love, that’s something I’ve hoped for myself, too.”

 

After turning professional, Hanyu made substantial donations to the hometown rink and even appealed on TV, saying, “Please build a rink in Sendai.” And finally, that wish took shape this time.

 

At a group interview, he spoke about his feelings performing alongside the junior skaters.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu:
“I myself have been greatly inspired by skating with my seniors. I would be happy if the kids who skated today could take something from us. It’s fine if they think, ‘I’m definitely going to be better than those guys!’ (laughs)”

 

Memories and hopes connected by the “rink.” In Hanyu’s gaze, there is always the next generation.

 

And the true story that was not shown on television

 

This historic show was originally supposed to be covered in a long feature on television.

However, in reality, only 60 seconds of footage was used. Behind this was confusion even among those at the reporting site.

 

On the day of the coverage, immediately after all filming was finished, the organizer—the city of Sendai—suddenly notified that “video usage must be within 60 seconds.” The reason given was that “it might affect a paid streaming event planned for a later date.”

 

There had been no such restrictions in advance notices or meetings. Since this was a highly public project and a meaningful stage where Hanyu performed with younger skaters from his hometown, Sendai Broadcasting asked the city of Sendai to reconsider. However, the restriction was not overturned.

 

Although the city of Sendai apologized, saying they “were inexperienced with handling media requests,” the broadcast had to be limited within the restriction.

 

[Supplement] Why We Choose to Convey This Now in Writing: Our Responsibility to the Media and Fans

 

That’s exactly why I want to deliver this now through words. The passion, the energy, the smiles, the words that were on that ice can never be fully expressed in just “one minute.”

 

The finale where Hanyu shouted, “Thank you so much!” The audience who continued applauding with tears in their eyes, the local parents and children watching an ice show for the first time, the fans who rushed over from Taiwan— All of them engraved a story on the “first ice.”

 

The “true story” that wasn’t shown on TV. I want to deliver it now to you, who are reading this.

 

The rink is complete. The story has only just begun.

 

Sendai Broadcasting

 

[Wintek]

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

 

2025.07.30

 

SENDAI

Sendai City Government News

August 1st, 2025 - No. 1846

Source: https://www.city.sendai.jp/shiminkoho/shise/koho/koho/shisedayori/2025-08/documents/2025-08p01-27p31-32.pdf 

 

City Government Topics

Xebio Arena Sendai opens with celebratory dance performance by Yuzuru Hanyu and others
 

Spoiler

On July 5th, Xebio Arena Sendai (Sendai City Arena) opened as a new multi-purpose facility with a year-round skating rink. An event to commemorate this opening was held on July 5th and 6th, attracting approximately 7,800 visitors.

 

On July 5th, "The First Skate" featured skaters with ties to Sendai City, including Yuzuru Hanyu, Takeshi Honda, Akiko Suzuki, and Rika Hongo. Their spectacular performances on the newly renovated skating rink drew thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.

 

On July 6th, a free public event was held for local residents. Participating children enjoyed the sporting experiences unique to this new facility, with hands-on ice skating and basketball classes available.

 

[Wintek]

 

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

 

2025.08.04

 

Kappo - Sendai Walk, September 2025 issue

https://t.co/d7u4apVfDk

 

REPORT
Sendai City Arena Opening Commemorative Event

Ice Show: The First Skate

On July 5, the “Xebio Arena Sendai (Sendai City Arena)” reopened after renovations. As part of the arena’s grand opening, the ice show “The First Skate” was held. We bring you scenes from the day when Yuzuru Hanyu and other skaters connected to Sendai graced the ice, along with exclusive photos.

Photos by Yutaka Nagakubo
Report by Fumiyo Umezu (former editor-in-chief of Kappo)

 

Spoiler

The First Traces Etched on a Rink Born in a “Sacred Place”

That day, the summer sun was blazing in Sendai. But it wasn’t just the sun that made it feel hot—the excitement and anticipation of the audience packed into “Xebio Arena Sendai” seemed to raise the temperature even higher.

With its renovation, “Xebio Arena Sendai” now has a permanent international-standard rink. For basketball games and concerts, an insulating floor can be placed over the ice—making this one of the rare facilities of its kind in Japan.

“The First Skate” featured skaters from “Ice Rink Sendai” and four professional skaters connected to Sendai. With choreography by Nanami Abe, a Sendai-born coach and choreographer, they left the very first traces on this new rink.

