[2025.07.15-2025.07.19] Sports Hochi - 3 Years as a Professional Athlete

[yuzurujenn]

2025.07.13

 

Source:  https://hochi.news/articles/20250712-OHT1T51245.html?page=1

Archived: http://web.archive.org/web/20250713073339/https://hochi.news/articles/20250712-OHT1T51245.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu turns professional three years ago on the 19th. A special interview and photos will be serialized in Sports Hochi from the 15th.

 

On July 19th, professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) will be celebrating three years since turning professional. From a top-class athlete to the performer "Yuzuru Hanyu". To commemorate Hanyu's third anniversary as a professional, who continues to evolve as an athlete, Sports Hochi will run a five-part series starting on the 15th with a special interview by reporter Megumi Takagi and photos taken by photographer Taito Kobayashi. The pages and photos will also be available for purchase through the e-print service "Sports Hochi Yuzuru Hanyu," which allows you to print from a multi-copy machine at a convenience store . The pages of each issue will be available for sale the day after publication (the first issue will be around noon on the 16th), and the photos will be available for sale seven days later (the first issue will be around noon on the 22nd).

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

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

 

2025.07.15

 

Source:  https://hochi.news/articles/20250714-OHT1T51246.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250715051414/https://hochi.news/articles/20250714-OHT1T51246.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu-san – Third year as a professional was “a year of knowing” – Into Unknown Depths with Mansai Nomura – Special Interview Part 1

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) marks three years since turning professional on July 19. In celebration of Hanyu’s continued evolution as an athlete, Sports Hochi will publish a special five-part interview series through the 19th. Part 1 focuses on “A Year of Knowing” and “Mansai Nomura.” (Interview and composition by Megumi Takagi)

 

Spoiler

Hanyu appeared at a hotel in Sendai City, and even on this day, he was dignified and beautiful. The moment he sat down on the sofa, he seemed to switch gears. He spoke at length about his third year as a professional.

 

“There were so many things I didn’t know, and before I realized it, I had ended up learning all sorts of things. While studying, I thought, ‘Ah, I’ve somehow made it this far without acquiring so many things, without knowing so many things, without studying.’ It was a year in which I was able to recognize the parts of myself that were lacking.”

 

Hanyu, who says he has been interested in philosophical questions since he was a child, also took on the challenge of writing a story with a philosophical theme in his ice show Echoes of Life.

 

“Until now, I had vaguely been thinking about things like the philosophy of life in my own way. But when I was creating Echoes, especially when I was writing the lines for the Guide (a character in the show), I decided to study so I could incorporate the philosophies and ways of thinking proposed by philosophers into the script. After learning about various philosophies, I realized, ‘Oh, maybe what I was thinking all along connects to this kind of theory,’ or ‘This kind of idea existed before, and that’s why I was thinking this way.’ I also encountered history, like how the thinkers of the past were contemplating these things, and maybe what I’m thinking now is just something Socrates thought about back then. I experienced that kind of historical connection. The same goes for jumping (in skating). I had been able to jump cleanly based on a kind of feeling, but I realized that it was actually possible because there were these theories and because I had been using my body in a certain way. I was really able to learn all kinds of things. It truly felt like ‘a year of knowing.’ And precisely because I’ve come to know these things, I now want to refine what I’ve done so far even more and fully absorb the knowledge I’ve taken in now.”

 

Days of continuous learning. For Yuzuru Hanyu, there is no such thing as maintaining the status quo.

 

“That might be something that stems from being a competitor. Precisely because I’m an athlete, I continue to make effort every day. For example, if there were no awards to win or scores to aim for, and I were just studying vaguely, I don’t think things would have turned out this way. Until now, I’ve lived a life where rankings and scores were always clearly presented to me. I constantly had to ask myself: What kind of training do I need to do to earn higher scores? What should I be doing? I lived each day with those kinds of goals in mind. So I think that’s how I developed the habit of studying and of thinking about how to approach a goal. Just as I always have, I continue researching my body and, in the same mindset, I’ve also continued studying in the artistic and philosophical realms. In that sense, I truly feel glad that I pursued sports.”

 

Since turning professional, he has had significantly more opportunities to interact with leading figures from various fields. In his third year, this included performing alongside kyogen actor Mansai Nomura (59) in the ice show Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata. The influence Nomura had on Hanyu as he continues to refine his physical expression was profound.

