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

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.08

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260308/k00/00m/050/060000c

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260308033340/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260308/k00/00m/050/060000c

 

<Explained in 1 minute> Yuzuru Hanyu performs a dance of "hope" in disaster-stricken Miyagi Prefecture

 

　Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a professional figure skater who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, is the director of "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026," an ice show broadcasting from the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which is being held in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture. This time, we will explain "notte stellata 2026" so that you can read it in one minute.

 

Spoiler

Q: What is the meaning behind the show's name?

The name of the show is Italian and means "starry sky" or "starry night."

 

Q: Why was this name chosen?

A: Hanyu, who is from Sendai City, was given this name because he felt hope when he saw the starry sky at an evacuation center on the night of March 11, 2011, when the earthquake struck.

Q: What are the distinguishing features of this year's show?

A This year marks 15 years since the earthquake. A new program created in collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra by Hanyu was also unveiled.

 

Q: How long will the show run?

The show will be held for three days until the 9th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture.

 

Q: What did Hanyu say?

A. Hanyu said, "Now that 15 years have passed, I want to create a performance where everyone can feel a sense of 'connection' and 'bond'."

 

 

 

Source: https://www.daily.co.jp/en/general/2026/03/08/0020099598.shtml

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319081003/https://www.daily.co.jp/en/general/2026/03/08/0020099598.shtml

 

Yuzuru Hanyu performs a dance of hope in the 15th year of reconstruction, performing with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra "with all his heart and skill"

 

The ice show "Hanyu Yuzuru Notte Stellata," hosted by Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a professional skater from Sendai City who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, opened on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture. 

 

Spoiler

With 11 days marking the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which he himself was affected by, he performed with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, a mixed orchestra made up of members ranging from elementary school students to university students from Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima, in front of an audience of approximately 6,500 people, expressing his hopes for recovery. This is the fourth consecutive year that the ice show has been held. Performances will continue until the 9th.

Towards recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. He danced smoothly, blending with the music played by the orchestra. "I was so nervous I was shaking, but I was able to put my heart and skill into my skating," he said. Hanyu's performance has once again given people hope this year.

 

The performance was a collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, which was formed in response to a call from the late musician Ryuichi Sakamoto immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Sakamoto composed "Happy End," which he choreographed himself. He said that the performance expressed the pain he felt from the damage caused by the disaster, but added, "Ultimately, I created a program that would make people think there's always a next time."

 

In "Yae no Sakura," he used his entire body to represent the powerfully blooming cherry blossoms. "I created this with the image of placing memories one by one, as if I had left something behind in the tracks of everyone's lives." Fans were captivated by Hanyu's characteristically graceful skating, which was imbued with a prayer for the souls of the dead.

 

It will soon be 15 years since then. "I was 16 years old at the time. I felt that I had to do my best to convey this message. Even though I was young, I felt like I had a mission." This year too, he placed his wishes under the starry sky.

 

◆ Programs that Hanyu skated to

1. Notte Stellata

2. Happy End

(Yuzuru Hanyu x Tohoku Youth Orchestra)

3. Yae no Sakura

(Yuzuru Hanyu x Tohoku Youth Orchestra)

 

 

 

Source: https://the-ans.jp/news/650804/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319081134/https://the-ans.jp/news/650804/

 

“A glimpse in the background… a newly released latest shot of Yuzuru Hanyu — "Amazing!" Reactions pour in to the renowned choreographer.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu, who achieved consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Games, kicked off his ice show "notte stellata" on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture. His renowned choreographer updated his Instagram on the 8th, sharing the latest photos of Hanyu.

 

Spoiler

David Wilson updated his Instagram

　Yuzuru Hanyu, who achieved consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Games, kicked off his ice show "notte stellata" on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture. His renowned choreographer updated his Instagram on the 8th, sharing the latest photos of Hanyu.

 

　He smiled behind me.

 

　"Notte Stellata," which is being held for the fourth consecutive year, will feature performances until the 9th, with a star-studded lineup including Yuzuru Hanyu, Javier Fernandez, Jason Brown, and Satoko Miyahara.

 

　Choreographer David Wilson, known for his successful collaboration with Hanyu, also visited Japan and updated his Instagram on the 8th. He wrote, "The last practice with the unbelievably wonderful Tohoku Youth Orchestra!! It was great collaborating with them," and posted a selfie of the group photo taken after the practice. Hanyu is also smiling behind Wilson. Comments included "Thanks for sharing, David," and "The event symbolizes the tradition of the Olympic flame. It's amazing."

 

　Furthermore, the show featured the Tohoku Youth Orchestra as a special guest, and members of the orchestra were also pictured.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.08

Source: https://www.ninomiyasports.com/archives/136654

Archived: 

 

"There's more after the performance ends" - Yuzuru Hanyu entrusts a Happy End to the audience ~notte stellata 2026~

 

The opening-day performance (audience: 6,500) of the ice show “Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026” was held on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena (Grandi 21) in Miyagi Prefecture. This ice show is structured in two parts, the first half and the second half, with an intermission in between. Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who serves as the lead performer, collaborated twice with the special guest, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, once at the end of the first half and again toward the end of the second half. He delivered a grand performance combining skating and orchestra to the audience, as well as to viewers watching via live viewing and streaming. “notte stellata 2026” will also be held at the same arena on the 8th and 9th.

