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

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

2026.03.18

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260317/k00/00m/050/081000c

(Pair Article)

 

The concept of "600 seconds" = Hitoshi Kurasawa

 

It had been about three and a half years since we last faced each other.

On the afternoon of March 10th, I found myself face-to-face with professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31). Ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, I conducted an individual interview with him in Sendai.

 

Spoiler

The moment I saw Hanyu standing by the window, I was enveloped in a level of tension that made my body stiffen, as it was a rare opportunity after such a long time.

 

Hanyu is an athlete who responds sincerely and thoroughly to whatever he is asked. Because of that, interviewing him also comes with its challenges.

 

The interview time with Hanyu was about 10 minutes. I have constantly struggled with how to use that time and how to structure the flow of questions.

 

After returning from the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, whenever I had the chance, I would write down questions and erase them, write them down again and erase them again… repeating the process. I was doing the same thing even on the Shinkansen heading to Sendai. If you asked whether there is a correct answer, I think there probably isn’t.

 

The last individual interview had been in August 2022, when he first opened his practice to the media after turning professional. At that time, the interview lasted 300 seconds. Within that limited time, I clearly remember both Hanyu and myself exchanging questions and answers in rapid succession.

 

Although the allotted time had increased compared to back then, the flow could still change depending on Hanyu’s responses. After running through many simulations in my mind, I sat down in front of him.

 

Despite having just finished his "notte stellata" performance (7th-9th) in his hometown of Miyagi, Hanyu showed no signs of fatigue and wore a calm expression.

 

“Whether it’s the earthquake or ‘3.11,’ even for me personally, both during my competitive years and now as a professional, honestly, the kind of feelings I want to convey and the core of it haven't changed at all.”

 

He spoke at length, in his own words, about the 15 years since the disaster and his thoughts toward the affected regions. It reaffirmed the “unchanging” sentiment at his core.

 

At the same time, I asked him about something that had been on my mind. Since turning professional, I had the impression that his way of perceiving the “pain” and “wounds” he carries within himself might have changed.

 

Hanyu responded, “Ah… that may have changed a bit, actually. That’s true.” He then continued:

 

“Up until now, I think I had kind of ignored them, or put a lid on them, feeling like my personal matters didn’t really matter, that I should just leave them behind. More than that, I believed the most important thing was to skate for someone else, to keep burning something like my own emotions and soul for others. I’ve been pushing forward with that image all along.”

 

“But…,” he continued.

 

“I’ve gradually come to feel, little by little as I’ve grown older, that it's possible to acknowledge things like, ‘I’ve been through something painful,’ or ‘I have these wounds,’ while also caring for them, and at the same time pushing forward with everything I’ve got.”

 

Because he has come to be able to “balance both,” his approach to notte stellata, which he had described as something he “carried entirely on his own” during its first year, has also changed.

 

Having covered the event on-site every year, I finally understood why the sense of “hope” seemed to have grown stronger with each passing year.

 

“That was very concise. How much thought did you put into preparing those questions?”

 

After finishing the last question for the shoot, Hanyu said that with a smile.

 

There were still things I wanted to ask. Things I wanted to explore further...

 

Even so, as I brought that one-of-a-kind “600 seconds” to a close, I also felt a sense of relief at hearing those words from the person I had interviewed.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.17

 

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260316/k00/00m/050/309000c

(Paid article)

 

Exclusive interview with Yuzuru Hanyu: Unchanging feelings 15 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake

 

　Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a professional figure skater from Sendai who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, gave an exclusive interview to the Mainichi Shimbun on the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. “As for what I want to convey, the core of it hasn’t changed,” he said, reflecting on the affected regions. He also spoke about changes he has felt through his ice show Notte Stellata, now in its fourth year. He also discussed his future role and mentioned younger skaters who performed at the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics: men’s skater Shun Sato (Aim Services / Meiji University) and women’s skater Mone Chiba (Kinoshita Group). Below is the full exchange. (Interview conducted March 10. Interviewer: Hitoshi Kurasawa)

 

Spoiler

“It’s okay to just say ‘do your best’”

 

— Thank you for your efforts with ‘Notte Stellata’ again this year.

 

◆ Thank you very much.

 

—You spoke on media day (the 7th) about your thoughts on the 15th anniversary of the disaster. Five years ago, at the 10-year mark, you released a message that included the words “Please do your best.” Now that another five years have passed and your position has changed, what message would you give now?

 

◆ That’s difficult… yeah. But it hasn’t changed, basically. Whether it’s the disaster, or “3.11,” regardless of whether I was a competitive athlete or now a professional, honestly, the kind of feeling I want to convey, and what lies at its core, hasn’t changed at all. So I don’t really think of myself as giving something through my performances, or delivering something like “this is how it is”… Rather, when people watch my skating, or when they see or hear my words, if their hearts are moved even just a little in that moment, I think that’s enough. That’s the kind of belief I hold. So… what would it be? Maybe it’s okay for it to remain simply, “Do your best.”