 

“The presence of Mansai Nomura was right there in front of me during notte. He danced with me. He performed with me. In a way, I was the closest person to directly receive his energy. It’s hard to put into words, but… it felt like he brought me into a different dimension. It was as if he was saying, ‘This is the world over here,’ and showing it to me. I truly felt like I had been taken there. Of course, it was because it was his Mansai Bolero that he brought that alternate dimension into the world of notte. Even if you think only in terms of expression within figure skating, I’ve been doing this for 26 years. But Mansai Nomura has devoted himself to the performing arts for almost as many years as he has lived. I wasn’t directly taught anything by him. He didn’t tell me to ‘watch and learn.’ But just being near him, I could feel the difference in depth. I realized again: this is how deep it can go. This is how far one can be taken.”

 

[Note 1] Mansai Bolero is a solo performance that fuses Ravel’s ballet music Bolero with the traditional kyogen piece Sanbasō. Nomura premiered it in 2011 as an expression of mourning and hope for rebirth following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

 

 

◆ Ice Story
An ice show for which Hanyu himself is responsible for the planning, script, performance, and overall production direction. He skates solo for about two and a half hours. The first installment was the solo performance GIFT at Tokyo Dome in February 2023. The second was the nationwide tour RE_PRAY, held from November 2023 through April the following year. The third installment was Echoes of Life, held from December last year through February this year.

 

◆ Echoes of Life (エコーズ・オブ・ライフ)
An "Ice Story" directed and performed by Hanyu, held from December of last year to February this year. The story centers on a protagonist played by Hanyu, who was born through genetic engineering and questions the meaning of their existence while seeking hope in the world. It is based on a sci-fi-style story written by Hanyu himself.

 

 

 

 

2025.07.16

 

Source:  https://hochi.news/articles/20250715-OHT1T51318.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250715204121/https://hochi.news/articles/20250715-OHT1T51318.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu – Competition Days Were “Records over Memories,” Longing for London – Special Interview Part 2

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) will mark the third anniversary of his professional debut on July 19. In this second part of the special interview commemorating the anniversary, the focus is on “records” and “London.”

 

Spoiler

Hanyu has lived with figure skating since he was four years old. During his competitive career, he consistently prioritized “records over memories.”

 

“As I pursued figure skating as a sport, I did it with the goal of achieving results. Of course, when I first started skating, what made me happy was when my coach was pleased, or my parents were happy, when someone smiled because I did well. That’s definitely true. I think that’s a fundamental part of my personality, and it hasn’t changed. But for someone to be happy, results were always involved. Someone being happy was directly connected to me producing results. So I believed I had to achieve records rather than just memories. Even winning back-to-back Olympic golds—it’s not just the memory of it, it’s the record that ties it to the memory. In that sense, I’ve always thought that records were more important than memories. I also felt I shouldn’t just do it for my own satisfaction. And while I still believe I shouldn’t be self-satisfied, I think the nature of that belief has changed a little over time."

 

There are fans who have continued to support him since his competitive days. There are also those who came to know the charm of Yuzuru Hanyu the skater after he turned professional. He strives to deliver the best performances to those who need him, to those who come to see him.

 

“There are billions of people in the world, and the words that those billions of people desire are just as many as there are people. I don’t think I can say the exact words that every single one of those people wants to hear. I do aim to express something that can reach each person, everyone, but at the same time, I'm also a little resigned to the fact that it’s impossible. That’s something I need to acknowledge properly. So, my goal is to keep creating things for those who want to see me, for those who want to understand my form of expression, things that make them say, ‘Wow, I really saw something good.’”

 

Then, suddenly, in the flow of the conversation, he said:

 

“For some reason, I’m just really someone who wants to go to London right now (laughs).”

 

Incidentally, Hanyu has never been to London. It was simply that a cityscape that appeared on X (formerly Twitter) caught his eye.

 

“I think there are things that can only be felt because of that cloudy sky and that kind of cityscape. In the same way, I think Japanese scenery probably feels unique from the perspective of people overseas. Precisely because it exists within those landscapes, I believe there are expressions that come as a complete package, including that atmosphere. For example, say you go to a museum in Paris. There may be things there that you can only see at a museum in Paris, but you’re probably also savoring the air of Paris itself. As I continue doing Ice Story, I want to create something that makes people from around the world think, ‘I want to go to Japan and experience that whole atmosphere.’ I’m a living, breathing human being, so I can’t be preserved like a painting, and I won’t stay there forever like a sculpture. But we live in an age where things can be digitally preserved. I want to keep creating something that makes people living in this moment think, ‘I want to go there and see that, I want to experience something wonderful,’ and choose Hanyu’s Ice Story because of that.”