 

Spoiler

“notte stellata,” which began in 2023 and is now in its fourth edition, has as its concept the idea of sending out hope from Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, one of the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011. Every year, this ice show features collaborations between special guests and skaters.

 

This year’s special guest is the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. This orchestra was founded in 2014, stemming from the "Children's Music Revival Fund" project, initiated by world-renowned musician Ryuichi Sakamoto to inspect and repair musical instruments in schools damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Now in its 11th year, it is a mixed orchestra of about 90 members ranging from elementary school students to university students. Their mission statements include ideas such as “Music can draw out the will to live” and “From being supported to supporting others.” Fifty members are participating in this ice show.

 

Hanyu spent time improving his performance during what he called a "maintenance period" starting in August 2025. This marked his return to the ice in public after about six months.

 

At the end of the first half, the first collaboration between Hanyu and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra was presented. The piece was “Happy End,” composed by Sakamoto. This piece is characterized by the main melody being passed from woodwind instruments to string instruments, piano, and brass instruments.

 

“Happy End” was choreographed by Hanyu himself. The performance began with him lying on his back in a spread-eagle position at the center of the rink. As the orchestra began to play, Hanyu expressed an inability to get up despite trying, appearing as if in pain. During the piece, he raised his hands into the air as if wanting to emerge from a dark hole to the surface.

 

Accompanied by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra's poignant and even frantic melodies, Hanyu writhed on the ice, continuously expressing his suffering. When the music abruptly ended, Hanyu, still struggling, collapsed onto the ice, concluding his performance, as if leaving room for the audience's imagination.

 

The audience was overwhelmed by the live performance and Hanyu’s skating, which was close to contemporary dance. Normally, everyone would give a standing ovation, but such was the impact of the performance that some audience members even forgot to stand.

 

After the opening-day performance ended, Yuzuru Hanyu said that in the program “Happy End,” he wanted to express “a really painful feeling,” and continued:

 

“This time, it’s like my own body is being eaten away, and of course, since it’s a piece by Ryuichi Sakamoto, I’ve heard that when he first wrote this piece, he himself had long been suffering from illness. In the disaster-affected areas of Miyagi Prefecture and Sendai City as well, recovery is certainly progressing little by little, but scars remain. When I myself skate at Ice Rink Sendai, I feel things like the scars left on the walls, or damage that has been repaired but is still visible, little by little. While being worn down by those things, I am suffering, but in the end, I accept that all those scars are also part of myself. I tried to make it a program where, after the performance ends, you can feel that there is something next.”

 

Rather than showing a happy ending, Hanyu and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra presented the raw process of reaching a “happy end.” A “happy end” may be something desired by those who are currently suffering. Rather than something brought by others, it may be something one grasps with one’s own hands, or creates, while gritting one’s teeth and accepting the pain.

 

“After the performance ends, there is something next”—Hanyu and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra entrusted the conclusion of the story to the audience.

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.09

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260308-OHT1T51457.html?page=1

Archived: 

 

“Yuzuru Hanyu’s ‘straightforward words’ A soulful collaborative performance woven together.”

 

The second day of performances for the ice show “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026,” led by professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), was held on the 8th at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi. March 11 marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake.

 

 

Spoiler

In his opening remarks, Hanyu said, "Transcending language, borders, districts, and regions, even without speaking or holding hands, just as everyone has worked hard to rebuild, and continues to work hard now, we hope we each become a star and a source of hope for you, delivering our performances so that you can feel the connection and bond."

 

After the show, Hanyu called out to the audience: “How was the live performance by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra?”

A wave of applause filled the venue, and smiles bloomed across the stage. This year’s special guest was the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. Hanyu had received recorded music in advance, choreographed it himself, and practiced extensively. The first time they performed together live was the day before opening.

 

He continued passionately:
“Truly, far beyond what I had imagined, I could really feel, once we came onto this rink, how much they must have practiced since then. Performing in this cold rink, with fingers going numb and under such intense pressure, and yet delivering such a wonderful performance, I think they’ve worked incredibly, incredibly hard. It’s no small feat. They poured their souls into creating this for this stage.”

Speaking on behalf of all the skaters, he expressed his gratitude.

 

One of the new collaborative pieces with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, founded by Ryuichi Sakamoto together with young people from areas affected by the earthquake, is “Happy End.” From rehearsals at the venue, they deepened their shared understanding of the piece.  Longing for the world, jealousy, envy, and beautiful melodies. Living while carrying wounds and pain. Accepting that as part of oneself and moving forward.  Comparing sounds and musical parts to a heartbeat, pulse, and breath, Hanyu conveyed his own interpretation in carefully chosen words, layering it with thoughts of Sakamoto.

 

Aiko Chiba (22), a second-generation member, said:
“With straightforward words, he told us things like, ‘I think this piece carries these feelings,’ and ‘this part played by this instrument feels like this kind of emotion.’”

 

Minami Suzuki (21), a first-generation member, reflected:
“Until I heard Hanyu’s interpretation, I only vaguely felt it was a piece overflowing with emotion. He spoke so much about how it’s filled with jealousy and deep, earnest feelings.”

 

A performance and skating that seemed to resonate with emotion. The significance of passing it on to the younger generation. This new collaboration played out a prayer in Tohoku.

 

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260309-OHT1T51317.html?page=1

Archived: 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "Feel the 'life' that you are living right now" - Final performance of "notte stellata"

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), concluded on the 9th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. The 11th marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. This year, the show featured the Tohoku Youth Orchestra as a special guest and concluded its three-day run.