 

—Five years ago, it was also memorable that you ended with “I will do my best too.”

 

◆ I’m doing my best too (laughs). To the me from five years ago, I’m doing my best too!

I don’t think my feelings have really changed all that much.

 

"I realized that it's possible to balance both"

 

—Not only in “Notte Stellata,” but also in “ICE STORY,” which you produce after turning professional, themes like pain and wounds have been present. Has your own sense of loss or emptiness changed over time?

 

◆ Ah… that might have changed a bit, actually. Before, I guess I left those things alone, or put a lid on them, and that my own personal matters didn’t really matter. I thought I'd just leave them behind. More than that, I believed the most important thing was skating for someone else, and continuing to burn something like the flame of my emotions and my soul for someone else. So I kept pushing forward with that image. But now, little by little, as I've grown up, I've come to realize that acknowledging the painful things I've been through, the wounds I have, and caring for them while still charging ahead, can coexist.

 

—Is that something that’s come with doing more performances?

 

◆ Also through actually writing my own stories and creating my own choreography. I think that’s been a big part of it.

 

—With “Notte Stellata,” as you’ve gone through more performances since the first year, it feels like the brighter element of hope has been growing stronger year by year. Is that something you’ve been consciously shaping?

 

◆ I was conscious of it in the second and third years. But this year, my sense of trust in my teammates has become really strong. The skaters who perform, and the special guests as well, have all been feeling more and more strongly about the disaster with each passing year, and I’ve come to feel that I don’t have to carry everything on my own anymore. That’s been a big part of it, I think. 

 

In the first year, I was really carrying “Notte Stellata” all by myself, completely taking it on, and with “3.11” too, I felt like I had to bear it all myself and convey something, so I approached it with a very strong sense of responsibility. Even now, I still carry that with me, but this time especially, I really felt that I have teammates who can share that burden with me.

 

“Continuing to stay connected”

 

—Even during your competitive years, you carried the weight of disaster-stricken areas on your shoulders. Now that you’re a professional, have you developed your own way of engaging with them?

 

◆Honestly… I don’t really know. Right now, I feel like this is the answer I have for myself, and of course I’m still searching. But as the phrase “it hasn’t really changed” suggests, I’ve basically continued with the same sense all along. Still, you never know what might happen in life. So I think I’ll keep searching, depending on the moment, for what form support should take, how to convey my feelings, and what kind of opportunities or connections can be created.

 

—Including the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake (2024), you’ve been exploring ways to support various disasters, and it feels like your scope as a professional has definitely expanded, hasn’t it?

 

◆ Yeah, that’s true. But speaking from my own perspective, whether it’s the Noto earthquake, the West Japan floods in 2018, or the forest fires in Ofunato in 2025, when I look at them, it really all comes back to the major disaster of “3.11.” And because of that, there’s no doubt that what was learned from it, and what has been passed on since, has helped reduce damage.

 

And if you trace it back even further, there were things like the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and in Miyagi Prefecture, earthquakes off the Miyagi coast, and the Chile tsunami, among others. Honestly, they’re from generations I don’t really know, and some even go back to the Meiji era, so I don’t fully understand them. But still, because those things happened, you get things like disaster-prevention ordinances in a city like Sendai. I think all of that is connected.

 

So yes, my scope has definitely expanded, and I’ve started thinking not just about earthquakes but also heavy rain and all kinds of disasters. But at the same time, it all feels connected. From “3.11,” it’s like everything has continued to connect, thinking about actions to protect lives, actions to protect different things, and ways of cherishing what matters. It feels like all of us have been thinking about these things together and continuing to carry them forward.

 

“I’ll definitely get better”

 

—In your new program “Happy End,” there were contemporary dance elements, and it seemed like you were exploring new possibilities as a performer.

 

◆ It’s not like I want to become a dancer. So when I dance on ice, of course I do end up being influenced quite a bit by dance movements. But then, for example in “Happy End,” I mix in spins, or that sense of speed you can only get from skating, the way you use your body, the speed of rotation, even how the air moves, those are probably things you can only really do on ice. And I think what matters more is expressing what I want to express while incorporating all of that. It’s not about breaking new ground in figure skating or being avant-garde. It’s not just about calling it contemporary, but about asking, “What do I want to express?” I think the most important thing is, “When I tried to express that through figure skating, this is the form it took.”

