[2026] Notte Stellata 2026 + 15th Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.05

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260305-OHT1T51292.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318130445/https://hochi.news/articles/20260305-OHT1T51292.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu smiles with his teammates during rehearsal; "notte stellata" opens on the 7th.

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), will be held for three days starting on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. Hanyu and other performers participated in a rehearsal at a skating rink in Miyagi Prefecture on the 5th.

 

Spoiler

This year marks the 15th anniversary, on the 11th, since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The show “notte stellata,” themed around sharing hope, will be held for the fourth consecutive year. Yuzuru Hanyu spent about three hours rehearsing and coordinating with his fellow performers.

 

In 2024, Javier Fernández, the bronze medalist from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, joined the cast that had appeared in the inaugural 2023 performance. Since then, this unchanging “family” has continued to build the show together.

 

　With choreographer David Wilson at the center, the entire cast, including co-stars Akiko Suzuki, Takahito Mura, and Keiji Tanaka, checked their movements together, demonstrating perfect synchronization. Their smiles spoke volumes about the trust they had in each other.

 

　Hanyu, who was affected by the disaster in Sendai City, felt a "light of hope" in the starry sky he saw on his way from his home to the evacuation center, and named his performance "notte stellata," which means "starry night" in Italian.

 

　Guests will include Javier Fernandez, Jason Brown, Shae-Lynn Bourne Turok, Satoko Miyahara, Akiko Suzuki, Keiji Tanaka, Takahito Mura, Rika Hongo, and Violetta Afanasieva, as well as the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, based in Tohoku, as a special guest this year.

 

　◆Streaming: "Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026" will be exclusively live-streamed on Hulu.

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260305-OHT1T51307.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318130852/https://hochi.news/articles/20260305-OHT1T51307.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu makes his return after eight months, restarting his activities in his hometown of Miyagi. Rehearsals underway for ‘notte stellata,’ opening on the 7th.”

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), will be held for three days starting on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. Hanyu participated in a rehearsal at a skating rink in Miyagi Prefecture on the 5th.

 

Spoiler

This year marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake on the 11th. "notte stellata," with its theme of sending a message of hope, is being held for the fourth time in four consecutive years. Choreographer David Wilson led the way as all the performers, including co-stars Akiko Suzuki, Takahito Mura, and Keiji Tanaka, checked their movements together, demonstrating perfect synchronization. Their mutual trust was evident in their smiles.

 

Last August, Hanyu reported on his X (formerly Twitter) that he would take a maintenance period during the season to further improve himself. This performance marks his return in his hometown. It is his first appearance in about eight months since the opening commemorative ice show “The First Skate,” held last July at an arena in Sendai. During rehearsal, he successfully landed triple jumps such as the loop and flip, showcasing his unchanged, beautiful skating.

 

　◆Streaming: "Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026" will be exclusively live-streamed on Hulu.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.06

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260305-OHT1T51402.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318131240/https://hochi.news/articles/20260305-OHT1T51402.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu makes a long-awaited return after 8 months, restarting in his hometown Miyagi—‘notte stellata’ opens on the 7th.

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu not stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), will be held for three days starting on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. On the 5th, Hanyu participated in a rehearsal at a skating rink in Miyagi Prefecture. After a maintenance period, this marks his first appearance since July of last year. He is restarting his activities with his fourth consecutive show in his hometown. From the disaster-stricken area, which will mark 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 on the 11th, he will once again send a message of hope.

 

Spoiler

The moment Hanyu appeared on the ice, the atmosphere became more vibrant and focused. Last August, he announced on his X account that "For this season, I have decided to take a maintenance period in order to further improve." This was his first appearance in eight months since the opening ceremony ice show "The First Skate" held at the Sendai City Arena in July of the same year. After his maintenance period, Yuzuru Hanyu has returned to the ice.

 

He landed triple jumps such as the loop and flip, showcasing his unchanged, beautiful skating. He spent about three hours rehearsing and coordinating with his fellow performers.

 

In 2024, Javier Fernández, the bronze medalist from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, joined the cast from the show’s first performance in 2023. Since then, this steadfast “family” has continued to build the show together.

 

Centered around choreographer David Wilson, performers including Takahito Mura and Keiji Tanaka rehearsed in perfect sync, carefully confirming their movements. Their smiles reflected the strong trust they share.