 

Spoiler

Hanyu, who experienced the disaster in Sendai, felt a “light of hope” in the starry sky he saw on the night he evacuated from his home to a shelter. He named the show “notte stellata,” Italian for “starry night.” This year marks its fourth consecutive year and fourth overall staging.

In his opening remarks, he said:

“The closer March 11 approaches, the more we inevitably find ourselves thinking about many things, and I believe we will continue to live on, always reflecting in this way. As you watch this performance, I hope you will feel the ‘life’ you have lived over these 15 years, and the ‘life’ you are living today. And we skaters, too, will feel life to the fullest here, and leave behind pieces of our souls in this place. I hope all of you will also overcome various obstacles and become one. Please stay with us and watch over us until the very end.”

 

He performed alongside the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, which was founded by Ryuichi Sakamoto together with young people from areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. In this show, he presented two new collaborative pieces, “Happy End” and “Yae no Sakura.” Including “notte stellata” and “Song of Hope,” he skated a total of four pieces, closing with “Etude” for the curtain call.

 

This year as well, the lineup featured Javier Fernández, Jason Brown, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Satoko Miyahara, Akiko Suzuki, Keiji Tanaka, Takahito Mura, Rika Hongo, Violetta Afanasieva, and choreographer David Wilson.

 

 

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260309-OHT1T51328.html?page=1

Archived: 

 

“Yuzuru Hanyu delivers prayer, love, and hope. "I hope even a fragment of it remains" - Final performance of "notte stellata"

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu note stellata 2026," starring professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), concluded on the 9th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture. The 11th marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. This year, the show featured the Tohoku Youth Orchestra as a special guest and concluded its three-day run.

 

Spoiler

Hanyu, who experienced the disaster in Sendai, felt a “light of hope” in the starry sky he saw on the night he evacuated from his home to a shelter. He named the show “notte stellata,” Italian for “starry night.” This year marks its fourth consecutive year and fourth overall staging.

 

He performed alongside the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, founded by Ryuichi Sakamoto together with young people from areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. In this show, he presented two new collaborative pieces, “Happy End” and “Yae no Sakura.” Including “notte stellata” and “Song of Hope,” he skated a total of four pieces, closing with “Etude” for the curtain call. After the performance, he took the microphone and addressed the audience.

 

“This place, after March 11, was a temporary morgue. It is a place close to death, and also a place where so much ‘life’ gathers like this. Professor Sakamoto’s music is performed here, and the performances by these wonderful skaters are filled with prayer, love, and hope. I hope that for all of you, even just a fragment of it will remain. And that tomorrow, and far into the future, it can become a source of hope in moments when things feel a little difficult. Thank you very much. Please cherish the life you have today, and please, please take care and stay well.”

 

This year as well, the lineup included Javier Fernández, Jason Brown, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Satoko Miyahara, Akiko Suzuki, Keiji Tanaka, Takahito Mura, Rika Hongo, Violetta Afanasieva, and choreographer David Wilson.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.09

Source: https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/380253

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260310081132/https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/380253

 

[Figure Skating] Yuzuru Hanyu's resolve as a successor to the 3/11 legacy: Holding the light of hope in his hands.

 

The second day of “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata,” led by professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a two-time Olympic champion in men’s figure skating, was held on the 8th at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi. Through his performances, Hanyu delivered a light of hope, and has long devoted himself as a symbol of recovery. Even off the ice, he is sending a message of hope for recovery to the world by showcasing his own journey.

 

Spoiler

March 11 marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which Hanyu himself experienced. As he continues to confront both his own heart and the affected regions, he performed the new piece “Happy End,” carrying the desire to “express, in some way, the fact that we are living strongly.” As the finale, he powerfully performed “Yae no Sakura,” choreographed by David Wilson, drawing loud cheers from the audience.

 

Hanyu was 16 at the time of the disaster. As the years have passed, his position has changed, but his feelings toward his hometown of Sendai have never wavered. Off the ice, he also serves as a tourism ambassador for Sendai. An exhibition titled “Yuzuru Hanyu and the City of Sendai: Toward Recovery and the Future Beyond,” which introduces his journey and the appeal of Sendai, has been running since the 4th. A representative from the city explained, “Hanyu actively engages in activities in Sendai, and we hope to work together with him to further energize the city.”

 

Hanyu’s side readily agreed to the planning of the event. At the venue, items such as the skating boots he wore at Ice Rink Sendai during the time of the disaster, as well as costumes from the 2011–12 season when the earthquake occurred, are on display. The representative added, “I believe this exhibition reflects the process of overcoming the circumstances he faced at the time of the disaster.”

 

For reconstruction efforts, passing down the memory of the disaster to future generations is also essential. Hanyu’s initiatives carry great significance in this regard. Even before the event began, more than 8,000 people had applied in advance for tickets. Furthermore, when an application form for international visitors was created, around 400 inquiries were received from 22 countries. A city representative commented, “It has become a valuable opportunity not only for people in Japan but also for those overseas to learn about the situation in Sendai,” revealing the strong response.

 

In addition, products from a collaboration between the event and Sendai Hira, a premier brand of hakama fabric, are on display. Efforts are also being made to promote local specialties, such as selling a limited number of exclusive items inspired by Hanyu’s formal montsuki haori and hakama attire. The same representative said, “Sendai Hira is a traditional craft of Sendai, so we would like to share it widely together with Hanyu.”

