[2023.03.31] Quadruple Axel 2023 Hope and Light on the Ice

[yuzurujenn]

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/フィギュアスケート男子ファンブック-Quadruple-Axel-2023-氷上の希望と光/dp/4635907724

 

This fan book is packed with great content, including interviews and discussions with male skaters, and in-depth reports.

 

Contents

[Ice show report]
Yuzuru Hanyu "notte stellata," "GIFT," "PROLOGUE"

 

[Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu]

Takahito Mura 
Minoru Sano

[In-depth report]
Shoma Uno "Wearing the air of a champion, "

Kao Miura "The dawn of a new era"

[Special conversation]
Kazuki Tomono x Sota Yamamoto "They are 'best friends,'"

Tatsuya Tsuboi x Haruya Sasaki "School-skilled athletes are hard work"

[Exclusive interview]
Shun Sato "Astonishing comeback"

[Retirement interview]

Taichiro Yamakuma "The best skating life,"

Mitsuki Sumoto "Beautiful skating is forever"

[Special guest]
Keiji Tanaka "Endless curiosity"

Kensuke Nakaniwa "Sports coaching for the new era"

Yu Nakamura "The joy of standing on the rink again"

[Overseas skaters]
Jason Brown "Towards an ideal realm yet to be reached"

Mischa Ge "Unwavering trust"

[Popular series]
Jun Suzuki "In my "Life - The Recommendation for Both Literature and Dance"

[Tournament Report]
All Japan Championships
All Japan Junior Championships
All Japan Novice Championships

[Photo Gallery]
Friends on Ice
BEYOND
Stars on Ice
Medalist on Ice
Ice Explosion

[yuzurujenn]

* Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2023 Hope and Light on the Ice, pg 30-31

<Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu>
Special Guest: Minoru Sano

 

Minoru Sano watched Yuzuru Hanyu's “GIFT,” the first-ever figure skating show at Tokyo Dome, in person. He shared in detail his honest impressions of what he describes as a series of shocks and deep emotions. 

(Interview/Text: Tatsuya Murao)

 

Spoiler

— Mr. Sano, you watched the show at Tokyo Dome with Coach Shoichiro Tsuzuki's family, right?

 

Sano: Yes, that’s right. I was in the same room as Tsuzuki-sensei. My family of three attended, and Tsuzuki-sensei also came with his family of three. We were treated to a wonderful show, and during the intermission, we had some nostalgic conversations. It was a really enjoyable time.

 

— What was your first thought when you heard that Hanyu would hold an ice show at Tokyo Dome?

 

Sano: Honestly, I couldn’t imagine it at all. I was very curious about how they would transform Tokyo Dome into a venue for skating.

 

— The rink was set up stretching from the back screen area toward the infield, right?

 

Sano: I think that rink was probably 60m x 30m, the same size as a standard competition rink. But at first, I thought, “Hmm? Is it smaller?” Our seats were in the upper stands, so the rink looked small from that vantage point. But when I saw the ice resurfacer come out for maintenance, I realized, yes, it is 60m x 30m. Doing a show in a space that makes a full-size rink look small, that’s impressive in itself.

 

— And the stands were completely packed.

 

Sano: From start to finish, it was 35,000 people versus one skater. There was this overwhelming presence that embraced all those spectators.
And on the ice, it was only Hanyu-kun. That alone is remarkable. On top of that, there were two live orchestras, and dancers performing around the rink. They made brilliant use of the entire space.

 

— There was also projection mapping on the huge screen set up behind the rink.

 

Sano: The screen itself was just enormous, wasn’t it? Practically the same size as the rink. We were seated almost directly in front of it, and it was really beautiful. Of course, Hanyu-kun’s skating was the highlight, but the projection mapping across the whole screen was truly amazing. The laser lights were beautiful too. Every single element was just breathtaking.

 

— Hanyu himself served as the overall producer for the show.

 

Sano: Just being able to do that is incredible. He took what was in his mind and turned it into reality. It was a one-day, one-time-only performance, and he was probably planning this show alongside “Prologue” and “Notte Stellata.” And yet, each one had a different theme and was built with such depth. Everything was original. What an achievement. 

 

— What was the most memorable moment of the show for you?

 

Sano: What I found most interesting was the re-enactment of the Beijing Olympics. After the performance, he touched the ice where he had landed the quad Salchow. That really hit me in the heart. I think it's fair to say that he was finally able to let go of the frustration he carried from Beijing.

 

— Hanyu also said, 'It was a program I had strong feelings about, because I wasn’t able to fully express it at the Beijing Olympics.'

 

Sano: Yes. The accident in Beijing, it was really just an act of fate. Watching it, I felt that kind of misfortune can strike even the best. But this time, I think he truly and completely redeemed himself for what happened in Beijing.

 

— He showed us how he overcomes challenges and keeps moving forward.

 

Sano: That’s what’s so amazing. There were various developments in the first half, but the last 30 to 40 minutes were just overwhelming. He gave it everything he had. There were a few places where his jumps were a bit off, but honestly, that didn’t matter at all. He skated all the way through solidly, and all I can say is it was simply incredible.

 

— Throughout the whole show, there was a consistent message: "You are not alone," "We are connected."

 

Sano: When I talk about Hanyu-kun, it's impossible to leave out the Great East Japan Earthquake. His home rink was destroyed, so he couldn't practice, and he practiced while appearing in ice shows held around the country. I think he has a very strong sense of gratitude toward the many people who helped him at that time. Taking that as a turning point, he took flight from Sendai, both a disaster area and his hometown. But I’m sure that came with a lot of pain and sadness too. Not being able to skate at his own rink was a huge handicap, yet he kept honing his skills. That feeling of indebtedness to so many people has probably stayed with him. So I think that’s why his belief in “I'm not alone” is so strong.