 

March 11 marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Hanyu, who experienced the disaster in Sendai, felt a “light of hope” in the starry sky he saw while heading from his home to an evacuation center. This inspired the title “notte stellata,” which means “starry night” in Italian.

 

This year marks the fourth consecutive staging of the show. He will once again demonstrate leadership as the show's lead. When the show was announced last December, he shared:

 

“Together with my fellow skaters, transcending nationalities, I hope we can form one circle and create a shared sense of hope.”

 

In his cherished hometown, with his cherished companions, he takes another step in his renewed journey. 

 

◆ Streaming: “Towayakuhin presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026” will be streamed exclusively live on Hulu.

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260306-OHT1T51446.html?page=1

Archived: 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra share a sense of unity at "notte stellata," which opens on the 7th.

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), will be held for three days starting on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. A rehearsal simulating the actual performance was held at the venue on the 6th.

 

Spoiler

　Yuzuru Hanyu and the other skaters met this year's special guest, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, on the ice. They introduced themselves and exchanged applause. The practice proceeded in a calm atmosphere. They performed their collaborative number together for the first time with live music. A sense of unity enveloped the venue even during the dress rehearsal, which started in the evening.

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260306-OHT1T51448.html?page=1

Archived: 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu performs in Miyagi, blending music and emotion — ‘notte stellata’ opens on the 7th.”

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), will be held for three days starting on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. A rehearsal simulating the actual performance was held at the venue on the 6th. This year's special guest, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, performed a collaborative piece.

 

Spoiler

The Tohoku Youth Orchestra was born from a musical exchange between Ryuichi Sakamoto and children in the disaster-stricken areas that began immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.  It is a mixed orchestra of about 90 members, ranging from elementary school students to university students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. This time, around 50 members will participate. Their activities are driven by a strong desire to convey emotions through music from the Tohoku region.  The skaters and the orchestra worked together in unity, preparing for the premiere on the 7th.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.07

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260306-OHT1T51451.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318132150/https://hochi.news/articles/20260306-OHT1T51451.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu joins the Tohoku Youth Orchestra in a performance carrying on a legacy. ‘notte stellata’ opens on the 7th.”

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), will be held for three days starting on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. A rehearsal simulating the actual performance was held at the venue on the 6th. Hanyu met with special guests, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, and deepened their bond by performing their collaborative routine together on the ice for the first time.

 

Spoiler

Yuzuru Hanyu and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra met for the first time on the ice. The participating skaters lined up in a row for self-introductions. In a friendly atmosphere of applause, the practice began. The orchestra's leader was seen smiling gently and saying, "Thank you for having me." They performed their collaborative number together for the first time with live music. The skaters responded to the music, which was filled with unwavering determination, with passionate skating.

 

　The Tohoku Youth Orchestra was born from a musical exchange between Ryuichi Sakamoto and children in the disaster-stricken areas that began immediately after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. It is a mixed orchestra of about 90 members, ranging from elementary school students to university students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, with 50 participating this time. A strong desire to convey emotion through music from Tohoku is the source of their activities. The skaters and orchestra worked together in harmony as they prepared for the performance. A sense of unity enveloped the venue even during the dress rehearsal that began in the evening.

 

　March 11th marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Before the opening of this show, Hanyu said, "I feel it is important to convey to children born after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and to children who are too young to remember the earthquake, both the hardships of the disaster, and what we were able to learn because of it." His dedication to give his all from rehearsal remains unchanged. From the ice, he offers his prayers and passes hope on to the future.

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260307-OHT1T51364.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318133025/https://hochi.news/articles/20260307-OHT1T51364.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu performed Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Yae no Sakura" in Tohoku, reflecting on the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.　

 

　The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), opened on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture.

 

Spoiler

It’ll be 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake on the 11th. Hanyu performed “Yae no Sakura,” a piece reflecting Ryuichi Sakamoto’s hopes for reconstruction, accompanied live by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra as special guests, sending a message of hope and prayer from the disaster-stricken region. After an eight-month break for maintenance, he returned to the ice and presented two new programs.

 

The show, the fourth in four consecutive years, began with the title number, "not stellata."  The glow of penlights in the audience shone like stars. During the opening, he gave a speech on behalf of all the performers, speaking gently into the microphone.