 

Today’s children have not experienced the disaster. There are also growing concerns in society about the memory of it fading over time. Precisely for that reason, Hanyu has said, “I want to keep telling people, ‘This is what happened,’ and ‘Because this happened, we learned how to protect lives in this way.’”

 

Having resolved in his youth to serve as a bearer of the disaster’s memory, the skater will continue his activities with dedication.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/380312

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260310134724/https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/380312

 

[Figure Skating] Yuzuru Hanyu reflects on "notte stellata": "I hope it will become a source of hope."

 

　Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, held the final performance of "Yuzuru Hanyu not stellata," which he stars in, at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture on the 9th, and reflected on the three-day run of the show.

 

Spoiler

March 11 marks 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which Hanyu himself experienced. With the desire to “express, in some way, that we are living strongly,” he performed “Happy End,” as well as “Yae no Sakura,” choreographed by David Wilson, in a uniquely expressive manner.

 

After the performance, Hanyu took the microphone and spoke solemnly:
“After March 11, this venue was used as a temporary morgue. In that sense, it is a place very close to death, but also a place where a great deal of ‘life’ gathers. Even now, many concerts are held here, and we perform ice shows like this. It has truly become a place that gives rise to all kinds of opportunities.”

 

“Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata” began in 2023, and this fourth edition features a collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, founded by Ryuichi Sakamoto after the earthquake.

“I feel proud that Professor Sakamoto’s music can be played here, and that we can deliver performances filled with the prayers, love, and hope of such wonderful skaters. I hope that for all of you, it can become a source of hope tomorrow and in the future, especially when things feel a little difficult,” he shared.

 

At the end, Hanyu bowed and said, “Thank you very much,” before leaving the rink. The venue erupted in loud applause.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.09

Source: https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2026/03/09/notte_stellata/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260311064233/https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2026/03/09/notte_stellata/

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "I have moved forward while understanding how to cope with sadness and pain." His determination to continue conveying the story of the earthquake disaster, as shown in 'notte stellata'.

 

Ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026" opened from March 7th to 9th. Yuzuru Hanyu explained his feelings now, 15 years later, as follows.

 

Spoiler

"Certainly, in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate, reconstruction has progressed in some areas, and communities have been revived in others, but there are also areas that remain left behind. Even in places that say, 'We've recovered,' if you look closely, you'll find that we haven't recovered at all... It's not like things will go back to how they were. In that sense, I want to continue supporting them forever, and I've come to understand and come to terms with the fact that I myself will continue to carry the wounds and traumas of the disaster forever."

 

【That's why I live strongly】

With that state of mind, there was a slightly different kind of stillness in Hanyu’s skating in this year’s “notte stellata.” It was a performance where emotions welling up were pressed deep inside, expressed through a quiet inner world—one that seemed to seep into those watching. A similar serenity could also be felt in the skating of Rika Hongo, Akiko Suzuki, and Takahito Mura following the opening.

 

Hanyu appeared at the end of the first act, performing his new program, "Happy End." The program was a collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, which consists of elementary school students to university students from the disaster-stricken areas. This mixed orchestra was formed as a result of a project initiated by Ryuichi Sakamoto immediately after the earthquake to inspect and repair musical instruments in schools in the affected areas.

 

It was a quiet performance wrapped in tension. As the sounds of the instruments layered and resonated, it was also a program where one could feel something like a force rising from within.

 

“Over these 15 years, I feel I’ve been moving forward little by little, learning how to face and live with my own sadness and wounds. Because that time has passed, I’ve now come to feel a desire to face those wounds directly. And precisely because that happened, I feel that I am living now, learning, and living strongly, and I wanted to express that in some way. That’s why I choreographed ‘Happy End’ myself.”

 

He went on to describe the feelings he put into “Happy End”:

 

“It feels, above all, overwhelmingly painful. ‘Requiem of Heaven and Earth’ (which I performed after the disaster) was more directly focused on the earthquake, and it was like depicting a scene of looking out over roads piled high with debris, and finding a single soul within that.

 

This time, it’s more about my own body being gradually consumed… I had also heard that when Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote this piece, he himself was being consumed by illness… While reconstruction has progressed little by little, there are still scars remaining here and there, like the marks left on the walls of Ice Rink Sendai where I practice. As I feel those little by little, it’s as if I’m being eroded by them, suffering through it, but in the end, I wanted to create a program where I can accept all of those wounds as part of myself, and after the performance, feel that ‘there is something ahead.’”

 

[Starting from the very basics for expression]

 

His skating itself also seemed to carry a different atmosphere than before. Hanyu explained the reason for this change:

 

“I feel like I’ve incorporated more elements of dance. Also, there’s a kind of connected movement that’s possible precisely because I now understand the theory behind how to use the body. If you look at a boxer, the punches of someone truly strong move cleanly through the body, and there’s a kind of curved beauty to them. In the same way, when it comes to our physical expression, I think there are movements that feel ‘beautiful as a human being’ precisely because they are grounded in logic. I had the image of thoroughly building those elements in as the foundation for emotion.

 

After the (2018) PyeongChang Olympics, I spoke about how technique forms the foundation of expression and artistry. Having gone through this period of maintenance again, I’ve realized once more that in order to layer emotion onto something, there must first be technical and fundamental elements. Only on top of that can emotion truly be placed. This is a program I constructed carefully, piece by piece, with that in mind.”