 

He traveled overseas often for competitions. But he didn’t have time for sightseeing. The desire to experience the world and accumulate knowledge has grown stronger.

 

“With the World Championships in Helsinki [Note 1], I think Hope and Legacy was what it was because I felt the very air of Helsinki. The same goes for the World Championships in Nice [Note 2]. The Mediterranean climate, the resort-like feel of the place, and the temporary gym-like venue—everything about it made it the 'Nice Worlds,' in my mind. I probably had those impressions back then too, but I hadn’t paid much attention to them. So now I feel I should really take the time to experience the things the world says are ‘good.’ Instead of dismissing them without trying, I feel like I need to actually feel for myself, ‘Ah, this really is good,’ and know it as part of my own cultural understanding. If I don’t do that, I won’t be able to confidently present something to the world and say, ‘This is something truly good.’ I feel I need to keep acquiring all kinds of knowledge.”

 

Note 1:
2017 World Figure Skating Championships (Helsinki, Finland): After placing 5th in the short program, Hanyu performed Hope & Legacy in the free skate, setting a new world record for free skate score and making a comeback to win his second world title in three seasons, overcoming a 10.66-point deficit.

Note 2:
2012 World Figure Skating Championships (Nice, France): At age 17, Hanyu made his debut at Worlds. Though 7th after the short program, he earned a personal best in the free skate (Romeo and Juliet) to win the bronze medal—making him the youngest Japanese man ever to stand on a World podium. This event is now known as the “legendary Nice Worlds.”

 

 

 

2025.07.17

 

Source:  https://hochi.news/articles/20250716-OHT1T51177.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250716215129/https://hochi.news/articles/20250716-OHT1T51177.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu – Games, music, and "curiosity" fuels his creative endeavors – Special Interview Part 3

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) will mark three years since turning professional on July 19. The third part of the special interview commemorating his 3rd anniversary focuses on “curiosity” and “games.”

 

Spoiler

Before starting a game or a device, Hanyu-san thoroughly reads the instruction manual from cover to cover. His perfectionism and value for preparation are evident even in such actions.

 

“I’ve loved reading instruction manuals since I was little. People find it really strange, though. But I want to start something only after I’ve read and properly understood the manual. I’m actually pretty cautious by nature. Even as a child, I wasn’t the type to just dive in right away after getting something. I wanted to understand it as much as possible. I’m the kind of person who wants to do things after fully understanding the logic behind them. I guess I have a bit of a researcher’s mindset (laughs).”

 

It’s the same with role-playing games (RPGs). He makes sure to thoroughly read the strategy guides before starting.

 

"Normally, most people don’t like spoilers. They go through the game themselves first, and only afterward look at spoilers or strategy guides and go, ‘Oh wow, so that’s what was there!’ But I look at the walkthroughs right from the start (laughs). I check them properly and then proceed. If I don’t check them properly beforehand, I sometimes can’t even move forward. I'm the type of person who isn't satisfied until I've thoroughly researched things like the dungeon layout and how to fight.”

 

In the second installment of the ice story, “RE_PRAY,” he incorporated ethics and values from video game worldviews into the narrative. As a game lover, what has been Hanyu’s recent favorite?

 

“Right now, I’m looking around various things to gather material for stories. Feels like I’m in a bit of a scouting phase right now. When I’m in that phase, I usually set the game to the easiest difficulty just to enjoy the story first. Then, after going through it once, I set it to the hardest mode. From easy to very hard. There’s a kind of thrill in suddenly switching to the hardest mode and properly defeating strong enemies (laughs). I just really want to be well-prepared. Also, I really hate not being able to do something. That’s probably a fundamental part of my personality, and I think that’s what’s allowed me to come this far. When it comes to skating, I don’t think I’ve reached the point where I can say I’ve done it perfectly using a ‘walkthrough.’ I still feel like I’m in the process of searching for that 'walkthrough.' But even so, over the course of these 26 years, despite having days when I feel down, I’ve pursued it intensely. That’s why, on the flip side, I feel such a strong gap when it comes to other things. Since I’ve come so far in skating, when I try something else and can’t do it, I end up going, ‘Why can’t I even do this?!’—and I kind of just give up."

 

Hanyu, who is also well-versed in music, has an interest in musical instruments.