 

“I hope each skater can be, even just a little, a star of hope for everyone. And now, 15 years later, more than ever, we want to combine our individual strengths, just as we did back then, so that when you leave tonight, you can feel even a little of this sense of unity, this bond. We want to make this performance that kind of experience.”

 

Hanyu prepared two new programs to music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who served as music director of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, connecting hearts in sync with the live performance. At the end of the first half, he skated “Happy End,” a self-choreographed piece. Dressed in white, he started sprawled on the ice in a star shape and included original movements and spins.

 

For the grand finale, he performed “Yae no Sakura,” the theme song for the 2013 NHK Taiga drama, which was set in Fukushima, Yae's hometown. Hanyu delivered a powerful and beautiful performance, reflecting both Yae’s strength in turbulent times and Japan’s ongoing journey of recovery after the earthquake.

 

The Tohoku Youth Orchestra was formed from the musical exchanges between Ryuichi Sakamoto and children in the disaster-affected regions that began immediately after the 2011 earthquake. The mixed orchestra, consisting of around 90 students from elementary to university in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, had 50 members participate in this ice show.

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260307-OHT1T51461.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318133613/https://hochi.news/articles/20260307-OHT1T51461.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "It's incredibly difficult" - Thoughts on his new program "Happy End" - Part 1 of Q&A

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), opened on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. The 11th marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Hanyu expressed his wish that "we can feel the 'circle' and 'bond' even more strongly." He performed four songs, including two new pieces, in his first collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, for which Ryuichi Sakamoto served as music director. This is the first part of a Q&A session with Hanyu, who made his return after eight months in front of a sold-out audience of 6,500 people.

 

Spoiler

-Thank you for your hard work.

 

"thank you very much"

 

—It had been a while since you last performed in front of everyone.

 

"I was incredibly nervous. It wasn't just the tension, but the overwhelming feeling of wanting to live up to the high expectations placed upon me. I was so nervous that my hands and feet were actually shaking. But I think I was able to put my feelings and technique into my performance."

 

—It's almost 15 years since the earthquake. What are your thoughts as you performed?

 

"Fifteen years have passed. I feel like I've been moving forward, gradually understanding how to confront and coming to terms with my own ways of facing and living with sadness and pain. Because of these 15 years, I’ve also felt a desire to confront those wounds directly. And precisely because of what happened, I feel that I’ve learned and grown; that I’m living and living strongly now. I wanted to express that in some way, so I choreographed 'Happy End' myself."

 

—How have your feelings towards the disaster-stricken areas changed over the past 15 years?

 

　"Honestly, I don't feel like anything has really changed for me. Fifteen years is, in a sense, a number that feels like a milestone in human life, like a multiple of five. Certainly, in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate, reconstruction has advanced in some areas, and communities have been revived. But there are still regions that remain left behind. Even in places that have supposedly recovered, if you look deeper, things aren’t fully restored. In that sense, I feel that I want to continue supporting them, and at the same time, I’ve come to understand that I, too, need to carry the wounds and traumas I experienced from the disaster, and learn to live with them.”

 

—What was your interpretation of the meaning behind "Happy End" and how did you approach your performance?

 

　"It's just incredibly painful. I have a piece in my repertoire called ‘Requiem for Heaven and Earth,’ and with that, I tried to express the scenes of looking out over streets strewn with rubble at the time, or the cars around the airport, and the roads piled high with debris, as if a soul were present within those sights. But this time, it felt more like my own body was being consumed. Of course, it’s a piece by Professor Ryuichi Sakamoto. I had heard that when he originally wrote this piece, he was struggling with illness. I feel that the wounds of the earthquake and the affected areas, places like Miyagi Prefecture and Sendai, are gradually recovering, little by little, but there are still scars. For example, when I skate at Ice Rink Sendai, I can see the marks on the walls, scars that remain even though they’ve been repaired. I sense those visible scars bit by bit. Even while being affected by them and struggled with the pain, I’ve come to accept that all those scars are a part of me. I wanted to create a program that, even after the performance ends, leaves the audience with the feeling that there’s a next step, a next time."

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260307-OHT1T51468.html?page=1

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260318134954/https://hochi.news/articles/20260307-OHT1T51468.html?page=1

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "Yae no Sakura" is a sequel to "Ten to Chi to" (Part 2 of Q&A)

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu not stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), opened on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. The 11th marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Hanyu expressed his hope that "we can feel the 'circle' and 'bond' even more strongly." He performed four songs, including two new routines, in his first collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, for which Ryuichi Sakamoto served as music director. This is the second half of the Q&A session with Hanyu, who made his return after eight months in front of a sold-out audience of 6,500 people.