 

Since turning professional, he had held solo ice shows every year, but this time marked his return to the stage after about eight months, following a period of recharging. During that time, he studied body movement and came to realize anew how much of his skating had previously been self-taught.

 

“Figure skating is a popular sport, but in reality, it’s not one with a large number of participants, and it’s not as if there’s a wealth of scientifically grounded research. Being in such a relatively underdeveloped sport from a research perspective, I came to strongly realize just how much of my training and technique had lacked clear grounding. Even so, though it may be just a little, I feel that I’ve been able to learn at least the very basics, the ‘basics of the basics,’ of how the body should be used, not just as a figure skater, but as someone involved in sport and in dance.”

 

[The determination to convey the disaster through performance]

 

The feelings about the earthquake disaster, which remain in his heart as something we "cannot forget" and "must not forget." A kind of continuity of feeling that connects to this was expressed in the second half through Jason Brown’s performance of “Mirror in the Mirror.” And the piece Hanyu performed last was once again a collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra: “Yae no Sakura.”

 

“(During my competitive career,) I chose ‘Ten to Chi to’ as my final free skating program, so I had a desire to perform ‘Yae no Sakura’ as a continuation of that. After finishing ‘Ten to Chi to,’ I stood on this stage and thought about how I want to live my life going forward, and whether I’ve been able to leave something behind as a skater, on the ice, or along the tracks of everyone’s lives. I created this with the feeling of placing down each memory, one by one, at the end.”

 

His performance, with its gentle, flowing movements, conveyed a sense of life and evoked feelings of longing for the cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom. He concluded the ice show with a tender performance that evoked the feeling of happiness found beneath a fully bloomed cherry tree.

 

“Within the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, there are those who were born after the disaster, and those who were so young at the time that they have no memory of it. But thanks to Ryuichi Sakamoto bringing them together, I believe they live while thinking about the disaster and recovery. In the same way, I was 16 at the time, and through having many articles written and opportunities to speak, I came to feel as though I had been entrusted with a mission to do my best as someone in a position to convey these things.

 

I’ve also visited regions affected by disasters after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and I felt that because that disaster happened, awareness of disaster prevention changed, and there are lives and ways of living that were protected because of it. Because we are people who experienced that time, even as generations grow younger and new towns ‘bud’ and emerge, I want to continue telling others: ‘Because this happened, we learned how to protect ourselves in these ways.’”

 

A resolve to continue conveying the feelings about the disaster, etched deeply within his heart. This was an ice show that seemed to quietly seep into the hearts of those watching.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.09

Source: https://www.ninomiyasports.com/archives/136704

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319133439/https://www.ninomiyasports.com/archives/136704

 

Grande 21 transformed into a field of gerbera flowers ~Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026~

 

　The ice show "Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026" was held from the 7th to the 9th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena (Grandy 21) in Miyagi Prefecture, featuring professional skaters including Yuzuru Hanyu, and special guest Tohoku Youth Orchestra. In the finale, the performers delivered a performance set to the song "Kibou no Uta" (Song of Hope) by singer MISIA, sending a message of hope from the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake (this report covers the first day's performance, which had an audience of 6,500).

 

Spoiler

The ice show “notte stellata,” began in 2023. Its chairperson, Hanyu, was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, and spent time in an evacuation shelter. There, he looked up at a sky filled with stars and felt a sense of hope. Like the countless stars that illuminated the disaster-stricken areas, the concept of the show is to “share hope and create moments that bring even the slightest smiles to people.”

 

Up until now, the key visuals (posters) for “notte stellata” have mainly featured Hanyu set against a sky full of stars.

 

For the fourth edition in 2026, the key visual depicted a starry sky, Hanyu, and brightly colored gerbera flowers. The language of flowers for gerberas includes “hope” and “positivity,” with more specific meanings varying by color.

 

Among the goods for “notte stellata 2026” is a penlight that can glow in ten different colors, and can also be used as a flashlight. During the performance, when switched on, it automatically changes colors in sync with the stage production.

 

Early in the opening performance, Hanyu spoke using a microphone:

“Just like the lights you are holding, and like the starry sky behind the stage, I hope that each and every one of us, each skater, can become even a small star of hope for you. And because 15 years have passed, I hope that, just as we did back then, we can come together by combining each person’s strength, so that when you leave, even without exchanging words, you can feel a sense of connection, a sense of harmony and bonds. That’s the kind of performance I hope to create.”

 

In this show, the moment when the penlights created the most moving effect was during the finale, “Kibō no Uta” (Song of Hope) by MISIA. The introduction was performed by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. At that moment, Hanyu, who had just finished performing, stepped off the rink, while the other professional skaters remained on the ice.

 

As if in sync with the opening lyrics, the audience was bathed entirely in blue from their penlights. From what I could see, during the first chorus the colors shifted into a scattered mix of purple, green, and yellow. When the chorus ended, it returned to a uniform blue. Then, as the next chorus began, it changed once again into those same three colors.

 

Next, the lights turned into a warm, unified yellow, and Hanyu, dressed in a yellow costume, burst energetically onto the rink. As the song reached its final chorus, the audience was awash in purple, green, yellow, red, blue, and orange.