 

"I really want to play bass and drums. I especially want to try bass... But honestly, even if I go all in, I’ll probably still end up being terrible at it. I might get really into it, but compared to how far I’ve gone with skating, I'd still be at the 'egg stage' with anything else. So it's like, I'm still inside the egg, there's a little crack in the shell, but I think, ‘Ah, maybe I won’t come out after all’ (laughs)."

 

He has such a keen ear that he can pick out individual sounds and incorporate them into his programs on the ice. We asked why he chose bass and drums. He responded instantly.

 

“Because I like their sound quality.”

 

When listening to music, does his ear naturally focus on the bass and drums?

 

“Maybe it does. I might be listening to the bass while picking up the vocal line. I probably notice the bass more than the vocals at first. Actually, maybe I listen to the drums the most. I guess I tend to really focus on the drums. Probably, my ear is naturally drawn to that kind of sound."

 

His good sense of “otaku temperament” and insatiable curiosity across many areas give his artistry limitless depth.

 

“I do have curiosity, after all. I think that kind of curiosity all leads to creation. There are times when I experience setbacks and moments when I feel joy from various things, really, many different emotions are swirling around in our daily lives. It’s precisely these swirling emotions that become the source of production and creation. While cherishing that, and consciously expanding the range of those feelings, I don’t want to just zone out and pass time. I hope to live fully, feeling deeply and experiencing as much as possible."

 

 

 

 

2025.07.18

 

Source:  https://hochi.news/articles/20250717-OHT1T51175.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250717203800/https://hochi.news/articles/20250717-OHT1T51175.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu-san – Dedicating Himself to His Dream Is 'Proof of Life' — Reflections on the Beijing Olympics – Special Interview Part 4

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) marks three years since turning professional on July 19. In Part 4 of this special interview series commemorating the milestone, the main theme is the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Following his gold medal in Sochi (2014)—a first for a Japanese man—and his historic back-to-back win in PyeongChang (2018), Hanyu reflects on what would become his third and final Olympic appearance.

 

Spoiler

The Beijing Games three years ago were Hanyu’s final competition as an athlete. Even now, he holds himself to training and study routines that surpass those of his competitive days, performing solo shows that stretch over two hours. As an athlete who continues to push his limits, Hanyu reflects on what that third Olympics meant to him:

 

“Looking back, I do think it was a good thing that I trained for the quad Axel (4A) leading up to Beijing. I was seriously aiming for results at that point. If I didn't have a clear goal, like results, I don’t think I could’ve pushed myself to train that hard. There might be a parallel world where I did land it, but the reality is that I’m living in this world where I didn’t succeed. And because I didn’t succeed, I’ve been researching the body even more intensely since then. I’m still training constantly, still striving for that quad Axel. What I learned back then, and the fact that I’m still pushing myself along that same path now, is something I’m certain of.”

 

Hanyu hesitated until the very last moment before deciding to compete at the Beijing Olympics. He finally announced his participation at the Japanese Nationals in December 2021, and once again, the deciding factor was his dream jump, the quad Axel.

 

“I couldn’t land the (quad) Axel at all before Nationals. I couldn’t land the 4A. Honestly, I was planning to retire at Nationals. Actually, I’d wanted to quit even earlier than that (laughs). I’ve said this before, that I wanted to retire after PyeongChang. I kept thinking, ‘I want to quit, I want to quit.’ But the thing is, I’m someone who’s always followed through on everything I’ve said in interviews. I kept saying, ‘I’m going to land the 4A,’ and ‘That’s what I’m working toward.’ So the thought of giving up halfway through and letting go of my dream was terrifying.”

 

Having won Olympic gold in Sochi (2014) and again in PyeongChang (2018)—the first man in 66 years to win back-to-back Olympic titles in men’s singles—Hanyu had already achieved nearly everything in the sport. After PyeongChang, his biggest motivation became the quad Axel.

 

“Lately, I’ve been thinking in a more philosophical way, and this idea has kind of become a core belief for me: I feel that continuing to dedicate myself to pursuing a dream is proof of my life. So letting go of that dream felt almost like losing my life itself. I think that’s how I’ve been seeing it all along. Because I kept saying, ‘I’m going to land the 4A,’ I just couldn’t bring myself to quit. And honestly, before I knew it, I had made it all the way to Beijing, and I was like, ‘Well… what now?’”

 

His performance featured even more evolved transitions than at the PyeongChang Olympics. With meticulous attention to detail, he crafted a beauty truly characteristic of figure skating. He continued to chase his dream without abandoning his pursuit of ideals.

