[2026.06.10] Yuzuru Hanyu x Yuzu Collaboration - Memorial Song "Ikue"

[Wintek]

Articles about the collaboration between Yuzuru Hanyu and the Japanese band Yuzu. Yuzuru skated the memorial song "Ikue".

A special program will be broadcast on June 11th at 6:10 PM JST, on NHK General's "Telemasa" (Miyagi Prefecture area)
The program will also be available for streaming on NHK ONE after the broadcast.

NHK ONE is a free online streaming site. VPN Required.

[Wintek]

[2026.06.10] 

 

*Machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: https://www.nhk.or.jp/sendai/info/articles/310/051/75/ 

Archive:

 

Yuzuru Hanyu × Yuzu

Earthquake Memorial Song Ikue - Figure Skating Special Program

June 10, 2026

Yuzuru Hanyu's special program is scheduled to be broadcast on:

NHK General TV, June 11, 6:10 PM "Teremasa" (Miyagi Prefecture broadcast area)

(After the broadcast, it will be available for catch-up streaming on NHK ONE.)

Yuzu Performs Ikue — The 15th Anniversary Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Song

Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. To pass on the memories and lessons of the disaster to the next generation, NHK worked together with Yuzu to create the earthquake memorial song Ikue. 

Yujin Kitagawa [from Yuzu], who wrote the lyrics, put into Ikue the wish that "everyone would be able to see themselves reflected in it." Through this project, NHK hopes that the power of a song created by Yuzu—one of Japan's representative artists—will convey the experiences of the disaster not only to Tohoku, but throughout Japan and to the wider world, connecting those experiences to the future. This time, a collaboration with Yuzuru Hanyu, who felt a deep connection to Ikue, has become a reality.

 

Spoiler

If Wounds Could Become Even a Little a "Gentler Pain"...

Yuzuru Hanyu, who is from Sendai, experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake at the age of sixteen while practicing at his ice rink. After the disaster, he says that he struggled with the question:

"Is it really okay for me to continue skating like this?"

Even so, believing that "there is something I can do," he continued competing and went on to win two Olympic gold medals. Even after turning professional in 2022, one thing he has continued to value is activities that help convey the memories of the disaster. Hanyu says that when he listened to the earthquake memorial song Ikue, "it gave me courage."

For this project, he listened to the song more than 500 times and expressed the world of Ikue through choreography he created himself.

"While staying close to everyone's lives, I performed while layering onto it my own feelings as someone who has lived carrying wounds as one of the disaster survivors. When people who carry various kinds of wounds listen to this song and watch the performance, I hope that those wounds can become, even a little, a 'gentler pain.' With a prayer that a peaceful and tranquil future may come to everyone, and continue for even a little longer, I skated."

Yuzuru Hanyu's Feelings About the Earthquake Memorial Song Ikue

"I was not caught in the tsunami. Because I still had skating, and because I still had my body, there were periods of time when it was difficult for me to think of myself as a 'disaster victim.' Even so, I felt that Ikue is a song that can save someone like me. It became an opportunity for me to look back and learn how to live alongside the memories that I had kept a lid on. I want to continue being encouraged by Ikue, continue receiving strength from it, and keep doing my best to live my life."

Yuzuru Hanyu × Yuzu — Resonating as Artists

"When I think about what it means to stay close to the disaster and to those affected by it, I express that through figure skating, while Yuzu expresses it through songwriting, composition, performance, and so on. Even if the forms of expression are different, if deep in our hearts we cherish the same things, then I feel it is only natural that our work resonates with one another."

What I Want to Value Most in Passing On the Memory of the Disaster

"I don't think we should simply pass on painful memories as they are, nor do I want to do things that only make people sad. What I want to convey is: 'Because we had that experience, we learned how to take actions that protect lives.' I think that what truly needs to remain for the generation that does not know the disaster is the things that we learned from it."

 

[Wintek]

 

[2026.06.10] 

 

*Machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

Hochi Sports: 1 introduction article and Q&A published in 4 parts

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260610-OHT1T51323.html?page=1 

Archive:

 

Yuzuru Hanyu × Yuzu

A Prayerful Performance to the Earthquake Memorial Song "Ikue"

"I hope wounds can become even a little gentler in their pain"

June 10, 2026, 7:05 PM

Yuzuru Hanyu, who won consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, has achieved his first collaboration with the popular duo Yuzu.

Performing to Ikue, NHK's earthquake memorial song marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Hanyu presented a skating performance. By the 10th, the recording, made at an ice rink in Sendai City, had been unveiled, and he responded to media interviews.

Spoiler

Hanyu listened to the song more than 500 times and choreographed the program himself. He began work on it after his solo performance RE_PRAY REALIVE in April and carefully built it up piece by piece.

"There are so many different feelings contained within it, and I felt that I also had to pour many different feelings into it. Without letting even a single note escape me, without overlooking a single meaning in the lyrics, I thought about each and every word, digested them, took them into myself, and also paid attention to the grandeur of the sound, the pitch, and even the types of instruments being used."

The lyrics and music were written by Yujin Kitagawa of Yuzu. Marihiko Hara, who was responsible for the music of the film Kokuho (National Treasure) and who also collaborated with Hanyu in REALIVE, participated in composing the song as well.

Near the end of the song appears the lyric, "to open up the future."

"I myself don't know what lies ahead for me from here on. But while choreographing, I was thinking that if, even a little, we could combine my strength with everyone's strength and pry open something like a door to the future, that would be wonderful."

The costume, based primarily on white and blue, is also filled with Hanyu's particular attention to detail.

"The fabric itself is layered, and it was made with the image of many, many layers being stacked on top of one another."

It expresses the title Ikue ("many layers" / "countless layers"), and he also paid close attention to how the costume would flow and billow in a way that matched the mood of the music.

"I skated with a prayer in my heart, that a peaceful and tranquil future might continue to come to everyone for even a little longer."

On March 11, 2011, when he was 16 years old, Hanyu experienced the disaster at an ice rink in Sendai City.

After winning two Olympic gold medals and even after turning professional in 2022, he has continued to stay close to the affected regions.

"I think there will surely be difficult times as well. But when those times come, by listening to Ikue, I think that I too, as one of the disaster survivors, will receive courage from it. When people watch my skating while listening to this song, Ikue, I hope that their wounds can become, even a little, a gentler kind of pain."

