[2026.02.06] Yuzuru & Olympics 2026

[Wintek]

Although Yuzuru is not competing, there have been articles and TV programs featuring him.

[Wintek]

[2026.02.06]

 

*Machine translation from Portuguese to English, inaccuracies exist*

 

Source, “The Olympics”, article in Portuguese: https://www.olympics.com/pt/milano-cortina-2026/noticias/por-onde-anda-hanyu-yuzuru-idolo-japones-patinacao-artistica

Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20260207221912/https://www.olympics.com/pt/milano-cortina-2026/noticias/por-onde-anda-hanyu-yuzuru-idolo-japones-patinacao-artistica

 

Where is Hanyu Yuzuru, Japanese idol of figure skating, these days?

Two-time Olympic Champion left competitions after Beijing 2022, but continues sharing his art with the world. Check out what he has been doing in recent years.

By Sheila Vieira
February 6, 2026, 02:36 GMT-8

Four years ago, one of the most popular figure skaters in history, the Japanese Hanyu Yuzuru, competed for the last time in the Winter Olympic Games. His thousands of fans around the world, including in Brazil, felt a bit orphaned without his unique way of expressing himself on the rink.

However, even though Hanyu’s Olympic career came to an end after Beijing 2022, the Japanese skater did not stop skating. Currently 31 years old, he has been producing shows that fill the largest arenas in his country, in addition to charity performances.

“I want to cling to hope for my future and enjoy the opportunities that appear,” said Hanyu at the time.

First tours and mastery of the craft

His first foray into the new venture was a re-edition of his golden performance from PyeongChang 2018 entitled “Seimei,” broadcast on YouTube [note: in reference to SharePractice]. The livestream accumulated more than three million views in one month on the platform.

Also in 2022, he launched his saga entitled “Ice Story”, with the presentation “Prologue,” lasting 90 minutes, going through eight skating routines, including quadruple jumps and the triple Axels.

In 2023, Hanyu brought the first chapter of the franchise, “Gift,” filling the Tokyo Dome, an arena with a capacity of 55 thousand people, and traveling to other Japanese cities. He was accompanied by an orchestra, other dancers, and a band. The show was later made available on Disney+ [still available worldwide except in Europe].

While many see figure skating as a sport in which athletes lose (physical) performance while still young, Hanyu feels that he is at his peak.

“I always thought there was a regression at this age as a skater. But if you look at baseball or football, your 30s are when you start putting everything together: experience, technique. That’s when you master the craft.”

[Link to @YUZURUofficial_ twitter post with Echoes of Life edit]

Hanyu Yuzuru’s next show is already scheduled for 2026

In the 2023/2024 season came the sequel “Repray Tour”, once again exploring themes such as humanity and technology. The skater added music from the world of video games, bringing new fans to the spectacle.

The next chapter was the “Echoes of Life Tour” in 2024/2025, with impressive visual and scenic effects.

“In Echoes, we ask about the future and the past. I think the future is much brighter than I expect,” explained the skater.

In 2026, Hanyu will present the show “Realive” in two performances, on April 11 and 12, at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu, in the region where he was born.

[Link to @HANYUYUZURU2624 official YouTube Channel, “Mass Destruction” (P3R) video]

Hanyu Yuzuru’s solidarity with the victims of earthquakes in Japan

In addition to his professional performances, Hanyu also puts on many charity shows. Since March 2023, the skater has promoted the annual show “Notte Stellata” (Starry Night), honoring the victims of the earthquake that devastated eastern Japan in 2011.

This spectacle includes the participation of other stars from the arts and Japanese sports. The 2026 edition will take place on March 7, 8, and 9, in Rifu, at the arena that served as a morgue after the earthquake. At that time, the skater needed to sleep several nights in an evacuation center.

“On March 11, 2011, a day of losses for many people, I looked at the sky at dusk and it was beautiful. I think it would be very simplistic to say that I took hope from the stars I saw that night, but I remember how beautiful it was, and that became an important memory for me,” commented Hanyu, about the inspiration for the title.

Hanyu also held a charity performance after the earthquake in Noto, in 2024, selling more than 10 thousand tickets and keeping the structure of the spectacle as streamlined as possible to reduce costs and increase fundraising.

“I feel that I still have a lot to offer, to move forward.”

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 2026.02.08

 

Source: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASV1Z5T2JV1ZOXIE025M.html (paid article)

 

 

“I was his earliest fan-chaser” - Sato Shun

Following Yuzuru Hanyu’s path, and heading toward his next dream.