 

“When I headed into Nationals in 2021, I was absolutely determined to land the Axel. That’s why I went for it. Until the very end, even during the six-minute warm-up, I didn’t know if I could do it, and I was hoping that maybe I could land it just once in the actual performance. I thought, ‘If I don’t land it at Nationals, I won’t be able to quit.’ And since I couldn’t land it, that’s basically what happened. I felt like, having come this close, there was no way I could just give up. That moment was the closest I’d ever come to landing the quad Axel. I told myself, ‘I can’t give up now.’ Because if I did, if I let it go, I felt like I would truly fall apart.”

 

◆ To Shun Sato and Mone Chiba, aiming for the Milano Olympics: “They’re hard workers. I hope their efforts are rewarded.”

 

Yuzuru Hanyu offered words of encouragement to two younger skaters from his hometown, who are aiming for the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics: Shun Sato (21, AIM Services/Meiji University) and Mone Chiba (20, Kinoshita Group), both from Sendai. Hanyu trained alongside them at Ice Rink Sendai.

 

“I’ve been watching them since they were little. They’re really hard workers. They always practiced on their own a lot. Back when I was training, before the rink went bankrupt, I had access to lots of lessons with coaches and plenty of practice time. There were many hours of private ice time. But they grew up in a different era where they didn’t have as much access to private ice when they were little. Even so, they worked hard from a young age.”

 

Currently, Sato trains in Saitama and Chiba in Kyoto, both pushing forward toward their first Olympic spots.

 

“They’re in different environments now, but I truly believe all the effort they put in back then will pay off. I really hope their hard work is rewarded,” he said with a gentle expression.

 

[Wintek]

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

 

2025.07.16

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20250715-OHT1T51318.html?page=1 

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20250715204121/https://hochi.news/articles/20250715-OHT1T51318.html?page=1 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: Competition Days Were “Records over Memories” —Longing for London –Special Interview Part 2: On His 3rd Anniversary as a Pro

 

Spoiler

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu-san (30) will mark three years since turning professional on July 19. In this second installment of the commemorative interview series, the themes are “Records” [記録] and “London.”

(Interview & Composition: Megumi Takagi)

Hanyu-san has lived together with figure skating since he was four years old. During his competitive days, the foundation of his approach was “Records [記録] over Memories [記憶]”. [1]

“In doing figure skating as a sport, I did it in order to leave behind results. Of course, at the origin of when I started skating, there’s no doubt that it was things like: when I did well, my teacher was happy, my parents were happy, someone was happy, and that made me happy too. I think that’s probably a fundamental part of my personality, so it hasn’t really changed. But in that equation of ‘someone being happy,’ results [2] were absolutely always there. By getting results, someone would be happy. So, rather than memories, I always had to get records. Rather than the memory of having won two Olympic gold medals, it’s through the record that those memories are connected to. So in that sense, I’ve always thought: ‘Records over memories’. That it must not become self-satisfaction, and that’s something I still think even now. Though, perhaps the nature [3] of that idea has changed a little.”

There are fans who have supported him since his competitive days. And there are also those who discovered the appeal of Yuzuru Hanyu the skater after his professional transition. For those who need him, for those who come to see him, he strives to deliver the best possible work.

“There are billions of people in the world, and the number of words those billions of people are wanting is equal to that number. I don’t think I can speak words that all of those people want to hear. I’m aiming to create expressions that can reach each one of them, every person, but there’s also a bit of resignation in knowing that I can’t do that. That’s something I have to properly acknowledge. That’s why, for those who feel like, ‘I want to see what he’s doing,’ or, ‘I want to know his expression,’ my goal is to just keep creating works where they’ll feel, ‘Ah, I really saw something good.’”

And then, suddenly, he said:

“Somehow, I’m really just someone who wants to go to London right now (laughs).”[4]

Incidentally, Hanyu-san has never been to London. A street view that came up on X [formerly Twitter] caught his eye.

“I think that, precisely because of that cloudy sky and that cityscape, there are certain things you can feel only there. And in the same way, I think that Japanese scenery probably looks unique from the perspective of people overseas.

I believe that expressions can exist as a kind of complete package that includes that kind of scenery, and that it’s because they’re within those landscapes that they reach people in a certain way. For example, say you go to Paris and visit a museum. There may be works there that you can’t see unless it’s a Parisian museum, but you’re also probably savoring it along with the Parisian air.