 

— From Sendai to the world’s top stage. What a journey.

 

Sano: Yes, absolutely. And watching this show, I felt that the presence of “Yuzuru Hanyu” had soared to yet another level. Until now, he was “figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu.” But now, he is a producer, an entertainer, an artist. It wouldn’t be wrong to call him a director as well. The breadth of what he’s capable of is just astounding. I think he understands better than anyone how to present himself. He's able to express that clearly and bring joy to the audience. I think he always had that talent, but now that he’s turned pro, he approaches 'showing himself to the audience' from a perspective different from competitive skating. The fact that he can do that is something I deeply respect.

 

— This one-night-only show was divided into two halves, and including the encore, 12 programs were performed.

 

Sano: There was an intermission too, so the whole thing took about three hours, right? Considering all the lighting and stage equipment involved, I imagine rehearsals must have been really intense. Takebe Satoshi, who composed the new song “GIFT,” also said, “Hanyu-kun was practicing until late at night.” The sheer physical and mental energy he had was simply astounding.

 

―There were also performances shown for the first time. In the first half, “Ano Natsu e” (One Summer's Day), and in the second half, the intense dance number “Ashura-chan.”

 

Sano: That dance is performed on ice, so I imagine it must be extremely difficult, but I was surprised that he was able to perform it to that extent. He was a complete dancer. It was more like dancing than skating. That’s not something that can be done easily, is it? I got the sense that he must have spent many hours preparing just for this day. After watching this show, what I felt was that, in addition to figure skating as a competitive sport, the range of new ways to present skating has expanded greatly. It was entertainment, and in many ways, I felt like I was being shown something with limitless possibilities.

 

―About skating at Tokyo Dome, Hanyu-san mentioned, “It was a little difficult to get a sense of balance.”

 

Sano: There were no boards on the sides of the rink, the ceiling was extremely high, and the spectator seats were tens of meters away from the rink, so it was all very different from usual. Even though the rink size was standard, I think the feeling of skating there must have been completely different. There are rinks abroad without boards too, but usually, there are people at the rinkside. But this time, the conditions were different. So I think it must’ve been extremely hard to judge space when going for jumps. It must also have been hard to sense speed and know exactly where to take off for jumps. Plus, with the stage lights on, you can't see anything around you. Despite that, he managed to land so many successful jumps. He showed the quad toe loop multiple times, a 4T–1Eu–3S combination, and even triple axels, with almost no mistakes. It was incredible. I’m sure it took effort to adjust to that environment.

 

―Watching his skating at Tokyo Dome, did you feel that his technique is still evolving, including the possibility of the quadruple Axel?

 

Sano: He’s absolutely not slowing down, and in fact, his success rate is really high. I just thought, “How can he still jump like that?” His triple Axel was excellent, and I personally think the quadruple Axel still looks possible. I think that for him, it may no longer feel like a “special” jump. That’s why I really hope he goes for it.

 

―Having both Tsuzuki-sensei and you in the audience must have been very encouraging for Hanyu.

 

Sano: If he felt that way, I’d be truly honored. I certainly enjoyed the show thoroughly.

 

―In a way, this show was also a “gift” to the teachers who who taught him skating when he was young.

 

Sano: That’s right. When I was in Sendai, he was still really little. His older sister was learning figure skating, and he’d come along with her. So I didn't see him skate much. He was mostly just crying back then. It wasn’t until he moved up to Novice B that I thought, "Oh, that crybaby kid is back,” and “Wow, he’s getting really good.”

 

―It’s wonderful to see how the legacy of Japanese men’s figure skating has continued like this.

 

Sano: Figure skating as a sport has become a huge presence in Japan, and that’s thanks to the skaters who’ve brought it this far. Looking back, there was (Ito) Midori, and there was Yuka Sato as well. Those athletes became world champions, and slowly, the sport’s foundation widened. Then Hanyu-kun came along and really caused it to explode in popularity. Still, I never imagined figure skating would become this deeply ingrained in Japan. I honestly couldn’t be happier.

 

―I think that sentiment comes exactly because you're someone who knows how things were in the past.

 

Sano: Yes. Myself too, I started working on the show now known as “Prince Ice World” since I was 21. Back then, it was called “Viva! Ice World,” and I started it with the hope that "even one more person will know the joy of figure skating." I think maybe, in some small way, it has been of help. But even so, I never dreamed it would become something this huge.

 

―Finally, please give some words of encouragement to Hanyu.

 

Sano: I was really clapping my hands with joy this time. I truly had a wonderful time. He successfully pulled off a dome performance, something no one in the world had done before. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what kind of new world he’ll show us through figure skating from here on.

 

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Born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1955. From 1972, he won the men's singles at the All-Japan Championships five consecutive times and competed in the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics. In 1977, he won a bronze medal at the World Championships, the first ever by a Japanese man. After retiring, he worked as a professional skater and devoted himself to organizing ice shows. He is currently the head coach at the Meiji Jingu Gaien Ice Skating Rink and is also highly regarded for his easy-to-understand commentary.

 

[yuzurujenn]

* Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2023 Hope and Light on the Ice, pg 18-21

<Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu>
Special Guest: Takahito Mura

 

12 years ago, on March 11, the night sky over Sendai, struck by an unprecedented earthquake, was filled with countless stars. The ice show Notte Stellata, with Yuzuru Hanyu as the lead performer. Takahito Mura, who performed in the show alongside Keiji Tanaka, Satoko Miyahara, Rika Hongo, and others, shares behind-the-scenes stories. What were the feelings Hanyu poured into the show, and what wishes did Mura himself embed in his program?

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

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