Hanyu's special program is scheduled to be broadcast on the June 11 edition of Teremasa (Miyagi regional broadcast). After the broadcast, it will also be available for streaming on NHK ONE.

 

---

 

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260610-OHT1T51329.html?page=1

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Yuzuru Hanyu: "Expressing the Music, the Lyrics, and the Feelings with Great Care" Self-Choreographed Ikue - Interview Q&A (Part 1)

 

Spoiler

June 10, 2026, 7:20 PM

Yuzuru Hanyu, who won consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, has achieved his first collaboration with the popular duo Yuzu.

Performing to Ikue, NHK's earthquake memorial song marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Hanyu presented a skating performance. By the 10th, the recording, made at an ice rink in Sendai City, had been unveiled, and he responded to media interviews.

The following is Part 1 of the question-and-answer session.

— As someone who was himself affected by the disaster, you have performed to this earthquake memorial song. Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Once again, what is the significance of passing these memories on?

"Even though fifteen years have passed, I don't think it is something I will ever forget for the rest of my life. So many different people experienced the disaster in so many different ways. Of course, it wasn't only Tohoku. There were people in the Kanto region who experienced powerful earthquakes and strong shaking. And even people in the Kansai region or Kyushu—although they may not have felt the shaking themselves—were confronted with extremely shocking images. I think there are probably wounds that remain in many different forms. However, as someone who experienced those fifteen years ago as a person who was old enough to remember—as a child who had memories at the time—I think it may remain with me for the rest of my life. But there are also many lives that have been born and raised during these past fifteen years. I absolutely do not want to force painful memories onto those people. But I do want to tell them, 'Something like this happened.' I feel that perhaps I have a responsibility to convey that. It is something I carry as a sense of mission. Of course, I think that because this is a song by Yuzu, there are feelings and messages that can reach even the generation that has no memory of the disaster. At the same time, there are surely people who actually experienced the disaster, who carry wounds from it, and who are still suffering even now. While staying close to those wounds, I skated with a prayer that the future might become even a little brighter."

— It seemed that some parts of the choreography differed between the first and second full run-throughs. Did changes emerge as you became more emotionally immersed in the performance on the ice?

"Yes… Since I choreographed this myself, to be honest, there were moments when I simply listened to the music and let my body move as it wanted to. Figure skating performances have a very once-in-a-lifetime quality to them. The emotions you can place into them at that particular moment, your breathing, your sense of speed, the speed of your rotations, there is truly not a single performance that is exactly the same. So in that sense, I suppose things changed. I performed while placing great importance on expressing the music, the lyrics, and the feelings behind them."

— Marihiko Hara is also credited as a composer. You collaborated with him during your ice show in April as well. Were there aspects of that experience that were reflected in this work?

"Very much so. In terms of the way music is created—or rather, the atmosphere a piece carries, the way the strings are layered, the way the piano is introduced—I can really feel Marihiko-san's distinctive sense of rhythm in those things. When I was doing my solo ice show, he created music for me, and through collaborating with him, I had the experience of almost having conversations through music. Things like, 'This is how I want to interpret the sound,' and so on. Because of those experiences, when it came to skating to this piece, it felt as though the distance between us had become smaller. Or rather, I felt as though I could better understand the feelings that Marihiko-san surely wanted to put into this song together with Yuzu."

— Your skating is often characterized by speed and momentum. Today, however, it was striking how slowly and gently you moved in accordance with the music.

"I was very consciously trying to feel the ice with great care. I myself experienced the disaster while standing on the ice. Near the beginning of the lyrics there is a section containing words about waves and a quiet sea, and during that part I perform a hydroblading sequence. The rink where I created that choreography is the very rink where I experienced the disaster. At that moment I found myself remembering things like: 'This rink was really undulating then.' 'The ice is so calm now, but back then it was moving in waves.' 'It really was something abnormal.' Those memories came back very strongly. Including those thoughts, I wanted to skate the entire piece while carefully, carefully feeling the ice. There are parts that say 'I want to see you' and parts that say 'I can't see you.' There are feelings you want to put into words, but if you actually say them, it feels as though they might spill out. And when you truly cannot see someone—when they have become someone you cannot meet anymore—it feels as though you are pulled backward, or brought back into the world, brought back into reality. I was thinking about those things very much while skating. So rather than it being like a dash, rather than suddenly running forward, I wanted to express through both the choreography and the skating the idea of taking one step at a time, beginning to walk forward, and carefully moving toward the future."

---

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260610-OHT1T51348.html?page=1#goog_rewarded 

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Yuzuru Hanyu Listened to Ikue More Than 500 Times

Forward Roll and Hugging His Knees: "From the Past to the Present" - Interview Q&A (Part 2)

 

Spoiler

June 10, 2026, 7:59 PM

Yuzuru Hanyu, who won consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, achieved his first collaboration with the popular duo Yuzu.

Performing to Ikue, NHK's earthquake memorial song marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Hanyu presented a skating performance. By the 10th, the recording, made at an ice rink in Sendai City, had been unveiled, and he responded to media interviews.

The following is Part 2 of the question-and-answer session.

— In the middle of the program there is a moment where you do a forward roll and then curl up, hugging your knees. It's choreography unlike anything seen in your previous shows or competitive programs.

"That comes at a point where the music suddenly changes direction. I think that's the point where the song moves from the part about the past into the part about the present. Up until then, it is looking back continuously at the past, and then, while holding one's knees, it is as though time has passed during that interval. As the music develops and changes, time passes by, and when you open your eyes, the circumstances of the present are all around you. The things that were lost and the things that have continued moving forward are both actually right there before your eyes. That was the feeling I had in mind when creating the choreography."

— You listened to the song more than 500 times. Is that normal for you when preparing a program?

"It's normal." (laughs)

— Even for the pieces in your ice shows?

"Yes."

— When did you begin working on the choreography?

"I started after Prequel from REALIVE had finished."

— Every lyric and melody seems to have been treated as important. Were there any words in particular that struck you deeply?

"As for the words themselves, the stories that Yuzu heard when they actually visited people affected by the disaster have been incorporated into these lyrics. In one of those scenes, while listening to various stories, there were people who had lost someone they could no longer meet. There is a passage about not being able to get used to someone's absence. To be honest, I felt that there hadn't really been lyrics before that expressed something like this so directly. Even when creating songs intended to pass on the memory of the disaster, I don't think there had been expressions this direct. So I too skated very honestly, imagining very vividly those things that truly cannot be seen again, those things that have truly been lost."