When it comes to doing my Ice Stories, I want to make something that people from around the world will want to come to Japan for, something that makes them think, ‘I want to experience that atmosphere with everything included.’ Because I’m a living human being, I can’t remain like a painting. I can’t stay there like a sculpture forever. But it’s a time where things can be preserved digitally. So I want to keep creating something where people, those alive right now, will choose to come here, wanting to see it, wanting to feel something good, and pick Hanyu’s Ice Story as what they want to experience.”

He had traveled abroad often for competitions. But there was never time to go sightseeing. The desire to experience the world, to accumulate knowledge, that feeling has grown.

“The Helsinki Worlds, I think Hopurega [note 1] was what it was because I was able to feel the atmosphere of Helsinki. I think the same probably goes for the Nice Worlds [note 2]. There was the Mediterranean climate, it was a resort-like place, and we competed in this sort of temporary gymnasium, so I think there was a Nice Worlds precisely because of that. I’d probably felt these things at the time, but I didn’t pay much attention to them. That’s why I feel now that, if there’s a chance, I want to come into contact with the things that people around the world are saying are ‘good.’ I can’t afford to be a picky eater [食わず嫌い]; if I don’t properly feel and understand why something is considered  ‘good,’ and know that it’s good, if I don’t know it as cultivated knowledge[5], then I won’t be able to present things to the world and say, ‘This is something good.’ I really think I need to keep absorbing all kinds of knowledge.”

【Note 1】

The 2017 World Championships (Finland):  After placing 5th in the short program (SP), Hanyu came back in the free skate (Hope and Legacy) to break the world record for the highest free program score. With a 10.66-point comeback, he won his second world title after three seasons.

【Note 2】

The 2012 World Championships (France):  Hanyu’s debut at age 17, later called the “Legendary Nice Worlds.” Despite placing 7th in the SP, he earned a personal best in the free skate (Romeo and Juliet), winning bronze, the youngest Japanese male skater to medal at Worlds.

 

Translation Notes
[1]  It could also be read as prioritizing Records rather than Memories.
記憶 (きおく / kioku）means something remembered by the mind. It refers to subjective experiences, impressions, emotional recollection. 記録（きろく / kiroku) , an official record, a documented fact or achievement; something measurable and concrete.
[2] 結果（けっか / kekka), “Result,” “Outcome,” “Consequence.” It emphasizes the final product of a process, not the process itself.

[3] 質（しつ / shitsu), “Quality,” “Nature,” “Substance”

[4] 「なんか僕、今すごいロンドンに行きたい人間なんです（笑）」the tone is more like Yuzuru musing about the idea. And uses the city as a symbol of a mood or aesthetic he’s intrigued by, not necessarily  a project announcement.

[5] 教養（きょうよう / kyōyō), “Culture,” “Cultivation,” “Liberal Education.” 教 = to teach, to instruct; 養 = to nourish, to foster, to raise => together, “To nourish through teaching.” It’s about developing judgment, taste, sensibility, being someone who has thought deeply about things.

 

[Wintek]

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

 

2025.07.17

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20250716-OHT1T51177.html?page=1 

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20250716215129/https://hochi.news/articles/20250716-OHT1T51177.html?page=1 

[20225/07/17]

Yuzuru Hanyu – Games, Music, and the “Curiosity” That Powers His Creative Work –Pro 3rd Year Anniversary Interview, Part 3
 

Spoiler

Interview & Composition: Megumi Takagi

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) marks three years since turning pro on July 19. To commemorate the 3rd anniversary, Sports Hochi is running a special interview in five parts. The third instalment is about “Curiosity” and “Games.”

Before starting a game or machine, Hanyu reads the instruction manual thoroughly, down to the very last corner. His perfectionist mindset, and the value he places on preparation, come through in even such moments.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve loved reading instruction manuals. People find that really strange, but I want to start something after properly understanding it by reading the manual. I’m actually more of a cautious type than you'd think. Even as a kid, I wasn’t the kind of child who’d just go bam! and start playing with something right away after getting it. I wanted to understand it as much as possible. I’m the kind of person who wants to do things only after understanding the logic behind them properly. That’s just how I am by nature. I guess you could say I have a researcher temperament (laughs).”

The same goes for role-playing games (RPGs). He reads the guide and strategy info thoroughly before starting.