After the opening group number, Rika Hongo, Takeshi Honda, and Akiko Suzuki performed. Finally, when Yuzuru Hanyu appeared, the applause and cheers swelled even louder. Each skater performed their solo program in their own unique style. Yuzuru drew the audience into a beautiful world with “Haru yo, koi,” a program he said was inspired by “the season of beginnings.” For the encore, he switched completely and set the arena alight with a high-energy rock number. His overwhelming presence as an entertainer must have left an unforgettable impression, even on those seeing figure skating live for the first time.

In the opening ceremony held that morning, Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kohri said:

“Sendai is home to Goshikinuma, said to be the birthplace of figure skating in Japan. We’ve produced two Olympic gold medalists, and even now, many skaters are nurtured here. This is truly a sacred place for figure skating. With the opening of ‘Sendai City Arena,’ we hope to promote the appeal of figure skating and increase the number of people coming here.”

However, despite its reputation as a “sacred place,” skating facilities have been inadequate. The privately-run “Ice Rink Sendai” was even temporarily closed in the 2000s (though it has since reopened). Hiroki Akama, President of the Miyagi Prefecture Skating Federation, expressed his deep feelings:

“Among the six prefectures of Tohoku, Miyagi and Sendai are the only ones without a public skating rink. We, along with the Miyagi Ice Hockey Federation and Miyagi Curling Association, have been petitioning the prefecture and city for a public rink, waiting day after day with bated breath for this moment.”

The skaters’ earnest feelings about the rink also came up during the press conference after the ice show.

Akiko Suzuki said:

“If there’s no rink, skaters can’t train, and they can’t keep going. So, with this new rink, if the training environment improves, I hope that this will help create skaters who want to perform shows here or compete in big competitions here—and that such goals will grow.”

Yuzuru Hanyu added:

“When aiming for the top of the world, there are times–me included– when you can’t help but go somewhere with a more favorable environment. There will definitely be times when your feelings for your hometown, your feelings for your family, your feelings for your friends… and all sorts of things make us go "woah," all well up[1]. That’s why I thought, it would be nice if only we could always skate in a place we love, with people we love, and a coach we love, together.”[2]

On this new rink, “The First Skate” was performed. May there be a second and a third… and may those traces continue on, passed down to new generations.

 

Program

 

• Opening Act (Skaters from Ice Rink Sendai): Legends Are Made

• Opening Act (All Skaters): Nessun Dorma

• Aoto Koyama: Festive Overture, Op.96

• Kei Yoshida: Liebesträume

• Rika Hongo: Love Never Dies
   

• Takeshi Honda: Riverdance

• Video Messages (Shun Sato, Mone Chiba, Shizuka Arakawa)

• Akiko Suzuki: Clair de Lune

• Yuzuru Hanyu: Haru yo, koi (Spring Will Come)

  • Encore: Let Me Entertain You

• Finale (All Skaters): Anything’s Possible

• Grand Finale (All Skaters): Lullaby

---

Photo Descriptions

 

[Arena and Inauguration]

1. Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kohri (center) and representatives from “Xebio Holdings” and the Miyagi Skating Federation cut the ribbon.

2. The skating rink measures 30m × 60m to international standards. A central screen is installed overhead.

3. For the ice show, seating was also placed rinkside. One highlight was how close the audience could get to the skaters.

 

• In the opening, Yuzuru appeared wearing the costume from “The Final Time Traveler.”

• Dressed in pale pink that evoked cherry blossoms, Yuzuru performed “Haru yo, koi.” Each movement layered expressions of flowers, wind, and a gaze toward the future.

• A stunning high kick in the encore, “Let Me Entertain You.” The contrast with his graceful costume was striking.

• Yuzuru has performed “Spring Will Come” many times before. On this day, his serene smile seemed to bless this “beginning.”

• Known for his pinpoint precision in matching movement to music, Yuzuru’s perfect synchronization drew the audience’s passion.

• After finishing his performance, he stood up smiling. His performance, surpassing all expectations, captivated everyone.

• In the opening act, he performed an Ina Bauer. Skating to “Turandot,” he thrilled the crowd with the signature move of Shizuka Arakawa.