 

To do that, I feel like I’ve learned a lot of the necessary techniques, including during this maintenance period (since last summer). And I think there are still a lot of things I haven’t brought out yet. There’s still so much I need to learn, and so much I need to keep refining. So I want to keep using figure skating to convey my feelings, what I want to express, and the wishes and prayers I hope will reach people.

 

—You mentioned “techniques without a basis” and “practice without a basis” as insights from your maintenance period. During that time, did you also gain a sense of confidence or conviction in what you’ve been doing?

 

◆Ah, yes, definitely. I feel like I’m kind of in the middle of taking a long detour right now. In the end, I’m building up my knowledge from a zero base, bit by bit, while exploring things like, “this might work in figure skating,” or, for example, “maybe this kind of technique from dance is actually used here in skating too,” and as I try things out, I sometimes realize, “oh, I was already doing this.” That kind of thing does happen.

 

But the problem is that I’ve been continuing like that, with things like “I'm doing this,” or “I was able to do that,” or “this is one of my characteristics,” without any real basis, and without being under my control. I believe that if I can control my own characteristics and strengths, or conversely, my weaknesses and flaws, I can definitely do things better and really command them. I think it would be great if I could continue to value that and pursue it further.

 

To the two juniors who competed at the Olympics

 

—Your juniors from Sendai, who have long admired your unwavering dedication, competed in the Olympics this time. Sato won a bronze medal, and Chiba finished in fourth place. How did you feel about seeing your juniors succeed at the Olympics, a stage you once competed on yourself?

 

◆ Well, I’m really happy they’ve been working hard, or rather, it’s like a parent’s feeling (laughs). Especially with these two, I’ve known them since they were very little. I’ve seen them working hard all this time, and also when they were still wobbly on the ice. It really makes me realize how much time has passed, and I feel deeply moved.

 

For Shun, I think he probably experienced both moments of joy and moments where he was hit with the realization, ‘this is the extent of my ability right now.’ Watching the team event, the free skate, and his interviews, that’s what I felt.

 

As for Mone as well, I think she must have felt both the frustration of thinking, “this is my level,” and the frustration of not being able to win, of wanting a medal but not quite being able to take it even though it was right there. I think both of them have now gained new experiences that will help them grow even further. After that, it’s up to them whether they can use those as fuel or not. Whether they can do it is entirely up to them. I also want to keep watching over them for a long, long time. Honestly, I’m not the type to instruct others or to say things like, ‘just watch my back,’ or anything like that…

 

—The juniors are all watching you.

 

◆ If they want to watch me, that's up to them (laughs). The way I see it, instead of spending time thinking things like "everyone is watching me", I should focus on getting better.  So I want to keep improving myself and, at the same time, I'm really looking forward to seeing their growth as well.

 

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu

Born in Sendai. He achieved back-to-back Olympic victories at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Games, the first time in 66 years this was accomplished in men’s figure skating. He was also the first Japanese athlete to win consecutive Olympic titles in an individual event at the Winter Olympics, earning him the People’s Honor Award.

 

In 2020, he won the Four Continents Championships for the first time, becoming the first men’s skater to complete the “Super Slam,” winning all major international titles: the Olympics, World Championships, Grand Prix Final, World Junior Championships, and Junior Grand Prix Final.

 

In 2016, he became the first in the world to successfully land a quadruple loop. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he placed fourth, he attempted the first quadruple Axel in Olympic history. He turned professional in the summer of 2022 and has since performed in numerous ice shows, including the first-ever solo performance at Tokyo Dome in skating history.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.03.07

 

Source: Notte Stellata 2026 Official Pamphlet

 

Yuzuru Hanyu 2025>>26 - Special contribution to "notte stellata 2026" by Megumi Takagi (Hochi Shimbun)

 

“A dance of the soul.” It’s a phrase often used, but when it comes to Yuzuru Hanyu, it is neither metaphor nor exaggeration. It is the very phenomenon that undeniably occurs on the ice. His body moves across the rink, changing colors from red to blue to orange. The sound of blades carving ice, the rhythm of breath, the tremor at his fingertips. The audience find themselves present at the very moment his soul rises on the ice.

 

Spoiler

In July 2022, Hanyu announced his transition to professional skating. He raised the bar for himself and moved onto a new stage of expression that transcends scores and wins or losses. Music selection, costumes, choreography, lighting, every element carries meaning. Beneath his fluid, beautiful movements, there are moments when glimpses of the pain, loneliness, and inner conflict he has carried in the past quietly surface. Holding and accepting them, he continues to move forward with the will to step into the future.

 

Carrying his hopes for the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, the ice show “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata,” held in Miyagi, will mark its fourth edition in 2026. Last year, Hanyu spoke candidly about how his approach to “Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata” has evolved.