— The title is Ikue ("Many Layers"). What image does that word itself evoke for you?

"Rather than starting from the title itself, what I felt was that, as a result of Kitagawa-san and Marihiko-san composing the song, there are instruments layered upon instruments, and voices layered upon voices. Those many layers seemed to me to overlap with the lives of many different people, and to express the lives of many different people. This is simply my own interpretation of Ikue, but I feel there are two meanings within it. One is that the fifteen years that have passed are layered one upon another. Within a single person's life, those fifteen years have accumulated layer upon layer, becoming almost like geological strata. The other is that there are the fifteen years of many different people, and those years too have accumulated like strata. That's how I've interpreted it. I think I'm someone who can express both of those meanings. Because I myself experienced the disaster in Sendai and have lived carrying various wounds, I felt that I could express the fifteen years that have accumulated within me. And at the same time, because I won two consecutive Olympic gold medals, I was given opportunities to hear many people's stories and opportunities to actually meet many people. Because of that, I also know about the many layers of those fifteen years belonging to so many different people. So both aspects were very important to me, both when creating the choreography and when actually skating it today."

— This song itself reflects the passing on of memories. Looking at it from the outside, it almost feels like two artists who have traveled along completely different paths arrived at the same place and crossed paths.

"For example—and this is just an example—I have been thinking recently that there are many cases in this world where, when people think deeply about things, everyone ends up arriving at the same conclusion. Like how philosophers and people doing mathematics are sometimes surprisingly similar kinds of people. You may be thinking about something extremely literary, but in the end you arrive at something like a mathematical answer, or perhaps at something resembling a truth of the universe. I think it's the same here. When people seriously think about how to face the disaster and how to stay close to those affected by it, I think they ultimately arrive at the same place. For me, figure skating is my first language. I believe that. Figure skating has its own methods of expression. Yuzu and Kitagawa-san, on the other hand, express that sense of staying close to people through writing lyrics, composing music, performing songs, and delivering them through singing and playing. Those are their methods of expression. If what we are thinking deep in our hearts is the same—if deep down we care about the same things and treasure the same things—then I suppose it is only natural that our work would resonate with one another."

---

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260610-OHT1T51356.html?page=1

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“Yuzuru Hanyu: ‘Little by little, I've become able to properly reach out a hand’” - Q&A Part 3
 

Spoiler

June 10, 2026, 8:14 PM

Yuzuru Hanyu, who won consecutive Olympic titles in men's figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 Winter Olympics, appeared for the first time in a collaboration with the popular duo Yuzu. He performed skating to “Ikue,” an NHK disaster-remembrance song marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. By the 10th, footage recorded at an ice rink in Sendai was unveiled, and he responded to questions from the press. The following is Part 3 of the Q&A.

— Fifteen years have passed. Is there anything new you find yourself thinking about regarding the disaster, or any changes?

“I think I've become better at how I live with it. If you ask whether people completely change just because a number of years that is a multiple of five has passed—a kind of milestone that humans tend to be sensitive to—that's not really how it is. I think change comes little by little through the accumulation of everyday life. And I think there are times when you move forward and back again, too. But when it comes to how I face my own wounds, and also painful memories and painful hurt experienced by those who were affected by the disaster, I feel that I've gradually become better at things like the sense of distance involved in being close to that pain, and the way of facing it together. Not just reopening wounds. Not just enjoying things. Not just trying hard to stay close to someone. 

I think I've gradually become able to properly reach out a hand toward those things. There is a feeling of wanting to reach out a hand to people who were hurt, or wanting to pray for them. But there is also a past version of myself that I left behind for a very long time, a version of myself that I kept tightly closed off. And I think I've changed to the point where I can say to those parts of myself too, ‘It's okay.’ Part of that comes from what this song, Ikue, has done for me. And when I thought about people seeing this song and this performance—if I wanted them, even just a little, to face forward; if I wanted them, even just a little, to think about embracing these wounds while moving toward the future—then, in order to convey that with conviction, I felt that I myself had to become that way. So I think I was given a really valuable opportunity.”

— Have you ever imagined what your life would have been like if the disaster had never happened?

“No, not really. Because it already happened. To be honest, when I think back on that time, when it happened it didn't feel real. But even though it didn't feel real at all, we still somehow had to keep living there. So everyone was desperate, thinking about things like how daily life was going to work, dealing with whatever was right in front of them. We were also on the side that was receiving help from evacuation shelters. We were constantly being taken care of by the people at those shelters. But while worrying about things like how life would return from there, what would happen to our home, what would happen to Japan from then on, at the same time we had to accept that this was reality. We were living continuously from one immediate situation to the next, just dealing with whatever came. So I can't really think very much about what this world would have been like if 3/11 had never happened. I think that, in this life that has really been one thing after another, that's how the thing called ‘now’ exists.”

— Over the span of fifteen years, have you been able to change the meaning of the past?

“Hmm... I wonder. In some ways it has changed, and in some ways it hasn't. When I come into contact with other people's memories, or see various news reports, or actually meet people, even though it isn't my own experience, tears come very easily, and my chest still hurts deeply. That still happens. When I think about things like that, there are parts of me that can't definitively say, ‘I've changed the way I face it compared to those days.’ But without a doubt, as I said in my earlier answer, I do think I've become better at the sense of distance and at how I live with it. It's not that I've erased the past. Rather, my life includes that too. And I think I've gradually become able to say that openly, with my head held high.”

---

Source: https://hochi.news/articles/20260610-OHT1T51402.html?page=1

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Yuzuru Hanyu: “Forcing painful memories in front of people is not what passing things down means” - Q&A Part 4
 

Spoiler

June 10, 2026, 8:56 PM

Yuzuru Hanyu, who won consecutive Olympic titles in men's figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 Winter Olympics, appeared for the first time in a collaboration with the popular duo Yuzu. He performed skating to “Ikue,” an NHK disaster-remembrance song marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. By the 10th, footage recorded at an ice rink in Sendai was unveiled, and he responded to questions from the press. The following is Part 4 of the Q&A.

— Last July, you skated here in the ice show celebrating the opening of this venue. Was there anything different this time?