 

There is a scene that male figure skater Shun Sato (Aim Service, Meiji University ) will never forget.

 

Spoiler

When he was 10 years old, he was practicing at an ice rink in Sendai. On the TV screen, Yuzuru Hanyu (31) was performing the short program at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

 

The program was “Parisienne Walkways.” Sato says, “I still remember it. It was shocking.”

 

At Sochi, Hanyu won Japan’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s singles.  "Seeing Hanyu, I wanted to stand on the Olympic stage too."

 

[Photo caption: The Senior and Junior Grand Prix Finals were held in Turin, Italy in December 2019. Winner Shun Sato (left) chatted and posed for a commemorative photo with his idol Yuzuru Hanyu (right)]

 

Sato started skating at the age of five. At that time, Hanyu was still a junior skater and was based in Sendai. Among the few male skaters, Sato saw him as exceptionally brilliant. Even though they belonged to different clubs, it didn't take long for him to become a big fan.

 

[Photo caption: Sato Shun has had animals by his side ever since he was a child (Photo provided by Sato himself)]

 

Sato’s father says:

“I think Sato was the first person to chase after Hanyu.”

 

He asked his father to take him to Hanyu’s competitions. Starting with the 2009 All-Japan Junior Championships held in Shin-Yokohama, then in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, and Hachinohe, Aomori.

 

What he threw onto the ice after Hanyu’s performance was…

 

In those days, at small competitions, there were very few media personnel. Sato may have been the fastest “beat reporter” following Hanyu, faster than any media outlet.

 

What he remembers most vividly was the competition in Shin-Yokohama. After Hanyu’s performance, he threw a stuffed toy wearing skates onto the rink, with a fan letter attached.

 

Later, Hanyu sent him a thank-you letter along with a gift: a pendant shaped like a bow and arrow.

 

[Photo caption: A pendant given to Shun Sato by Yuzuru Hanyu, which he treasures (provided by Sato himself)]

 

“This is a precious treasure for me. It’s my good-luck charm.”

 

Sato now carries that pendant inside a tissue case when he competes. He also carried the "lucky charm" with him when he reached the podium for the first time at the All-Japan Championships in December last year.

 

He will stand on the same stage as his idol Hanyu at the Milan–Cortina Olympics.

 

Will he wear the pendant Hanyu gave him?

 

When asked that, Sato laughed.

 

“That's true. Hmm... But I want to continue as usual, so I’ll keep it by my side as a charm.”

 

Of course, he aims for the podium. “I don’t just want to compete, I want to win a medal.”

 

He has already decided on his next dream.

 

[Photo caption: In December 2011, Shun Sato came to watch the All-Japan Championships in Osaka]

 

“I want to land a quadruple Axel jump. I don’t know if I’ll keep competing for another four years. But that’s the one thing I want to do.”

 

The quad Axel is a jump that Hanyu attempted at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Although he was unfortunately unable to land it, it was a monumental move that he staked his entire competitive career on. The only person in the world to have landed it so far is Ilia Malinin (USA), and no Japanese skater has succeeded yet.

 

Sato has vowed in his heart to carry on the “dream” Hanyu pursued.

 

Given that Sato is called a “child of jumps,” it feels like he might be the one to do it.

 

 

JP text:

Spoiler

「一番早い追っかけだった」佐藤駿　羽生結弦さんをめざし、次の夢へ

 

　フィギュアスケート男子の佐藤駿（エームサービス・明大）には、忘れられない光景がある。

　10歳の時、当時練習していた仙台市のリンク。テレビ画面の向こうで、羽生結弦さん（31）が2014年ソチ五輪のショートプログラム（SP）を演じていた。

　演目は「パリの散歩道」。佐藤は、「今でも覚えています。衝撃的でした」。

　羽生さんはソチで、日本男子初の金メダルに輝いた。「あの羽生さんを見て、僕も五輪の舞台に立ちたいと思いました」

　佐藤は5歳でスケートを始めた。当時まだジュニア選手だった羽生さんは、拠点を仙台に置いていた。数少ない男子選手の中で、佐藤にはとびきり輝いて見えたという。クラブは違ったが、大ファンになるのに時間はいらなかった。

 

　佐藤の父は言う。

　「駿が羽生さんの、一番最初の追っかけだったんじゃないですかね」

　父に頼んで、羽生さんの大会を観戦して回った。新横浜で行われた2009年全日本ジュニアをはじめ、茨城県ひたちなか市、青森県八戸市――。

 