 

“In the first year, I felt like I was carrying it as a weight. In terms of what it means to be close to it, I approached it in a way that was close to sorrow. But in the second year, precisely because I felt I could be close to that sorrow, I thought I had to be the one smiling, and I pushed myself to do so.” By the third time, it seems he had progressed to a stage of drawing close to the soul itself, a stage of prayer. The emotions that arose while performing “MANSAI Boléro” with kyogen performer Mansai Nomura played a major role. “By the third year, it was almost like a sacred rite. I became much stronger in terms of connecting with the soul and with prayer.”

 

Once a year, companions who share the same aspirations gather. At the rehearsal venue, voices of joy at reuniting and warm embraces mingle. As the show’s lead, Hanyu demonstrates strong leadership. “A precious show where I can skate alongside people who truly give their all to skating.” As his words suggest, from rehearsals onward they share a sense of resolve, coming together with the same spirit.

 

In 2025, his collaboration with Mansai came to fruition. A performer who has continuously inherited and carried forward Japan’s traditional arts at the forefront. Hanyu’s free program “SEIMEI,” performed at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics where he achieved back-to-back gold medals, used music from the film “Onmyoji,” in which Mansai starred. The two had met once before in 2015. Ten years have passed since then. Hanyu, now having accumulated countless experiences as both a competitor and an artist, stood on the same stage as Mansai. From the rehearsals onward, it was a serious, no-holds-barred exchange. With Mansai portraying Abe no Seimei and Hanyu taking on the role of a shikigami under his control, they refined their performance together through dialogue and exchange of ideas.

 

The second half of the show began with Hanyu’s six-minute warm-up, followed immediately by “SEIMEI.” He landed a quadruple Salchow and a quadruple toe loop, completing a new version of “SEIMEI” while successfully executing these high-difficulty jumps. After the opening day’s performance, Hanyu revealed, “I was extremely nervous. I felt a kind of presence, almost like a sense of dignity behind me, and with the pressure that I absolutely couldn’t make a mistake, I skated with the kind of tension I’d normally feel at the Olympics.” It was the resolve to face, head-on, the person he had long admired. Pouring in all his physical and mental strength, never letting his focus waver for even a moment, he skated through with wishes and prayers. Mansai spoke of Hanyu with a sense of admiration, saying, “He truly has a deep understanding of the world of Onmyoji. He even remembers things that I myself had forgotten.”

 

The climax of the first half was “MANSAI Boléro,” which Mansai first premiered at the Setagaya Public Theatre in 2011, the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Centered on Ravel’s dance music and the kyōgen piece “Sanbasō,” the work carries themes of “mourning” and “rebirth.” Because it was performed in a place where many victims of the disaster had been laid to rest, its meaning resonated all the more deeply and powerfully. Mansai danced on a specially constructed stage at the center of the rink, surrounded by six skaters gliding on the ice. Kyōgen and figure skating, the two forms of expression blended together.

 

Hanyu handled his own direction, while the six skaters’ parts were choreographed by world-renowned choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne-Turok. The first time all of them skated together on the rink was just two days before opening night. The choreography evolved day by day, with refinements continuing right up until the final moments. Aiming to create “a skating performance and show structure worthy of accepting the presence that is Mansai Nomura,” they completed the work without compromise. The final pair’s jumps, symbolizing "soaring from death to the next life," left a lasting impression. Living human beings performing with all their might, and those watching coming to feel a sense of “life” itself. Sharing emotion within the same space. Together with Mansai, they conveyed the preciousness of life. Mansai reflected, “A magnificent show in which will, ideas, and the drive that go beyond skating are truly condensed.”

 

The words Hanyu spoke to the audience during the second day’s finale capture the essence of this show: “Even if it’s just a little, I hope you can become so happy that you can share joyful and happy memories with those who are suffering right now. I wish this circle of happiness will spread throughout Japan and across the world.” He hoped that each person's small happiness would eventually form a large circle and gently spread throughout the world. The sight of Hanyu on the rink, pressing his hands together in prayer and embracing his fellow performers, was hope itself.

 

July 2025. For his fourth year as a professional, he described his aspiration as “a continuation of a continuation.”

“My ideal vision is constantly changing. It’s not about whether I can achieve it or not, but rather about what kind of vision I’m creating. Since I’m at that point now, simply reaching out may not mean much. But when I unexpectedly reach out and something, something like my ideal, happens to touch my hand, I want to be able to properly grasp it. I think it’s precisely because I’ve spent my life as an athlete, constantly working to grasp something in that way, that I’ve become this kind of accumulation of thought that is Yuzuru Hanyu.”