“At that time it was bright, and this time, with the lighting, it was dark. I was able to skate on a rink that was completely in its ice-show version, so the atmosphere was completely different. There were scenes where, in the darkness, I felt like I was all alone. And conversely, there were scenes where it became brighter from there, and where I skated while feeling the future myself. I think, unlike back then, I was able to feel the development of many different scenes, many different kinds of progression.”

 

— The generation born after the disaster is now turning sixteen. From here on, there will be more and more people who do not know the earthquake disaster.

“As I said earlier, I don't want to think that I want to convey painful feelings exactly as they were. I don't think that way. To be honest, I think painful memories and painful feelings are something that only we need to carry. I don't think forcing those things in front of people is what passing things down means. So, maybe it's fine to tell people, ‘Something like this happened,’ or ‘There were feelings of suffering like this.’ But I don't want to do something that leaves people only feeling sad because of it. But I think we should at least pass on the fact that, because something like this happened, we learned how to protect lives; because something like this happened, we became able to protect lives by doing things in these ways. I think that alone is what should remain. As a record, I think it is important that the fact various disasters occurred should remain. But what I want the generations who don't know them to truly inherit is only what we learned. If that alone remains properly, I think people will be able to live on.

I was born about a month before the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake happened, and because of that disaster, various seismic-resistance standards changed, and building standards changed. Thanks to that, I think there were surely fewer buildings that collapsed during 3/11, and I think we, too, were protected that way. Because we know that, we're able to think, ‘We were protected thanks to those changes. We were able to protect our lives.’ So in the same way, because 3/11 happened, people became able to evacuate like this; seawalls, floodgates, and many other things were built. Boundaries were established saying, ‘You must not build housing here.’ Many things came into being, and perhaps the scenery changed because of that. But because the scenery changed, many things are being protected. I hope that message continues to spread further and further.”

(End)

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.06.10

 

Source: https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASV6B0TRKV6BUNHB00SM.html?ptoken=01KTRGMV6YVG9GWR08RC0DEW78 (paid)

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "I've gotten better at living with the earthquake."

 

Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu performed an original figure skating routine to a song commemorating the disaster, which was created by the folk duo "Yuzu" at the request of NHK Sendai Broadcasting Station. Hanyu, a native of Sendai and a survivor of the disaster, spoke about his feelings 15 years after the earthquake.

 

Spoiler

I don't want to burden you with painful memories. But...

 

◆15 years have passed since the earthquake.

 

Even after 15 years, I don't think I'll ever forget it. So many people experienced the earthquake. Some people in the Kanto region felt the strong tremors. Even those who didn't feel the shaking must have seen incredibly shocking images and suffered various kinds of trauma.

 

For those of us who experienced it 15 years ago as adults, and also as children who remember it, it may stay with us for a lifetime. But I never want to force those painful memories onto people who were born and raised during these past fifteen years. At the same time, I want to convey that "this is something that happened." I feel a sense of responsibility, perhaps even a mission, to pass that on. I believe that, precisely because it is a song by Yuzu, it can reach even those who have no memory of the disaster themselves.

 

I'm sure there are people who have actually experienced the earthquake and are still carrying the pain, and many who are still suffering. I created this with the hope that it will bring a brighter future, even just a little, while standing in solidarity with the pain of such people.

 

◆(During the recording for television broadcast) The choreography was slightly different between the first and second take.

 

Since I choreographed it myself, there were times when I just listened to the music and let my body move naturally.

 

Figure skating performances are very much a once-in-a-lifetime experience; the emotions, breathing, sense of speed, and speed of rotations that can be conveyed at any given moment are truly never the same, so I think those differences emerged naturally. Still, I focused on expressing the music, the lyrics, and the feelings behind them.

 

◆Unlike the fast-paced skating seen in competitions, the calm, relaxed style of skating in this performance was particularly striking.

 

I was making a conscious effort to feel the ice very carefully. I myself experienced the earthquake while I was on the ice.

 

Near the beginning of the lyrics, there is a section that mentions "the sea." During that part, I perform a hydroblading move (gliding in a very low position close to the ice). The rink where I created the choreography for this song was one that was affected by the disaster. As I skated, I remembered thinking: "The ice is so calm now, but back then the rink was rippling like waves. It was truly abnormal." Carrying those memories with me, I wanted to skate the entire program while carefully feeling the ice beneath me.

 

When the song reaches the lyrics about "wanting to see someone" and "not being able to see them," I skated while thinking about how these are feelings people want to put into words, yet if they actually say them aloud, their emotions might spill over. And then the phrase "can't see them" pulls them back to the reality of loss.

 

At that moment, I didn't want to express someone suddenly breaking into a run or rushing forward. Instead, I wanted to portray moving ahead one step at a time, carefully and deliberately progressing toward the future. That was something I intended to express through both the choreography and my skating.

 

The part of myself I kept sealed away after the disaster

◆In the middle of the program, you do a forward roll and then curl up, holding your knees. It's quite different from movements seen in shows or competitions. What were you trying to express?

 

For me, that's the point where the program shifts from the past into the present. In that sense, while remaining curled up and hugging my knees, time passes as the music develops. Then, when I suddenly open my eyes, the world of the present is around me. The things that have been lost and the things that have continued moving forward both exist right in front of me. That feeling was the basis for the choreography.

 

◆Which part of the song's lyrics resonates with you the most?

 

The lyrics are based on stories that the members of Yuzu actually heard from people affected by the disaster. I felt that there had never been lyrics this direct before. In a sense, I skated while honestly imagining the things that had truly been lost.

 

◆What image comes to mind when you hear the title "Ikue" (meaning "many layers")?

 

As a result of the composition by Yujin Kitagawa and Marihiko Hara, the instruments and voices are layered over one another again and again. I strongly feel that those layers express the overlapping of many different people's lives.

 

My interpretation of Ikue is that, within a single person's life, fifteen years of time accumulate layer upon layer, like geological strata. At the same time, the fifteen years lived by many different people have also accumulated into their own layers. I think the title contains both meanings.

 

I believe I'm someone who can express both of them. Because I experienced the disaster in Sendai myself and have lived with various emotional scars, I feel able to express the fifteen years that have accumulated within me. At the same time, I've had opportunities to listen to many people's stories and meet many individuals, so I also know something of the fifteen years that others have lived through. Both perspectives are precious to me. Throughout the choreography process, and again today while skating, I wanted to express both of them with equal care.

 

◆How has your way of facing the disaster changed over these fifteen years?