 

Spoiler

—After your break, have you made any new discoveries, anything new regarding figure skating?

 

“I’ve been studying various ways of moving the body, and I realized once again just how much I’ve been skating in my own way all this time. Figure skating is certainly a popular sport, but if you look at the actual number of people practicing it, it’s not that large. And if you ask whether there is a lot of research with scientific evidence, that’s not really the case either. In such a sport that is still largely unexplored from a research perspective, I realized once again how much of my training and technique has been based on trial and error, without much scientific foundation. In that sense, even though it was only a little, and I haven’t had a very long period to do maintenance, I feel that I have been able to learn, at least the very basics of how to use the body, not only as a figure skater but also as someone involved in sports or dance.”

 

—The generation that didn’t experience the earthquake firsthand is increasing.

 

“Among the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, with whom we collaborated this time, there are people who were born after the earthquake, and there are children who were so young at the time that they have no memory of it. I believe that, thanks to Ryuichi Sakamoto, those children have spent their lives thinking about the disaster and the ongoing recovery. Similarly, I was 16 at the time, and through all the interviews and articles, I felt that I had a role to play in passing on what had happened. Even though I was young at the time, I felt like I had some kind of mission.

 

Since then, I’ve visited various places affected by disasters, not just the Great East Japan Earthquake, but also Noto, Ofunato, Iburi, and Kumamoto. I’ve seen that the event has changed awareness of disaster preparedness, and as a result, lives and livelihoods have been protected.  I believe that it is because these stories are being passed down that disaster mitigation efforts continue to grow. For that reason, it’s important for those of us who remember that time to keep passing on the knowledge, even as generations grow younger, as new lives are born. We must continue to tell them: this happened, and because of that, we learned to protect what is important.”

 

　—What is the reason for choosing "Yae no Sakura" and the feelings you put into it?

 

“First, as part of the collaboration, I listened to many pieces that the Tohoku Youth Orchestra wanted to play or could play. ‘Yae no Sakura’ was one of the pieces I selected from that lineup. For myself, I had chosen ‘Ten to Chi to’ as the final program for my free skate, and I felt a strong desire to perform ‘Yae no Sakura’ as a continuation of that. Although the piece is used in the historical drama, I didn’t base my performance on the story itself. Rather, it was about how I want to live my life going forward, after finishing ‘Ten to Chi to’ and standing on this stage, and imagining whether, through my skating and my performance on the ice, I could leave something behind in the paths of everyone’s lives. I created the program with the image of leaving behind one memory after another at the end.”

 

— Did you choreograph it yourself?

 

“I created it together with David (Wilson).”

 

— For ‘Happy End,’ there was a different sense of tension and stillness compared to before. What aspects did you focus on in the choreography?

 

“Yeah… I feel like I added more dance elements. Also, I talked a lot about how to use the body. Because I understand the theory behind body movement, I can create coordinated motion that makes sense physically. It’s a bit like boxing, though I’m not a boxer, but when a really strong boxer throws a punch, their body moves so beautifully. There’s a kind of beauty in those curved lines of motion. In the same way, I think that in our physical expression, there are movements that are beautiful precisely because they follow rational principles. I kept that in mind as a foundation for the emotions in the program.

 

After the PyeongChang Olympics, I mentioned that artistry has to be built on solid technique. During this maintenance period, I realized again that to convey emotion effectively, you first need that technical and fundamental base. Only then can you layer emotion on top. I built this program carefully, step by step, with that in mind.”

 

— You used a lot of spins.

 

“Yes, I tried to fully integrate spins into the steps, so to speak. I wanted to erase the boundary between spins and the rest of the performance.”

 

— During your maintenance period, did you work on the basics of dance through theory, like classroom-style lecture, or mostly through actual practice?

 

“Most of it was actual dance practice. But I also spent a lot of time on theoretical study of how to use our bodies, the kind of approach you’d expect from a sports-training perspective.”

 

— So you actually danced?

 

“Yes, I danced, and also experimented with different training methods, trying new approaches, adjusting things, and thinking about what would work best for figure skating. That’s what this period was like.”

 

— Did your body change at all?

 

“I feel like I got a bit slimmer.”