 

Three years have passed since he turned professional. The spirit at his core remains unchanged. He continues to push himself to the limit and skate from the soul. That stance is unmistakably still that of an athlete. In August, he announced on his X account that he would take a maintenance period “to further evolve.” He went on to say, “So that everyone can truly feel, ‘That was great!’—and even more than that. Aiming for around next spring, I will study a lot, work on physical conditioning, and continue to push myself further, so please look forward to it!” He concluded with the words, “I will give my all in the time called ‘now,’ for the sake of a ‘future’ that is still unseen.”

 

To keep skating, to keep delivering. This was a forward-looking decision for the future. His passion to become stronger and better remains unwavering. Although it may seem like he is constantly giving, Hanyu says, “In fact, there are more moments when I’m the one receiving.” The voices of fans, the feelings of his fellow performers. He receives these and gives back. Within that cycle, Hanyu continues to perform. His return after almost a year's absence begins here in Miyagi, accompanied by prayer. Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. As the show’s lead, he will once again skate with his whole soul this year. Yuzuru Hanyu’s performance continues to move beyond the “continuation” and toward what lies ahead. (End)

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.04.30

 

Source: https://hominis.media/category/athlete/post16514/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260430103857/https://hominis.media/category/athlete/post16514/

 

 

The allure of the ice show "Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026," in which Yuzuru Hanyu , combining both delicacy and strength, and others express hope for the future.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu is known for his delicate movements that extend to his fingertips and toes. The ice show “Towa Pharmaceutical presents Yuzuru Hanyu notte stellata 2026,” held from March 7 to 9, 2026, at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture, will be broadcast on Saturday, May 2.

 

Spoiler

Fifteen years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, this ice show, held for the fourth time, features Yuzuru Hanyu and his fellow skaters sending a message of ‘hope’ from Miyagi Prefecture, one of the disaster-affected regions. This time, a special guest appearance is made by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, an ensemble formed at the initiative of musician Ryuichi Sakamoto in the wake of 3.11, making the show deeply imbued with the spirit of Tohoku and truly fitting for conveying “hope.”

 

The opening begins with Hanyu’s narration, spoken into the darkness.

 

What he speaks of is the unprecedented disaster he experienced on March 11, 2011, when he was 16 years old. As buildings collapsed and all lifelines came to a halt, he witnessed firsthand the drastically altered state of his hometown.

 

Amidst the darkness caused by the power outage, what spread across the horizon was a sky full of stars. As if reflecting that, the penlights held by the audience lit up, prompting surprised and amazed exclamations from the crowd.

 

The ice show, titled "notte stellata," is the program that Yuzuru Hanyu skated in the PyeongChang Olympic exhibition, and the name comes from the Italian phrase meaning “a sky full of stars” or “starry night.” And so, the show begins.

 

In true Hanyu fashion, the balance between his skillful yet delicate movements and his powerful expression is exquisite, drawing loud cheers from the audience. Partway through, the fellow skaters who color this stage alongside him also appear, bringing the first performance to a close.

 

Then, local Sendai native Rika Hongo, Akiko Suzuki who spent her university years in Miyagi Prefecture, and Javier Fernandez, who achieved two consecutive World Championship titles and seven consecutive European Championship titles, also appear. Gliding gracefully across the ice to grand, sweeping music, their performances are beautiful to behold.

 

Once all the cast members have gathered, Hanyu once again delivers a greeting. Inspired by the sense of hope he felt from the “star-filled sky” that shone so beautifully when he looked up, he speaks about his thoughts for the show: “I hope that each of us, each skater, can be even a small guiding star of hope for everyone.”

 

The program begins with a performance by Rika Hongo from Miyagi Prefecture, set to “Suzume feat. Toaka,” an insert song from the film Suzume. This stage expressed the unforgettable events that must never be forgotten, even 15 years after the earthquake, and the journey taken since the disaster, accepting the struggles and sadness and moving forward with strength. The tears, and the expressions of continuing to look ahead despite everything, are deeply moving.

 

After this, performances by fellow skaters continue to evoke a sense of “hope,” and one that particularly stands out is the now-regular feature of notte stellata: the fusion of hula hoop and skating by Violetta Afanasieva. It was a collaboration you would never see in competition, and Violetta, adorned with cat ears, danced joyfully, a sight that would surely lift anyone's spirits.

 

The highlight of this show is, without a doubt, the collaboration between the skaters and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, an ensemble formed at the initiative of musician Ryuichi Sakamoto in the wake of 3.11. At the end of the first half, Hanyu performs to a live rendition of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Happy End.” The stage, which boldly begins with Hanyu lying on the ice, is striking for its blend of strength and beauty. The piece itself is characterized by its main melody being passed between woodwinds, strings, piano, and brass instruments, and Hanyu’s shifting expressions in response to each instrument’s tone are particularly memorable.