 

I think I've gotten better at living with it

 

Fifteen years is a multiple of five, a number that humans tend to perceive as a significant milestone, but it's not like things change drastically all at once. I think changes happen little by little through the accumulation of daily experiences, and there are times when things go back and forth.

 

Within that process, I feel I've gradually become better at how I face my own wounds, how I stay close to the painful memories and suffering of those affected by the disaster, and how I engage with those feelings. It's no longer just about reopening wounds, grieving, or trying hard to empathize. I think I've slowly become more capable of actually reaching out a hand to those wounds.

 

Of course, there is a part of me that wants to reach out to people who have been hurt and offer prayers for them. But there is also my own past self, the self I left behind, the self I kept sealed away. I think I've changed enough that I can now say to that part of myself, "It's okay."

 

I think the song "Ikue" (meaning "many layers") was instrumental in that. If I want people who watch this performance to think, "I'll try to take even a small step forward" or "I'll embrace my scars and keep moving toward the future," then I myself have to be able to do that first. I feel that I was given a truly valuable opportunity.

 

◆As more people grow up with no memory of the disaster, what are your thoughts on passing its lessons on to future generations?

 

To be honest, I think it's enough for those of us who experienced it to carry the painful memories and emotions ourselves. Forcing those memories onto others is not what passing on the disaster's legacy means. But I do believe we should continue to tell people, "Because this happened, we learned how to protect lives." Those lessons deserve to be passed down and preserved.

 

The fact that various disasters occurred should certainly remain as part of the historical record. But when it comes to generations who truly have no memory of them, I think what most needs to remain are the lessons we learned. If those lessons survive, people will be able to keep living safely. Because of March 11, people later knew how to evacuate. Because of it, seawalls and floodgates were built. The landscape may have changed, but I hope people will understand that many things are now being protected because of those experiences. That's how I think about it.

 

 

 

Broadcast schedule for Yuzuru Hanyu's performance:
Yuzuru Hanyu's performance to the traditional song "Ikue" will be broadcast on NHK's "Teremasa" (Miyagi Prefecture only) on June 11th and 12th at 6:10 PM, and on "Gogo LIVE Newsoon" (nationwide) on June 24th at 3:10 PM. Both broadcasts will also be available for on-demand viewing on "NHK ONE".

 

 

 

Transcript:

Spoiler

羽生結弦さん「震災との付き合い方、うまくなった」　取り残した自分

東日本大震災から15年。フォークデュオ「ゆず」がNHK仙台放送局の依頼から制作した震災伝承ソングに合わせ、プロフィギュアスケーターの羽生結弦さんがオリジナルのアイススケートを披露した。仙台市出身で被災者の羽生さんが、震災から15年の思いを語った。

つらい記憶、押し付けたくない。けれど…
　◆震災から15年が経ちました

　15年という月日が経っても、一生忘れることはないと思います。いろんな方々が震災を経験した。関東で強い揺れを感じた方々もいらっしゃる。揺れを感じなかったとしても、すごくショッキングな映像があり、様々な形での傷が残っているんだろうと思います。

　15年前を大人として、また記憶のある子どもとして、経験した人間としては一生残るかもしれないですが、この15年間に生まれて育った人々につらい記憶を絶対押し付けたくはない。けれど、「こんなことがあったんだよ」ということは届けていきたい。届けなきゃいけない義務があるのかな、ということは使命感として持っています。震災の記憶がない世代にも、ゆずさんの曲だからこそ届く思いもあると思う。

　実際に震災を経験して傷を抱えている方や、まだまだ苦しいよという方もきっといると思う。そんな人々の痛みに寄り添いながら、少しでも未来が明るくなるようにという祈りを込めてつくりました。

　◆（テレビ放送用の収録で）1度目と2度目で少し振りが違っていた

　自分で振り付けをさせていただいたので、楽曲を聴いて体が動くままにみたいなことは正直ありました。

　フィギュアスケートの演技ってすごく一期一会なところがあって、その時々で乗せられる感情、呼吸、スピード感、回転の速さが本当に一度として同じものがないので、その中で変わってしまったのかなと思います。ただ、音と歌詞と思いを大事にして表現しました。

　◆競技でのスピード感ある滑りと違い、ゆったりした滑りが印象的

　すごく丁寧に氷を感じるということをしていました。僕自身、震災を氷の上で経験しました。

　歌詞の最初の方に、「海」の言葉が出てくるパートで、（低い姿勢で滑る）ハイドロブレーディングをします。この曲に自分が振り付けをしたリンクが、被災したリンクでした。「こんなに静かな氷だけど、あの時はリンクがすごく波打ってて、本当に異常だったな」と思い出したことも含めて、丁寧に氷を感じながら全部滑っていきたいという気持ちでした。

　歌で「会いたい」「会えない」というパートは、実際に言葉にしたいけれど言葉にしたらこぼれちゃいそうで、「会えない」と現実に引き戻されてしまうみたいなことを考えながら滑りました。そこにダッシュみたいに走り出すわけではなく、一歩ずつ歩んで、未来に向かって丁寧に進んでいくんだということは、振り付けとスケートで表現しようと思っていたことです。

震災で「ふたをしてきた自分みたいなもの」
　◆中盤ででんぐりがえりしてひざを抱えるような動きが。ショーや競技とは違う動きだが、どんな表現なのか

　自分にとってはそこが過去から現在のパートに変わるところだと思っています。そんな意味で、ずっとひざを抱えながら、曲の展開が変わっていく時に時間が過ぎ去り、ふと目を覚ましたら現在の状況が自分の周りにある。失われたものと進んでいるものが実際目の前にあるという感情から、振り付けを考えました。

　◆歌で特に心に刺さる部分は

　実際にゆずさんが被災された方々に聞いたお話が歌詞になっているんですよね。ここまでストレートな歌詞ってなかったなと思っていて。

　ある意味、自分も素直に本当に失われてしまったものをすごく想像しながら滑りました。

　◆「幾重」というタイトルにどんなイメージがありますか

　北川悠仁さんと原摩利彦さんが作曲した結果として、本当に何層にも重ねられた楽器と声が幾重にも重なっているところが、いろんな人の人生の重なりを表現しているんだなとすごく感じています。

　僕の中での「幾重」の解釈は、1人の人生の中で15年という月日が幾重にも重なって地層みたいになっているということ。そしていろんな方々の15年が地層として重なっている。この二つの意味があると思っています。