 

The scene was like brightly colored gerbera flowers swaying gently in a pleasant breeze. In that moment, Grande 21 was transformed into a field of blooming gerberas.

 

This year’s staging of “Kibō no Uta (Song of Hope)” can be said to have been a three-way collaboration among the professional skaters, the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, and the audience, a shared expression of “hope” among the three parties.

 

Although the performers were listed at the beginning of the piece, this 2026 edition of 'notte stellata' made me feel that “the audience” should also be included among them.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.09

Source: https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/9037727597bd4aa7b4327faf0c88e8a3

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319133941/https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/9037727597bd4aa7b4327faf0c88e8a3

 

[Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata] An ice show expressing his feelings about the earthquake disaster, "Sending Hope from the Disaster-Stricken Area," will be held in Miyagi Prefecture for three days starting on the 7th.

 

Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Every. Special Messenger, Yuzuru Hanyu, will be appearing in an ice show starting tomorrow that expresses his feelings about the earthquake. During rehearsals for the ice show held in Miyagi Prefecture, he was seen checking his jumps and steps, and meticulously reviewing the choreography with his fellow performers.
 

Spoiler

This ice show is being held in Miyagi Prefecture at the strong request of Hanyu, who was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake 15 years ago in Sendai, and its theme is "Sending Hope from the Disaster-Stricken Area."

 

This year marks the fourth time the show has been held. This year's special guest is the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. This orchestra, which consists of elementary school students to university students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, was started immediately after the earthquake at the call of musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Yuzuru Hanyu said,

"With the addition of younger talent, we'll be creating a larger circle of people, a single work, a single feeling. In that sense, I think I can head into the show remembering how I've been supported by so many people over the past 15 years and how I've moved forward together with so many people."

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata" will be held in Miyagi Prefecture for three days starting on the 7th.

 

(From "news every." broadcast on March 6, 2026)

 

 

 

Source: https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/b6c1ad1d35ba4a188a15af49fb7540bc

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260310054313/https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/b6c1ad1d35ba4a188a15af49fb7540bc

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: 15 years after the earthquake, bringing hope from Miyagi... Thoughts on the show

 

Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Yuzuru Hanyu, special messenger for "news every.", appeared in an ice show in his hometown of Miyagi. 

 

Spoiler

The ice show, which has been held in Miyagi since Saturday the 7th, delivered a message of hope from the disaster-stricken Miyagi to top skaters from Japan and abroad.

 

This year's ice show, the fourth of its kind, collaborated with the "Tohoku Youth Orchestra," which consists of elementary school to university students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. They performed songs such as "Yae no Sakura," a piece composed by musician Ryuichi Sakamoto that reflects the earthquake.

 

Outside the venue, there were stalls selling Sendai's famous beef tongue and seafood from Minamisanriku, as well as a pop-up morning market from Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was hit by a large-scale fire during the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu said, "I skated with the hope that I could be a catalyst for even a little bit of happiness, energy, and a push to move forward in places that are recovering and rebuilding."

 

Yuzuru Hanyu will appear live on "news every." in the 4pm hour on March 11th. He will perform "Dance of Remembrance."

 

 

 

Source: https://www.khb-tv.co.jp/news/16407371

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319134224/https://www.khb-tv.co.jp/news/16407371

 

Yuzuru Hanyu holds ice show in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture, to pray for earthquake recovery.

 

An ice show, spearheaded by professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu and held to pray for the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, took place on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture.

 

Spoiler

　The ice show, Notte Stellata 2026, which was held for the fourth consecutive year, attracted 6,500 people.

 

　Nine figure skaters, including Rika Hongo, who hails from Sendai, performed their routines. This year's performance attracted attention for its collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, which was formed after the earthquake by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

 

　An orchestra comprised of students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures performed a piece composed by Sakamoto live, and Hanyu performed it with the message, "Fifteen years have passed since the earthquake, and I hope that we can feel an even stronger sense of unity and connection."

　

For the main theme of the historical drama “Yae no Sakura,” set in Fukushima Prefecture, he expressed his feelings through the powerful music.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu said:
“I was 16 at the time of the disaster, but through various interviews and articles written about me, I came to feel, even as a young person, that I had a responsibility to be in a position to convey these experiences, that I had a kind of mission. As generations grow younger and new lives are born and emerge, I want to continue telling people: that something like this happened, and that because of the disaster, we learned the importance of protecting lives.”

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.09

Source: https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/ice-show/167754/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319134505/https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/ice-show/167754/

 

The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026" will have its television premiere on Tuesday, March 24th at 10 PM.

 

 

BS Nippon Television (BS Nippon Corporation) will broadcast for the first time on television the ice show "Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026," which was held from March 7th to 9th in Sendai, the hometown of Yuzuru Hanyu, who won two consecutive Winter Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating. It will air on Tuesday, March 24th at 10 PM.

 

　This year marks the fourth time "Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata" has been held, 15 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. "Notte stellata" means "starry sky" or "starry night" in Italian, and it is said that Hanyu, who was affected by the disaster in Sendai, felt a "light of hope" when he saw the beautiful "starry sky" in the darkness of the blackout.

 

　"Notte stellata" has collaborated with various artists in the past. This year's special guest is the Tohoku Youth Orchestra.

 

　"Like the beautiful stars that illuminated the disaster-stricken areas, we hope that this can be a smallきっかけ (trigger/opportunity) for people to smile..."