The collaboration with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra also appears again in the latter half of the second act. Hanyu returns to the ice as the orchestra performs “Yae no Sakura,” music created for the 52nd NHK Taiga drama Yae no Sakura, which depicts the life of Yae Yamamoto (later Yae Niijima), the daughter of a firearms instructor of the Aizu domain during the late Edo to Meiji period, while also reflecting Japan’s recovery and rebuilding following the Great East Japan Earthquake. As the piece unfolds, occasionally infused with traditional Japanese musical elements, Hanyu skates in a way that evokes Japanese dance and martial arts movements, leaving the audience completely captivated.

In this way, the nearly two-hour program allows the audience to fully experience the charm of Hanyu, the fellow skaters, and the special guests of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. It is a performance that invites viewers to receive the message they wish to convey, something that can only be experienced in the ice show.

 

[Wintek]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.05.02 

 

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260427/k00/00m/050/275000c

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20260502175543/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260427/k00/00m/050/275000c 

 

Exclusive Interview with Yuzuru Hanyu:

Unchanging Feelings Even 15 Years After the Great East Japan Earthquake

Mainichi Shimbun
May 2, 2026, 18:00 (last updated May 2, 18:00)

Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a professional skater from Sendai City who achieved two consecutive Olympic victories in men’s figure skating, responded to an exclusive interview with Mainichi Shimbun as the 15th year since the Great East Japan Earthquake is reached. While reflecting on the affected areas, he said that “the core of the feelings I want to convey hasn’t changed,” and also spoke about changes he felt through the ice show “notte stellata.”

He also talked about his own position going forward, and mentioned younger skaters who were active at the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics: men’s skater Shun Sato (Aim Services / Meiji University) and women’s skater Mone Chiba (Kinoshita Group). We present the full exchange.

 

Spoiler

Interviewer: Hitoshi Kurasawa (Interview conducted March 10)

 

“It’s fine if it stays as ‘Do your best’”

――Thank you for your hard work on “notte stellata” again this year.

◆ Thank you very much.

――I’d like to ask in connection with your thoughts on the 15th year since the disaster, which you also spoke about during the media availability on the 7th. Five years ago, at the 10th anniversary of the disaster, you released a comment and left the message “please do your best.” Five years have passed since then, and now that your position has changed, what kind of message would it be?

◆ It’s difficult… Yeah, but it hasn’t changed. Fundamentally. Things like the disaster, or “3.11”, whether I was a competitive athlete or now as a professional, honestly, the kinds of feelings I want to convey, and what lies at their core, haven’t changed at all. So, I don’t think that through my performances I’m giving something, and I don’t really think I want to deliver something like “this is how it is”… Rather, when someone sees that, sees my performance, and then when they see or hear my words, if even just a little, in that moment, their heart moves, that would be good, that’s kind of like my belief. What should I say? I wonder if it’s fine for it to stay as “ganbare.”

――Five years ago, it was also memorable that you ended with “I will also do my best.”

◆ I’m also doing my best (laughs). The me from five years ago, I’m also doing my best!

I guess, in a big sense, my feelings really haven’t changed.

“I feel that they can coexist”

――Not only “notte stellata,” but also in your “ICE STORY,” where you serve as general producer after turning professional, themes like pain and wounds have appeared. Have there been changes within yourself regarding feelings of loss or emptiness?

◆ Ah, that might have changed a little. Yes, certainly. Somehow, until now, it’s like I had been leaving those things as they were, or putting a lid on them, and it was like my personal matters didn’t really matter, or I thought I’d leave them behind. More than that, skating for someone else was the most important thing, and for someone else, continuing to keep something like the small flame of my soul burning, that was what mattered most, I thought. So I’ve been rushing forward with that kind of image the whole time, but… somehow, at the same time as acknowledging that I went through painful things like this, or that I have these kinds of wounds, and while taking care of them, to still rush forward with everything you have, that those things can coexist… little by little, little by little, as I’ve become an adult, I feel like I’ve come to sense that.

――Is that as you have continued holding performances?

◆ Also, actually writing the story myself, and creating choreography myself, in the process of doing those things, I feel like that’s been a big part of where I started to feel that.

――With “notte stellata,” from the first year as it has continued, it feels like the bright aspect of “hope” has been getting stronger year by year. Is that something you consciously create?

◆ In the second year and third year, I think I was conscious of it. But as for this year, my sense of trust in my companions is really strong. The skaters who perform, and also the special guests, year by year their feelings toward the disaster have been growing stronger. I think it’s also big that I’ve come to feel that it’s okay even if I don’t do my best all on my own. After all, in the first year, I was really carrying “notte stellata” entirely on my own. And regarding “3.11” as well, I had a very strong sense of responsibility that I had to carry it completely myself and convey something. Even now I still hold that at the same time, but having companions who can carry it together, that kind of feeling was especially strong this time.