　僕はその両方を表現できる人間だなって思っています。自分自身が仙台で被災をして、いろんな傷を抱えて生きてきたからこそ、重ねてきた15年間を表現できると思った。いろんな方にお話を聞いたりお会いしたりする機会をいただけたからこそ、いろんな方の15年も知っている。どっちも大切にしながら表現したいなというのは、振り付けの時も今日滑るときも思っていました。

　◆15年経って震災への向き合い方で変わったことは

　付き合い方はうまくなったなとは思います。

　15年は人間が節目に感じやすい5の倍数の年月ですが、コロッと変わるかと言われたらそんなことはなくて。毎日の積み重ねの中でちょっとずつ変化することだと思うし、行ったり来たりする時もある。

　そんな中で自分の傷への向き合い方、被災された方のつらい記憶や痛みに寄り添うことの距離感、見つめ合い方みたいなものが少しずつ上手になってきたなという感じはしますね。

　ただ（傷を）えぐるだけ、悲しむだけ、寄り添おうと頑張るだけじゃなくて、そこに対してちゃんと手を差し伸べられるようにちょっとずつなってきたと思います。

　傷ついた方に対して手を差し伸べたい、祈りたいということもあるんですけど、自分自身が取り残してきた過去の自分、ふたをしてきた自分みたいなものもある。そういうことにも「大丈夫だよ」と言ってあげられるように変化してきたと思っています。

　「幾重」という楽曲にそうしていただけたというのもある。この楽曲と演技を見た時に、「ちょっとでも前に向こう」「傷を抱きしめながら未来に向かって」と思っていただくためには、自分自身がそうならなきゃいけない。すごくいい機会をいただいたなと思います。

　◆震災を知らない世代が増えてくる。伝承への思いは

　つらい記憶や思いは正直、僕らだけが持っていればいいと思っていて、それを無理やり提示することが伝承ではないと思います。だけど、「こういうことがあったから命を守る行動を学んだんだよ」ということは伝えていくべき、残っていくべきだと僕は思います。

　記録としていろんな災害があったことは残すべきですが、本当に知らない世代にちゃんと残ってほしいのは僕らが学んだことだけだと思います。それさえちゃんと残っていれば、生きていけると思うんですね。3・11があったから、こうやって逃げることができたとか、防潮堤や水門ができたとか。

　景色は変わってしまったかもしれないけれど、いろんなものが守られているんだということだけは伝わっていけばいいなって、僕は漠然と考えています。

羽生結弦さんの演技の放送予定
　羽生さんが伝承ソング「幾重」に合わせて演技した模様は、NHK「てれまさ」（宮城県のみ）で6月11日、12日の午後6時10分から、「午後LIVE　ニュースーン」（全国）で24日午後3時10分から放送される。また、いずれも「NHK　ONE」の見逃し配信で視聴できる。

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

 *Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.06.10

 

Source: https://kahoku.news/articles/20260609khn000027.html (paid)

 

 

“‘Very pop music’: Yuzuru Hanyu skates to Yuzu’s song ‘Ikue’ — a performance filled with prayers for a brighter future”

 

Professional figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (a native of Sendai) has created and recorded an original skating performance to "Ikue," an NHK song commemorating the Great East Japan Earthquake sung by the popular duo "Yuzu" (Yujin Kitagawa and Koji Iwasawa). The station will broadcast the video on various national and local programs. 

 

Spoiler

The recording took place on May 31 at Xebio Arena Sendai in Taihaku Ward, Sendai City. Skating to the sound of Yuzu’s singing echoing through the rink, Hanyu—dressed in a white and blue costume—glided across the ice, at times with an expression filled with sorrow and solemnity, and at other times with a lightness that seemed to defy gravity.

 

He choreographed the program to include steps, spins, jumps, and even a forward roll performed on the ice. “It is a wonderful piece that requires me to put all kinds of emotions into it. It had to be perfect, so I felt nervous, but I’m relieved that I was able to deliver the results of my practice,” he said.

 

"Ikue" was commissioned by NHK Sendai Broadcasting Station to the two members of Yuzu, who have been actively involved in supporting the disaster-stricken areas, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the earthquake. The duo spoke with people across the Tohoku region who have been sharing their experiences and lessons from the disaster, and based on those encounters, Yujin Kitagawa wrote and composed the song (with music co-composed by Marihiko Hara).

 

In figure skating, programs are usually performed to classical music. However, this time he said, “It’s very pop. I studied what kind of form would match this rhythm, including how the costume should flow and move, and choreographed the program accordingly.”

 

Hanyu, who was also affected by the disaster, said, “Even after 15 years, those who experienced the earthquake will never forget it.” However, he also added, “I don’t intend to impose those painful memories on young people who do not remember that time or those who were born after the disaster.”

 

Even so, he feels it is his mission to pass on the lessons of the disaster to younger generations. “I want to convey what we learned, and show how we were able to protect lives because of what happened.” He also emphasized, “I skated with a prayer that the future might become even a little brighter.”

 

Four years after turning professional, he said his drive has not changed: “Even back in my competitive days, I was always pushing forward, wanting to grow.” He added, “As long as people have expectations of me, I don’t want to show anything half-hearted. My competitive spirit is what continues to expand the possibilities of my skating.”

 

The performance and interview will be broadcast on NHK General TV’s regional program Telemasa in Miyagi Prefecture on the 11th and 12th, with catch-up streaming available for one week on NHK ONE.

 

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

 *Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.06.10

 

Source: https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/yuzuru-hanyu-nhk/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260611022510/https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/yuzuru-hanyu-nhk/

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu speaks about the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the future: Full interview about the collaboration project for the earthquake memorial song "Ikue" (Part 1)

 

Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a native of Sendai City who won two consecutive gold medals in men's figure skating at the Winter Olympics , performed his own original routine set to "Ikue," an NHK song commemorating the Great East Japan Earthquake, created by the popular duo "Yuzu." Fifteen years have passed since the earthquake. After finishing the recording of his performance, Hanyu spoke in an interview about the thoughts he put into the choreography and the changes in his feelings.

 

Spoiler

"I don't want to force it on anyone, but I feel a sense of obligation and duty to deliver it."

　―Mr. Hanyu, who was also affected by the disaster, it has been 15 years since the earthquake, so I would like you to talk again about the significance of conveying the story of the earthquake.