 

With those feelings in their hearts, Hanyu and his fellow skaters deliver their performance.

 

[Wintek]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.11 

 

Source: https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/380507

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20260314061931/https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/articles/-/380507 

 

Tokyo Sport

Yuzuru Hanyu – The mission of connecting lives on 3.11
People like us are said to be “non-essential and non-urgent,” but…  [Exclusive Interview – First Part]

By Sota Nakanishi

More than 16,000 lives were lost, and about 2,500 people are still missing. Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31), who achieved two consecutive Olympic victories in men’s figure skating, was affected by the disaster while at Tohoku High School as a first-year student, at Ice Rink Sendai, and he also experienced living in evacuation shelters. The skater who continued running as a symbol of reconstruction, what does he think now, 15 years later? In the first part of this newspaper’s two-part exclusive interview, we approach his vow as a “messenger.”

 

Spoiler

Hanyu: I have the feeling that as much as 15 years have passed, and when I think back on it, there were many dense days, and there were also many days that flowed by, so I also have the sense that 15 years really have passed.

 

— You have had more opportunities to think about the earthquake

Hanyu: Until now, if anything, I often had work where people asked, “What do you think about the ice show?” or where I conveyed the feelings and the thoughts of people at the places I visited, so I didn’t focus on my own disaster experience. But with the arrival of the milestone of 15 years, it became an opportunity to look back, and little by little I felt again that there is my own pain, the past, the days that moved forward from there, and also parts that have continued forward but haven’t changed, and that there are scars too.

— In the recent “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata,” your way of sending out messages about “life” and “living” was impressive

Hanyu: When I remember what happened at 3.11, and also looking at how unstable the current world situation is—during the COVID period as well—but if you put it bluntly, people like us are something that could be called non-essential and non-urgent, aren’t we? During the COVID period there were situations where the rink couldn’t be used, so it didn’t seem impossible that a future could come where skating could no longer be done. That’s exactly why I think we have to live while valuing the life we have now, the feeling of skating, and the feeling that people are able to watch skating.

— Why do you continue to be active outside the rink as well, such as serving as tourism ambassador for your hometown Sendai?

Hanyu: Because I think it’s something I can do precisely because I’m someone who has won Olympic gold medals. While visiting my alma mater or disaster-affected areas with the gold medal, I felt that just the experience of seeing the gold medal or touching it could become an opportunity for people to feel encouraged, even if only for that moment. That’s something special, and of course the messages that continue to be delivered through skating are important, but I think activities outside skating might also be an important mission.

— How do you think the Great East Japan Earthquake should be conveyed from now on?

Hanyu: Through the elementary- and junior-high-school students of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra who performed together in “notte stellata,” I felt that there are increasing numbers of children who have no memory of 3.11. It’s not about sharing painful memories with those children, but rather I hope we can continue to exist as a trigger for them to learn about and know various things related to disaster prevention and disaster-damage reduction. I think that from 3.11 we were able to learn an awareness of protecting the things that are important, and that we must learn it, so I want to connect it carefully going forward.

 

[Wintek]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.19

 

Source: https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/hanyu-3-11-interview/

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20260319053025/https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/hanyu-3-11-interview/ 

 

DeepEdge Plus

Yuzuru Hanyu’s thoughts on the 15th year since the Great East Japan Earthquake:
“I will continue to convey it 5 years, 10 years into the future.”

Fifteen years have passed since the occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake. On March 10, Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a two-time consecutive Winter Olympic champion in men’s figure skating, responded to a Kyodo News interview in his hometown of Sendai and spoke of his resolve:
“It is necessary to keep preparing for disasters that may happen again at any time. As someone who experienced ‘3.11,’ I want to continue sending out messages 5 years from now and 10 years from now so that it can be connected to disaster-damage reduction.”

Spoiler

The full interview is as follows.

“The time when I only felt sadness has become less.”

— Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake.

“I really feel that all sorts of things have happened. For me, these 15 years included three Olympics, and within those three Olympics there were each four-year periods, and within those four years there are, after all, truly all kinds of memories day by day. Of course, when I think about reconstruction and about how to stay close to pain, I do think that every single day of these 15 years has been something precious, but when I feel it anew, there is also the feeling that 15 years have already passed, and really, it’s many different feelings.”

— You have continued to face the disaster for half of your life. Have your feelings changed?

“I feel that the time that was just about being sad has become less. Of course there are still times when I think, it’s sad, and when I face it I remember various things, but there’s no mistake that we are moving forward, and time moves forward equally for everyone, so while entrusting myself to that flow of time, I also want to properly turn my eyes toward the town that is moving forward step by step, and toward our hearts as well, and live on.”

“Even if I cannot be close to everyone.”

— Looking back again, what is the Great East Japan Earthquake to you?

“I think it would have been better if it hadn’t happened. It doesn’t go beyond that. Of course, because that happened, it’s true that I learned many things and lived while feeling many things because of it, but for me those are after-the-fact meanings. I still continue to think that it would have been better if it hadn’t happened.”

— Through words and performance, you have continued your activities as a storyteller.

“I am a figure skater. I think physical expression crosses borders, and precisely because it is not expression through words, some kind of emotion is conveyed, and because it becomes completely different depending on each culture and on each recipient, I feel it is rewarding, and I do think I am glad to be involved in figure skating.”