“Continuing to connect it, all the time”

――Even during your competitive career you carried the affected areas on your back, but after turning professional, have you established your own way of engaging with the affected areas?

◆ No… I don’t know, honestly. Right now, while thinking that this is the answer within myself, of course I keep searching, but for the time being, as the words “it hasn’t really changed” suggest, I’ve been continuing in this same feeling. But since you don’t know what will happen, life really… So I think I’ll continue searching for forms of support, ways of delivering feelings, and what kind of “triggers” there can be, suited to each moment.

――Your field as a professional has certainly expanded, as you explore ways of supporting not only the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake (2024), but various disasters.

◆ Yes, that’s true. But from my perspective, regarding the Noto earthquake, and also the Western Japan heavy rains (2018), and the forest fire in Ofunato (2025) as well, looking from my perspective, there was, after all, the huge disaster of “3.11,” and because of what was learned from that and what has been conveyed, it’s certain that disaster mitigation has taken place.

If you trace it back further, there was the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Earthquake), and within Miyagi Prefecture, the Miyagi-oki earthquake, and the Chile tsunami, and various things in the past. I belong to a generation that doesn’t know them, honestly. There are even things going back to the Meiji era, so I really don’t know, but still, because those things existed, for example, Sendai City has these kinds of (disaster-prevention-related) ordinances, that kind of thing is connected, I think.

The field has certainly expanded, and it’s not only earthquakes, but also heavy rains, and I’ve come to think about various kinds of disasters, but they are connected, or rather. From the “3.11” Great East Japan Earthquake, it’s been continuously connected, and actions to protect lives, actions to protect various things, and ways of cherishing what is important, those kinds of things, all the time, all the time, while everyone thinks together, it feels like we are continuing to connect them.

“I’ll definitely become better”

――In this new program, “Happy End,” there were also contemporary movements, and it looked like you were exploring new possibilities as an expressive performer.

◆ Somehow, it’s not like I want to become a dancer. So when I dance on the ice, of course I end up being quite influenced by dance movements, but within that, for example, with “Happy End,” incorporating a lot of spins, or a sense of speed that you can only achieve through skating, or the way you use your body, the speed of rotation, things like the way you move the air, those are probably things that can only be done through skating. And after mixing all of that together, I think it’s more important to express what you want to express.

It’s not about something like a new frontier of figure skating, or being avant-garde. It’s not just “it’s contemporary,” but rather, “what do you want to express?” When you try to express something through figure skating, “it ended up taking this kind of form”, I think that’s what matters most. And for the sake of doing that, the techniques, I feel like I’ve learned a lot, a lot, including during this (maintenance period since last summer). And from here on, I think there are still many “drawers” I haven’t opened yet, and there are also many, many things I have to keep learning, things I must continue refining going forward. So that I can deliver more and more my feelings, what I want to convey, and also wishes I want to reach people, or prayers—things like that—I want to make use of figure skating.

――As a realization from your maintenance period, you also spoke about “technique without grounding” and “practice without grounding.” During that time, did you gain conviction or confidence in what you’ve been doing?

◆ Ah, yes, I did. I did. Somehow, right now, I’m in the middle of taking a big detour. In the end, starting from zero, I’m steadily building up my knowledge, and while exploring things like “this might be usable in figure skating,” or for example, “this kind of dance technique might actually already be used here in skating,” I’m working through it. And when I try things, there are indeed moments where I think, “oh, I was already doing this.” But things like, “you’re doing this,” or “you were able to do that,” or “this is one of your characteristics”, continuing all that without it being backed up, without it being under control, that’s a big problem.

After all, if things like my characteristics or strengths—or conversely, weaknesses or flaws—were under my control, then surely I could definitely do them better, and I think I could master them. I want to really value that, and continue to pursue it thoroughly from here on.

To the two juniors who went to the Olympics

――The juniors from Sendai who admired your back as you’ve continued to pursue things made it to the Olympics this time. Sato won a bronze medal, and Chiba placed fourth. How did you feel about juniors following in your path and performing at the Olympics where you once competed?

◆ No, I’m happy they worked hard, or rather, it’s like a parental feeling (laughs). Especially for these two athletes, I’ve really known them since they were very small. I’ve seen them always working hard, and also seen them when their skating was still unsteady. So while feeling once again that time has passed, I also feel something like a deep emotion…

But Shun, as Shun, surely has moments of happiness, and also moments where he was struck by the realization of “this is all the ability I have right now” (I imagine). Watching the team event, the free skate, and the interviews, that’s what I thought.