 

　"Even though 15 years have passed, I don't think I will ever forget it. Many people experienced the earthquake in many different ways. Of course, it wasn't just Tohoku, but I think there were also people in Kanto who felt the strong earthquake and strong shaking, and even people in Kinki and Kyushu who didn't feel the shaking, there were very shocking images and I think that various kinds of wounds remain."

 

　"However, for those of us who experienced it 15 years ago as adults, and also as children who remember it, it may stay with us for a lifetime, but there are also many lives that have been born and grown up during these 15 years. I would never want to force painful memories on those people, but I want to convey that 'this is what happened.' I feel like I have a duty to convey this, and I feel it is my mission..."

 

　"Yes. Of course, I think that even for generations who don't have memories of the earthquake, there are feelings that can be conveyed through songs like this by Yuzu. Also, I know there are people who actually experienced the earthquake and are still carrying the pain, and who are still suffering, so I skated with the hope that while empathizing with their pain, the future will become a little brighter."

 

"I felt like I understood the feelings that Marihiko wanted to convey together with Yuzu."

　―Today, we started with the recording, and I think there were some differences in the choreography between the first and second takes. Could you tell us if that was a result of changes in your own expression, or what aspects you changed?

 

　"Well... Since I choreographed this myself, to be honest, there were times when I just listened to the music and let my body move as it pleased. Also, figure skating performances are very much a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the emotions, breathing, sense of speed, speed of rotations, etc. that I can put into it at that moment are truly never the same, so I think that's why it changed. However, I did try to express the music, lyrics, and feelings very carefully."

 

―This time, you choreographed to an arrangement by Marihiko Hara. You have collaborated with him in your own ice show before, but have you gained a deeper understanding of the song or reflected that in your performance now that you have worked together once before?

 

“Yes, quite a lot. In terms of how the piece is made, or rather, the atmosphere the music carries, the layering of the strings, the way the piano comes in, there’s really a very distinctive sense of rhythm that feels uniquely characteristic of Marihiko Hara. And since I had previously worked with him during my solo ice show, where we collaborated on creating music together, I already had experiences of communicating through music with him, talking about things like, ‘this is how I want to interpret the sound,’ or shaping the piece through that kind of exchange. Because of that experience, I felt like I was closer to him when I skated to this song this time. I felt like I understood the feelings that Marihiko wanted to convey together with Yuzu."

 

The meaning and thoughts behind the choreography

―Mr. Hanyu, I think your skating is characterized by a great sense of speed and momentum, especially during competitions, but watching you today, I was very impressed by how slowly you skated in time with the music, both in your backward skating and the spirals. Could you tell us what thoughts you were trying to convey and what you wanted to express through that kind of skating and choreography?

 

"I was trying to feel the ice very carefully. I myself experienced the earthquake on the ice, and in the first part of the lyrics (of the song), there's a section with words like waves and a calm sea, and I do hydroblading there. The rink where I choreographed the routine was the same rink that I experienced the disaster on. At that time, I remembered things like how the ice seemed to be rippling like waves, and how even though the ice is so calm now, back then it was truly abnormal, like it was actually undulating. Those memories came back very strongly. With all of that in mind, I wanted to skate while carefully and thoroughly feeling the ice."

 

"Also, in the parts of the song that say ‘I want to see you’ or ‘I can’t see you,’ I thought about how these are feelings you want to express in words, but if you actually put them into words, they might spill over emotionally. When it becomes ‘I can’t see you,’ it feels like you’re pulled back into reality, pulled back into the real world. I was thinking about all of that while I was skating, so it wasn't like a big dash. I wasn't sprinting, but rather taking one step at a time, carefully moving forward towards the future. That's what I was trying to express in the choreography and through my skating."

　

―I think it was around the middle of the song, there was a move where you did a a sort of forward roll, like a somersault, and then curl up and hugged your knees. It wasn't a move that you'd usually see in shows or competitions, so what kind of expression were you thinking about when you did that?

 

“That part is where the music suddenly shifts in its development. For me, I see that moment as a transition from the past section into the present section.

In that sense, it’s as if I’ve been continuously looking back at the past, and while I’m curled up holding my knees, time is passing in between. As the music changes, time itself slips by, and then suddenly I ‘wake up’ to find the present situation in front of me. It’s a feeling where both what has been lost and what has continued to move forward are actually right there in front of me. That was the emotional state I used when creating that choreography.”

 

―Is it normal for you to listen to a song 500 times?

　"It's normal (laughs)."

 

―So, you've usually listened to them around 500 times before?

"That's right."

 

―When would you say you started working on the choreography or other aspects?

"I started after 'REALIVE' (April 11th and 12th) was over."

 

―From what I've heard so far, it's very clear that you cherish every lyric and melody, but are there any particular words that have really resonated with you?

 

“In terms of the lyrics, they are actually based on things that members of Yuzu heard directly from people affected by the disaster when they visited the disaster-affected areas. In the scenes where various lyrics are being heard, there are people who have lost someone they can no longer meet. There is a part that says ‘I can’t get used to not being able to see you.’ Honestly, I felt that there had not really been lyrics this direct before. When it was decided that this would be created as a disaster-remembrance song, I thought it was quite rare to express things so directly. So in a sense, while skating, I was very honestly imagining what it truly means to not be able to meet someone anymore, and the reality of things that have truly been lost.”

 

Interpretation of "Ikue"

―Regarding the title "Ikue" (meaning "many layers"), what kind of image does the word itself evoke in your mind, Mr. Hanyu?

　

"From the title, or rather, as a result of the composition by Mr. Kitagawa and Mr. Marihiko, I feel that the layered instruments and voices conveyed are truly layered many times, and that it represents the lives of many different people. My interpretation of Ikue is that there are two meanings. One is that, within a single person’s life, fifteen years of time accumulate and stack up like geological layers. The other is that, after fifteen years, the fifteen years lived by many different people also accumulate as layers. I feel both of these meanings exist in the word.

 

And I believe I am someone who can express both of them. Because I myself experienced the disaster in Sendai and have lived carrying various wounds, I feel I can express the fifteen years that have accumulated within my own life. At the same time, through winning two Olympic titles and having opportunities to speak with and meet many people, I’ve also been able to hear and understand the fifteen years that others have lived through. So I want to value both of those equally in my performance. That’s what I was thinking both when I was choreographing it and even today when I was skating it.”