“However, whether it is words or skating as physical expression, just as these 15 years and the days that each person has lived are different, everyone’s feelings toward the disaster are also completely different, so while realizing that I cannot be close to everything, I always want to be gentle and kind toward each person’s feelings.”

— You have struggled with the difficulty of being close to everyone.

“There is no answer to this. I think I will change again as time goes on and as I have various experiences in the future, but as I am now, I feel that at last I have become able not to leave myself behind. Certainly, the pain of the tsunami, the pain of losing something, the pain of having the foundation of daily life or work destroyed, honestly, I myself did not experience those things, so I cannot say I completely understand. Precisely because I don’t understand, there were times when I felt I couldn’t truly be close to others. But until now I was in a phase of saying, I’m sorry, I don’t understand, but I am trying to be close. From there, little by little, I’ve begun to feel that it was okay for me to feel pain too, and to acknowledge that as someone who also experienced the disaster, I had this kind of pain as well, and while valuing the desire to be close to others, to value both sides, that’s something I feel I’ve gradually become able to do, just a little.”

“I began to re-examine emotions I didn’t want to see in myself.”

— You have spoken about living while carrying emotional wounds and trauma. When do those memories resurface?

“It’s really in sudden moments. Also, earthquakes are very frequent in Tohoku, so even if it’s a small shaking, like intensity 1 or 2, there’s the fear that it might grow bigger from here, and if the initial shaking is vertical, I feel fear. There are times when my body moves reflexively or freezes.”

— At the ice show “notte stellata” held in early March, you performed the new program “Happy End,” depicting moving forward while carrying wounds. Was there difficulty or burden in creating a program while confronting those memories?

“I’ve always expressed things that are outside of my feelings, but I hadn’t really done the kind of work of focusing on my inner side and directly connecting that to expression when I choreograph myself. Not only the disaster, but also the ways in which I myself have been hurt, well, I don’t live only through the disaster. I have my own life, and within that life there are various pains and wounds. Digging into those areas is painful, but in a sense it’s like a drastic treatment, or perhaps a form of counseling. It became an opportunity to re-examine a kind of story deep in my heart, feelings I had, feelings I had tried not to look at, and how those feelings changed from there.”

“Because it is expression without words, there are things it can do.”

— You have visited many disaster-affected areas. Did you feel that people continuing to convey their experiences contributed to disaster mitigation?

“Really, in every region. After 3.11, every region was completely different. I was born in December 1994, so regarding January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake, I was in Tohoku and didn’t experience that shaking, and even if it was on TV, I didn’t really understand the news and don’t remember it. But buildings built after that and changes in building standards and seismic standards have shaped the towns we live in now. In that sense, we ourselves are receiving those benefits, and what was learned from 1.17 has continued to protect our lives. I realized that again as I visited areas that experienced disasters after 3.11.”

“That’s why, as someone who experienced 3.11, I want to keep conveying it continuously, and when I think that because there was a disaster like 1.17, which should never happen again, we may be alive today, I feel gratitude to those who conveyed their experiences. And because of that, I must convey it as well. I feel that a cycle like that has formed.”

— While carrying the fear that the disaster might fade from memory.

“Rather than the fear of it fading, I honestly think there are children who don’t need to know the details of the disaster. They don’t need to experience that pain. But I want them to know that we faced problems like the nuclear accident and the tsunami, thought about many things, and reached various conclusions. While continuing to convey that, we must also keep preparing for disasters that may occur again and continue conveying things so that lives and towns that should be protected are truly protected.”

— What do you see as your role in the next 5 or 10 years?

“Recently I’ve been thinking that we must not become textbooks[1]. Textbooks aren’t something people read voluntarily. You only look at them when a teacher tells you which page to read. So we must not become just textbooks or history. We must continue to be a trigger for learning. People don’t really remember things that are just given to them. What is most important, I think, is that events and emotions become a trigger for people to feel interest, to think, and to realize that what was important to others might also be important to themselves. In that sense, physical expression, because it is expression without words, is something that can do that, and I think it may be a kind of mission.”

“I don’t want to use the word ‘milestone,’ but…”

— You took a recharge period last year and returned at “notte stellata.” What were your thoughts?

“I had the feeling that I wanted to somehow make it in time for this. I honestly don’t like to use the word milestone, but generally people feel something special about multiples of five. Because it was the 15th year, I thought it was a place where I could convey an even stronger message, so I wanted to return in time for this.”

— You often emphasize words like “hope” and “bonds.”

“My foundation hasn’t changed. Right after the disaster, I received courage and hope from many sports. I often felt like, I saw something good, I’ll do my best. The efforts of Vegalta Sendai and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles were a great source of strength for me. But I don’t think I should be in a position of giving courage. It’s not that I give something; people simply feel something. Because they have interest and concern, they are able to feel it. So while sincerely facing those who show interest, I want to keep putting out things that can become strength for those who wish to receive it, and even if it is 5 or 10 years from now, even if the form changes, if possible I want to continue for as long as I can.”

* * * *

At the end of the interview, he handed over a calligraphy board on which he wrote:

「変わらない想いと共に、前へ」
“With unchanging feelings, we move forward.”

* * * *

— Why did you choose those words?

“While valuing the fact that even after 15 years some things haven’t changed, ‘together, forward’ has been a slogan for a long time, so I want to keep continuing that without change as well.”

NOTE:

[1] 「教科書になってはいけない」, where 教科書 (kyōkasho) implies a type of book that’s official, fixed, distant from daily life.