And Mone also surely has the frustration of “this is my level right now,” and the frustration of not being able to win, of wanting to take a (medal), of having it there but not quite being able to secure it. I think for both of them, probably, from here on, new “elements” for becoming even better have been added. After that, it’s whether they can make that into nourishment or not, that’s up to them. I want to keep watching over them, continuously. I’m not really the type who teaches something, or says something like “watch my back,” honestly…

――Your juniors are all watching your back.

If they want to watch on their own, that’s fine with me (laughs). If they have time to think about things like that (that everyone is watching my back), I end up thinking, “then get better,” you know. So I’ll keep improving in my own way. And their growth is their own growth, and while looking forward to that, I’d like to keep going.

 

---

 

Yuzuru Hanyu

Born in Sendai City. At the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, he achieved back-to-back victories for the first time in 66 years. He became the first Japanese athlete to win consecutive Olympic titles in an individual Winter Olympic event and received the People’s Honour Award. In 2020, he won the Four Continents Championships for the first time, and became the first men’s skater to achieve a “Super Slam,” winning all major international competitions: the Olympics, World Championships, Grand Prix Final, World Junior Championships, and Junior Grand Prix Final.

In 2016, he became the first in the world to successfully land a quadruple loop. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he placed fourth and became the first in Olympic history to attempt a quad Axel (four-and-a-half rotation jump). He turned professional in the summer of 2022, and has since been active in numerous ice shows, including the first solo performance at Tokyo Dome in skating history.

 

 

[Wintek]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.05.02 

 

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260427/k00/00m/050/276000c

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20260502175111/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260427/k00/00m/050/276000c 

“The Time Called ‘600 Seconds’” — Hitoshi Kurasawa

Mainichi Shimbun, May 2, 2026, 18:00 (last updated May 2, 18:00)

It had been about three and a half years since I last faced him.

On the afternoon of March 10, the person standing before me was professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (31). Ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, he took part in an individual interview in Sendai City.

The moment I saw Hanyu standing by the window, perhaps because it was an opportunity that had come after such a long time, I was enveloped in a tension so strong that my body stiffened.

Spoiler

Hanyu is an athlete who answers whatever you ask with sincerity and earnestness. Precisely because of that, interviews with him also carry a certain difficulty.

The interview time with Hanyu was about ten minutes. How to use that time, and in what flow to ask questions—these are things I have always agonized over.

After returning from the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, whenever I had the chance, I would write out questions, erase them, write them again, erase them again… repeating this over and over. Even on the Shinkansen heading to Sendai, I was doing the same thing. If you ask whether there is a correct answer, I think there probably isn’t.

This was my first individual interview since August 2022. It was when he first opened a practice session to the public after turning professional. At that time, the interview lasted 300 seconds. Within that limited time, both Hanyu and I exchanged words in rapid succession—I remember it vividly.

Although the time had increased since then, the flow would change depending on Hanyu’s answers. While repeatedly simulating different scenarios, I took my seat in front of him.

Even though it was just after the performances of “notte stellata” (held from the 7th to the 9th), which he had staged in his home region of Miyagi, Hanyu showed no sign of fatigue and wore a calm expression.

“Things like the disaster, or ‘3.11’—whether I was a competitive athlete or now as a professional, honestly, the kinds of feelings I want to convey, and what lies at their core, haven’t changed at all.”

He spoke at length, in his own words, about the 15 years since the disaster and his feelings toward the affected areas. I was able to reaffirm the “unchanging” thoughts that lie at his foundation.

At the same time, I asked something that had been on my mind. Since he stepped onto the professional stage, I had the impression that his way of perceiving the “pain” and “wounds” he carries might have changed.

Hanyu said, “Ah, that might have changed a little. Yes, certainly,” and continued:

“Until now, it’s like I had been leaving those things as they were, or putting a lid on them. It was like, my personal matters didn’t really matter, or I would leave them behind. More than that, skating for someone else was the most important thing, and for someone else, continuing to keep something like the small flame of my soul burning, that was what mattered most. So I’ve been rushing forward with that kind of image the whole time.”

“And yet…” he continued.

“Somehow, at the same time as acknowledging that I went through painful things like this, or that I have these kinds of wounds, and while taking care of them, to still rush forward with everything you have—that those things can coexist… little by little, little by little, as I’ve become an adult, I feel like I’ve come to sense that.”

Because he has come to be able to “balance” those things, he said that even his way of facing “notte stellata”—which in its first year he had “shouldered entirely on [his] own”—has changed.

Having covered it on site every year, I also came to understand why the color of “hope” has been growing stronger year by year.

“That was very concise. How much did you polish (those questions)?”

When I finished my final question for the photos, Hanyu said this with a smile.

There were still things I wanted to ask. Things I wanted to explore more deeply—

And yet, as I brought those one-of-a-kind “600 seconds” to a close, I also felt a sense of relief at those words from the person I had been interviewing. 【Hitoshi Kurasawa】