 

NOTES
[1] 「うわーってなる」(Uwa ̄ tte naru) , colloquial and onomatopoeic; it’s like “everything just kind of hits you all at once,” mixing nostalgia and emotional weight. In the translation, the more normal verb “well up” is used, but the “makes us go like ‘whoa’” is also included to try to keep the spoken flavor.

[2] 「好きな場所で、好きな仲間と、好きな先生と一緒にずっとできたらいいなっていうことは思います」These part doesn’t have a specific subject (“I” or “you”), it’s more like “it would be nice if [one] could do it.” Yuzuru also used 「一緒に」, which appeals to togetherness. Thus the choice of “we” to keep the flow and the warm tone that the quote has throughout.

 

[yuzurujenn]

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

 

 

2025.08.19

 

Source: Mainichi Shimbun, Tuesday, August 19, 2025 (Reiwa 7) Sports p. 14, 12th Edition

https://x.com/x133dekJ8K7II7m/status/1957668503999377666 

(paid article: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20250819/ddm/035/050/018000c)

 

Fun! Figure Skating
Hanyu’s Heart Warmed by His Hometown. Showing Maturity in his “Favorite Place”

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) and other skaters with ties to Sendai performed in the ice show “The First Skate” on July 5 at Xebio Arena Sendai. With a new year-round skating rink now available, the show was held as a commemorative event for the opening of Sendai City Arena.

 

Spoiler

After his performance, the words Hanyu spoke about his hometown still linger in my mind:

 

“It was the same for people like (Takeshi) Honda, but when you’re constantly training at a rink in Sendai and aiming for the very top of the world, you inevitably have to move on to an environment with better conditions. That was true for me too.”

 

“When that happens, there’s always a time when all these feelings about your hometown, about your family, about your friends just come flooding in. I always wished I could stay in the place I love, with the people I love, and train with the coach I love.”

 

Leaving a City Whose Wounds Aren't Healed

 

Born in Sendai, Hanyu trained at Ice Rink Sendai as his home base.

 

When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in March 2011, his home was damaged and he experienced life in an evacuation center. His home rink became unusable, so he secured training time by traveling around to various ice shows across the country. It was in the midst of that adversity that he won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Nice, France in March 2012.

 

About a month later, it was announced by the Japan Skating Federation that Hanyu would begin training under coach Brian Orser in Toronto, Canada.

 

A senior official from the strengthening division said:

“Hanyu has said he wants to go abroad to challenge himself and raise his level.”

 

It was clearly Hanyu’s talent and hard work that brought him to the podium in his first-ever appearance at the World Championships. But in order to compete at the forefront of the world, Hanyu-san began to climb even higher steps.

 

Yet, at just 17 years old, Hanyu also carried conflicting emotions.

 

His hometown was still in the midst of recovery. The emotional wounds of the people remained unhealed.

 

Hanyu reflected on his feelings at that time in an interview:

“It was an extremely difficult decision. I was leaving a place affected by the disaster, and I kept wondering if this was really the right thing to do.”

 

Reaching the Top As The 'Captain'

 

With a language barrier, and already a small appetite, daily life in a foreign country was likely tough for Hanyu. The “Sendai style” and “Toronto style” of techniques must have also been quite different. Perhaps it was unrealistic to expect dramatic improvement from his first year in Canada. 

 

Still, something Coach Orser said at the end of 2013 left a lasting impression. It was just before the Sochi Winter Olympics, where Hanyu would go on to win gold.

 

“There are many mental aspects to skating. Skaters have to understand and digest things themselves and figure out their own path. There’s only so much a coach can do. But in his case, I was able to help him find that path. I think he’s starting to clearly see the direction he should go.”

 

“At every competition, I would tell him, ‘You’re the captain. You take the helm.’ That’s something you can only say when someone has reached a certain level of maturity. And I believe he has reached that stage.”

 

That's right. Hanyu matured into a 'captain,' steering his own course and seizing the top of the world.

 

Back again to July 5 at Xebio Arena Sendai. Returning to the press area after the show.

 

The expression on Hanyu’s face after finishing his performance in his “favorite place” seemed softer than any I've seen after a competition or ice show.

 

He looked like his true self, unchanged from when he was 17.

 

Surely, the 'original scenery' of enjoying skating itself, enjoying it with his companions, and enjoying it with the people of his hometown must have warmed and softened Hanyu's heart.

 

“The First Skate.” For Hanyu, it was both a return to his roots and a step that marked his maturity.

 

— by Tatsuya Haga