“Normally, people don’t like spoilers, they’ll go through a game properly first, and then look at spoilers or walkthroughs, and be like, ‘Oh, there was something like this here!’ But I, well, I look at the guide right from the start (laughs). I look at it properly, and then play. If I don’t look at it properly first, I can’t move forward. I’m the type who can’t be satisfied unless I thoroughly investigate things, like the dungeon layout, or how to fight before actually doing it.”

In his second Ice Story, “RE_PRAY,” he embedded moral and ethical themes drawn from game worlds. So what games has Hanyu, a devoted gamer, been enjoying recently?

“Right now, I’m kind of exploring a bunch of things, collecting material for stories. I’m in a kind of searching phase. And even in times like that, I’m the kind of person who first sets it to the easiest difficulty, just to enjoy the story, that’s just how I tend to do it. Then, after going through it once, I’ll switch to the hardest mode. From easy to very hard. There’s something really satisfying about suddenly switching to a difficult mode and properly defeating the strong enemies (laughs). I just really want to be prepared. Also, I really hate not being able to do something. That’s probably just a fundamental part of my personality, and maybe it’s because of that that I’ve been able to keep going this far. When it comes to skating, I still don’t think I’ve been able to perfectly pull it off even with the walkthrough. I’m still in the middle of looking for that strategy guide[1]. But still, somehow or another, I’ve managed to keep pushing through these 26 years, even on the days I feel down. So on the flip side, the gap between that and how I am with other things becomes huge. Because I’ve come this far with skating, when I try something else, I’m like, ‘Why can’t I even do this!’, and I end up quitting, that kind of thing.”

Deeply versed in music, Hanyu has also taken an interest in instruments.

“I really want to play bass and drums. I want to play bass, but… Even if I go that far with it, no matter how far I take it, I’ll probably still be bad at it. I might get really into it, but the degree to which I’ve mastered skating is just too high, so compared to others, I'm still in the egg stage. So it's like cracking the shell from inside the egg, a little, seeing the cracks, and not wanting to come out (laughs).”

He has such a keen ear that he picks up each individual sound and incorporates it into his performances. So why did he pick bass and drums? His answer was immediate.

“Because I like the sound quality.”

So even while listening to music, it’s the bass and drums that catch his attention?

“That might be the case. While picking up the vocal line, I might be listening to the bass too. Maybe I’m listening to the bass more than the vocals right from the start. Ah, but maybe I’m actually listening to the drums the most. I might be really focused on the drums. I guess I just have ears that lean more in that direction.”

His “otaku temperament,” in a good sense, and an endless curiosity that stretches into many directions, continue to make his range as an artist feel limitless.

“I do have curiosity, after all. And I think all that curiosity connects to creation. Like, really, things like setbacks in all kinds of areas, or moments of joy in all kinds of areas, there are just all kinds of emotions swirling around in daily life. I think it’s exactly those whirlpools of emotion that become the source of production and creation. I want to cherish that, and while building up that kind of range or depth, I don’t want to just spend my days in a daze, I want to spend them feeling as many things as I can.”

◆Notice: The pages and photos are also available for purchase through the e-print service "Sports Hochi Hanyu Yuzuru," which can be printed from a multi-copy machine at a convenience store. The pages (three types including a special layout for the first issue, two types thereafter) will be available for purchase from the day after each issue is published, and

 

Translation Notes:

[1] 攻略本（こうりゃくぼん / kōryakubon）guidebook for conquering something, commonly used in the context of video games to mean a “strategy guide.” 

 

[Wintek]

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

 

2025.07.18

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20250717-OHT1T51175.html?page=1

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20250717203800/https://hochi.news/articles/20250717-OHT1T51175.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: Dedicating[1] himself to his dream is proof of life –What the Beijing Olympics meant to him –3rd Anniversary of Turning Pro, Interview Part 4

 

Spoiler

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (30) will mark three years since turning pro on July 19. The fourth part of this special interview series commemorating his third anniversary focuses on the 2022 Beijing Olympics. After winning Japan’s first men’s gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and achieving a historic back-to-back victory at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics for the first time in 66 years, Hanyu entered his third Olympic Games. We asked him what that experience means to him now.

(Interviewer/Writer: Megumi Takagi)

---

Beijing, three years ago, was Hanyu’s last competitive event. Even now, he continues to impose on himself training and research that surpass even the quality and volume of his competitive days, performing solo shows that exceed two hours in length. As someone who still lives as an athlete, Hanyu reflected on what his third Olympics means to him now.