羽生結弦さんの演技後に投げ込んだのは…

　小さな大会では報道陣がまばらだった時代。佐藤はどのメディアよりも早い、羽生さんを追う「番記者」だったかもしれない。

　何より思い出深いのは、新横浜であった大会。羽生さんの演技後、スケート靴を履いたぬいぐるみをファンレター付きでリンクに投げ込んだという。

　その後、羽生さんからお礼の手紙とプレゼントを受け取った。弓矢形のペンダントだった。

 

「僕にとって大切な宝物。お守りです」

　佐藤は今、そのペンダントをティッシュカバーの中に入れて、大会に出場している。初めて表彰台に上がった昨年12月の全日本選手権でも「お守り」を忍ばせた。

　ミラノ・コルティナ五輪で、憧れの羽生さんと同じ舞台に立つ。

　羽生さんからもらったペンダントを着けて臨みますか？

　そんな問いかけに、佐藤は笑った。

　「そうですね。うーん……。でも、いつも通りでいきたいので、お守りとしてそばにいてもらいます」

　当然、表彰台を狙う。「出るだけではなく、メダルを取りたい」

　次の夢も、すでに決めている。

 

　「4回転（クワッド）アクセルジャンプを成功させたいと考えています。あと4年間やるかどうかは分かりません。でも、それだけは決めたいと思います」

　クワッドアクセルは、羽生さんが22年北京五輪で挑んだジャンプ。惜しくも成功はできなかったが、羽生さんが競技人生を懸けた大技だ。成功者は世界でイリア・マリニン（米）だけで、日本選手の成功者はまだいない。

　羽生さんが追い求めた「夢」を継ごうと、佐藤は心に誓っている。

　「ジャンプの申し子」と呼ばれる佐藤なら、やってくれそうな気がする。

 

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

 2026.02.13

 

Source: https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/93236

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260213021002/https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/93236

 

 

[Milan-Cortina Olympics] Skating rinks are declining in the shadow of the figure skating team's success, and what is needed for the figure skating powerhouse to "restore" itself

 

At the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, Japan’s figure skating team captured a second straight silver medal in the team event.

 

Although powerhouse Russia was absent, Japan delivered an outstanding performance, finishing just one point behind the gold medal–winning United States. Alongside the men’s and women’s singles, long established among the world’s elite, Japan has also surged to the top in the pair discipline, once considered a weakness, with Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (Kinoshita Group) now reigning on the global stage.

 

At the same time, with former “absolute champion” Yuzuru Hanyu and others turning professional, the popularity and attention that they helped build around competitive skating has gradually begun to taper off.

 

The number of skating rinks in Japan is also declining, leaving the foundation supporting the next generation of skaters increasingly uncertain.

 

Spoiler

Japan’s Figure Skating: Weak in Pairs and Ice Dance

 

The Olympic figure skating team event consists of four disciplines—men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, and ice dance—and determines a country’s overall strength in the sport.

 

The origins of the Olympic team event lie in the World Team Trophy, which has been held in Japan roughly every two years since 2009. The event was first included in the Olympics at the 2014 Sochi Games.

 

Ten teams compete in the team event. In each discipline, the short program (SP), or rhythm dance in ice dance, is performed first. The first-place team earns 10 points, and each subsequent place earns one point fewer.

 

After all four disciplines conclude, the top five teams based on total points advance to the free skate. Again, first place earns 10 points, with each lower placement receiving one point fewer, and the final standings are determined by the combined total points.

 

Looking back at Japan’s history in the team event, at the time of the Sochi Olympics, Japan boasted exceptional depth in men’s and women’s singles at a world-class level. In contrast, there was a significant gap between Japan and the rest of the world in pairs and ice dance.

 

Couple disciplines, in which men and women skate together, were considered less compatible with Japanese sporting culture, resulting in fewer competitors. In particular, pair skating involves dynamic elements such as throw jumps and lifts, which carry inherent risks during practice and often require reserving the entire rink. Moreover, there were few domestically trained male skaters with the physique and strength suited to the demands of pair skating.

 

Strengthening the Couple Disciplines Was a Top Priority

 

In the pairs event at the 2012 World Championships (Nice, France), Narumi Takahashi, who had been training overseas, competed for Japan alongside Canadian citizen Mervin Tran and achieved the remarkable feat of winning a bronze medal.

 

Expectations rose for success at the Olympics, but for Tran to obtain Japanese citizenship, he did not meet requirements such as the necessary years of residence in Japan. As a result, the Liberal Democratic Party’s Sports Nation Promotion Committee even discussed the possibility of a special exception for a change of nationality in order to support Japan’s participation in the team event at the Sochi Olympics.

 

Later, it was Kihara who switched from men’s singles and went on to form a pair with Takahashi after taking part in a tryout conducted by the Japan Skating Federation to develop athletes in the couple disciplines.

 

The Takahashi–Kihara pair secured a berth in the Olympic individual event just about a year after forming. Together with ice dance, Japan was able to send entries in all four disciplines in the team event.

 

However, at the Games themselves, although Yuzuru Hanyu, then the world No. 1 in the men’s rankings and eventual individual gold medalist, delivered a breathtaking performance to win the men’s short program and lead Japan into the free skate, the team ultimately finished fifth overall.

 

At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics as well, Japan remained fifth in the overall standings. To close the gap with the so-called “figure skating powerhouses,” strengthening the couple disciplines was unavoidable.

 

For the First Time in Japan, Two Pairs at the Olympics!

 

Amid these efforts, Kihara steadily adapted to pair skating and raised his level. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the “RikuRyu” duo of Miura and Kihara made a major breakthrough by finishing second in the team free skate. Japan ultimately captured its long-awaited silver medal after Russia was disqualified, earning a place on the podium.

 

And at the Milan–Cortina Olympics this time, Japan battled fiercely for the gold medal until the very end against the United States, which boasted reigning world champions in three disciplines.

 

At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the only Japanese skater who earned first-place points in the men’s short program was Yuzuru Hanyu. In Milan–Cortina, Japan earned first-place points in five of the eight disciplines: Yuma Kagiyama (Oriental Bio / Chukyo University) in the men’s short program; Kaori Sakamoto (Sysmex) in both the women’s short program and free skate; and the Miura–Kihara pair in both the pairs short program and free skate.

 

Among the couple disciplines, pairs—once a weakness when the team event was first introduced—also earned a major boost: the second pair team, Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi (Kinoshita Academy), also qualified for the Olympics. This is the first time Japan has sent two pairs to the Olympic Games. In ice dance, former Japanese national champion Rika Kihira (Toyota Motor Corporation) has transitioned to the discipline, making the future look even more exciting.

 

Skating Rinks Declining Across Japan

 

The pair team Nagaoka–Moriguchi, nicknamed “YunaSumi,” have been training at the Kinoshita Academy Kyoto Ice Arena, which opened in Kyoto in 2019.

 

The ice dance team Yoshida–Morita (Kinoshita Academy), who competed in the team event, also practiced at this rink. This suggests that the couple disciplines, once dependent on overseas training bases, may have entered a new phase in which they can be strengthened domestically.

 

The women’s representative Ami Nakai (TOKIO Inkarra) trains at the year-round indoor rink Mitsui Fudosan Ice Park Funabashi, which opened in Chiba in 2020. However, looking at the whole country, the number of skating rinks is decreasing.

 

According to the Sports Agency’s “Survey on the Current Status of Physical Education and Sports Facilities,” the number of indoor skating rinks nationwide peaked at 268 facilities in fiscal 1985, but fell to 99 facilities by fiscal 2021.

 

Figure skating is one of Japan’s most popular spectator sports, but the number of competitors is not particularly large. The decline in rink numbers is believed to be due in part to the diversification of winter leisure activities and the high cost of maintenance. However, the closure of skating rinks directly affects the competitive careers of skaters.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu Donates Over 100 Million Yen to Skating Rinks

 

At Ice Rink Sendai in Sendai City, which has overcome financial difficulties and the threat of closure following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Hanyu has continued to make substantial donations even after turning professional. In February, it was announced that he had made an additional donation of 2 million yen, bringing his total contributions to his home rink to over 100 million yen.

 

It has also been revealed that Hanyu donated more than 54 million yen to Bell Sunpia Miyagi Izumi, another rink in Miyagi Prefecture.

 

This rink had long struggled with structural problems that caused condensation from the ceiling to drip down, creating bumps in the ice. Concerned about the safety of the children skating there, Hanyu’s donation funded renovations and was also used to replace the ice resurfacing machine’s batteries.

 

However, is it enough to rely solely on the goodwill of an extraordinary skater? For Japan to truly solidify its status as a “figure skating powerhouse,” it must not only achieve competitive success but also maintain and improve domestic training environments in a stable and sustainable way.

 

In Japan, women’s skaters once dominated in popularity, followed by the rise of men’s skating. Many of the athletes aiming to represent Japan at the Milan–Cortina Olympics were inspired by Hanyu and others, setting their sights on the Olympic stage.

 

To firmly strengthen the development, training, and promotion of the next generation, it is necessary to look beyond the excitement of two consecutive Olympic silver medals and keep the future in view.