“I think it was good that I trained for the 4A (quad Axel) up until Beijing. For that, I really was aiming for results. If I hadn’t had a clear goal like results, I probably couldn’t have pushed myself that far in training. There might be a parallel world out there where I succeeded at that moment, but since I live in the world where I didn’t succeed at that time, it’s exactly because I didn’t succeed that I’m still researching the body like crazy, still trying to struggle and push forward toward the quad Axel, continuing all kinds of training. What I was able to learn there, and the fact that I’m still able to keep fighting as an extension of that time, I feel that’s something certain.”

His decision to compete in Beijing was not made until the very last moment. At the Japan Nationals in December the year before, he finally declared his intent. The final push behind that decision, too, was, of course, the dream jump.

“I couldn’t land the (quadruple) Axel up until Nationals. I couldn’t land the 4A before Nationals. Honestly, I was planning to retire at Nationals at that time. If anything, I had wanted to quit even earlier (laughs). I think I’ve said this before, but I wanted to retire after PyeongChang. I was thinking all the time, ‘I want to quit, I want to quit.’ But… I’m someone who has ended up accomplishing everything I’ve ever talked about in interviews so far. So I couldn’t quit halfway through, to be honest. I had kept saying I would land the 4A. I had said that I was doing it for that. The thought of giving up halfway through, of letting go of my dream, was really terrifying.”

He had already won back-to-back Olympic golds in Sochi and PyeongChang a feat in men’s singles not achieved in 66 years. He had taken what there was to take. After PyeongChang, the greatest motivation left was the quad Axel.

“Lately I’ve been seriously philosophizing[2] about this, and it’s something that’s become one of the core beliefs inside me[3]. I believe that continuing to devote myself in pursuit of a dream is the proof of my life. So to let go of that… it would be like losing my life itself, to that extent, that’s how I kept thinking. Because I said I would land the 4A, I couldn’t ever stop. And honestly, I had gotten all the way to Beijing and thought, ‘Oh no, what do I do now?’, that’s how it was.”

In Beijing, he pursued his ideals to the end even more refined than in PyeongChang, his performance was built with great care, including every transition, filled with figure skating’s distinctive beauty down to the smallest detail.

“Going into Nationals (in 2021), I had absolutely decided that I would land the Axel there. That’s why I did it, even at that time. Until the very end, up to the 6-minute warm-up, I didn’t know if I’d be able to. And I thought, ‘Maybe I can try it just once in the actual performance,’ and I did it, holding onto that hope. I thought, if I couldn’t land it at Nationals, I wouldn’t be able to quit. So… because I couldn’t land it, that’s what it was. After coming that close, I wasn’t about to just give up. That was the closest I had ever come to landing the 4A. So I told myself, ‘I can’t give up here.’ If I gave up and let go of it then, I felt like I’d truly fall apart[4].”

 

◆ To Shun Sato and Mone Chiba — Fellow Sendai skaters aiming for Milan Olympics:

“They work so hard. I want them to be rewarded.”

Hanyu shared warm words of encouragement for two younger skaters from his hometown who are aiming for the 2026 Milan–Cortina Olympics: Shun Sato (21) of Aim Services/Meiji University, and Mone Chiba (20) of Kinoshita Group, both from Sendai City, and once fellow skaters at Ice Rink Sendai.

“I’ve watched them since they were little. They really are such hard workers. They did a lot of independent practice. I practiced at the rink before it went bankrupt[5], so when I was little, I had teachers watching me closely during lessons, and I had a lot of practice time. There were also lots of private rink hours. But those kids, they weren’t part of a generation that had lots of private time at the rink. Even so, they kept working so hard from a young age.”

Now, Sato trains in Saitama, and Chiba in Kyoto, each striving toward their first Olympic berth.

“Even though they’re in different environments now, I believe all the effort they put in back then will definitely live on. I hope they’ll be rewarded,” he said with a gentle expression.

 

TRANSLATION NOTES: 

[1] 研鑽 (けんさん / kensan), Diligent study, devoted effort, polished refinement through sustained, often quiet and introspective, effort. 

[2] 哲学 (てつがく / tetsugaku), philosophy, in both the academic and personal sense; a system of thinking, a way of seeing life, or one’s beliefs about existence or purpose.

[3] 芯にあるもの (Shin ni aru mono) → “Core belief” / “Something at my core”

[4] 崩壊 （ほうかい / hōkai), collapse, breakdown, crumbling. Can be physical (a building), societal (a system), or emotional (a person). 

[5] This is a reference to the closure of the ice rink in Sendai caused by company insolvency around 2004–2006.