- Mr. Hanyu, from the time you were 16 until now, especially with your recent work "notte," you've always thought and said that your life is a part of having wounds and painful experiences, and that you will live with them. This piece also carries the idea of passing down memories of the disaster, and those elements are strongly reflected in it. It feels like artists who have taken completely different paths somehow arrive at the same point. Folk duo Yuzu were not directly affected by the disaster themselves, yet there seems to be a moment where your perspectives overlap. Do you find that kind of resonance between artists to be something mysterious?”

 

“To give a hypothetical example, I sometimes think that philosophers and people who study mathematics can actually be quite similar. When you think deeply about many different things, I feel there are often cases where people ultimately arrive at the same conclusion. Even when you pursue very literary or abstract thinking, you can sometimes end up at something like a mathematical answer, or even start talking about something like the truth of the universe. In the same way, when it comes to confronting or trying to stay close to the experience of disasters, I think people ultimately arrive at the same place."

 

"Of course, when it comes to the way of expression, I consider figure skating to be my first language, so there's a fundamental way of expressing myself through figure skating. But Yuzu and Marihiko express themselves through songwriting, composing, performing their songs, and delivering them through acoustic performances. I think they're connecting with me through these expressive techniques. In the end, even though it's in a different form, I feel like we all have the same feelings deep down, that we're thinking the same things deep down and cherishing them in the same way, so it's only natural that we resonate with each other. I know that's a really roundabout explanation."

 

Fifteen years have passed since the earthquake; have your feelings changed?

―In an interview with NHK, you mentioned that you wished "that (earthquake) hadn't happened." Now that 15 years have passed, have you had any new thoughts about the earthquake, or have your feelings changed at all?

 

"I think I've gotten better at dealing with it. Of course, fifteen years is one of those milestones that people tend to feel more strongly because it’s a multiple of five. But it’s not something that suddenly changes overnight. I think it’s something that changes little by little through the accumulation of everyday life, and there are also times when you go back and forth. Within that process, I feel I’ve gradually become better at how I face my own wounds, the way I relate to the painful memories and suffering of people affected by the disaster, the distance I keep, and how I engage with those feelings.

 

"It’s no longer just about reopening wounds, or just enjoying something superficially, or just trying hard to empathize. What is it? I feel like I've gradually become able to properly reach out to them. It's not just about wanting to reach out to those who have been hurt, but also about wanting to pray for them. There are parts of my past self that I had left behind, parts of myself that I had kept sealed away, and I feel I’ve changed to the point where I can now say to that version of myself, ‘It’s okay.’ I think the song Ikue helped bring me to that point as well. And when I look at this piece and my performance, I feel that in order for people to think, ‘I’ll try to move forward even just a little,’ or ‘I’ll walk toward the future while embracing my wounds,’ I need to be able to embody that myself in order to convey it with real conviction. So I feel I was given a very meaningful opportunity.”

 

"Don't erase the past. That's all part of life."

―Have you ever imagined what life would be like if the earthquake hadn't happened?

 

"Hmm… I don’t really think so. It’s something that has already happened, so to be honest, when I think back to that time, when it first happened, it didn’t feel real at all. There was no sense of reality to it. But we still had to somehow keep living in that situation. So everyone was desperate, just trying to figure out how to get through daily life moment by moment. Since we were staying in an evacuation shelter, we were completely dependent on the shelter, but even then, we were constantly worried about how life would continue from here, what would happen to our homes, what would happen to Japan itself. Still, we had no choice but to live in reality, just taking things as they came. And in the same way, I can’t really think about what the world would be like if March 11 had never happened. I feel like, within that kind of improvised, day-to-day existence, the present is just something that exists here now."

―15 years have passed, have you been able to change the future?

 

“I wonder… I think it has both changed and not changed. To be honest, when I come into contact with people’s memories and records, or watch various news, or actually meet people, I still get really emotional and my heart aches, even though it’s not something that happened to me. That still happens even now. When I think about that, I can’t really say that my way of facing things has clearly changed compared to back then. However, as I mentioned earlier, I definitely think that I've gotten better at keeping my distance and dealing with the past. It's not that I'm trying to erase the past, but I feel I’ve gradually become able to say with more confidence that it is also part of my life."

 

What ‘passing down legacy’ means to Yuzuru Hanyu

 

— You skated here last July at this venue (Xebio Arena Sendai), and this is the second time we’ve seen you perform here. Did anything feel different in your impression of skating here today?

 

“Back then, it was bright. This time, the lighting was much darker, and I was skating in a completely ice-show-style setup, so the atmosphere was totally different.

There were moments where I felt like I was all alone in the darkness, and then other moments where the lights became brighter and I could feel a sense of the future while skating. Compared to last time, I felt I was able to experience a wider range of scenes and emotional shifts throughout the program.”

 

―Next year and the year after, the generation born after the earthquake will turn 16, the age you were when you were affected by the disaster. The number of people living in a world that doesn't know about the earthquake will increase from now on. How would you like to convey the message of this song, which is about passing on the legacy, a very important theme?

 

“Hmm… as I said earlier, I don’t want to pass on painful experiences as they are. I honestly don’t think that’s necessary. To be honest, I feel that painful memories and experiences are something that only those of us who went through them need to carry. I don’t think forcing them onto others is what ‘passing on a legacy’ should mean. So, while it might be good to pass on things like, 'This is what happened, and this is how painful it was,' I don't want to make people sad. Instead, I think we should pass on the fact that because of this, we learned how to take action to protect lives. Because of this, we learned that this is how we can protect lives. I think that at least that much should be preserved."

 

"Of course, I think records of disasters themselves should be preserved. But what really needs to remain for generations who don’t know the disaster is what we learned from it. If that is properly preserved, I think people will be able to keep living safely. For example, I was born about a month before the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and because of that disaster, building standards and seismic regulations changed. Because of those changes, I believe far fewer buildings collapsed during the Great East Japan Earthquake. In that way, we were protected too. And because we know that history, we can think, 'We were protected because of that,' and 'That was the trigger that allowed us to save our lives.'"

 

"In the same way, because of March 11, people were able to evacuate properly. Things like seawalls, floodgates, and warning systems were built. Boundaries were created, such as areas where housing should not be built. The landscape may have changed, but I think what matters is that people understand that because the landscape changed, many lives are now being protected. That is what I hope will be passed on.”

 

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu

Yuzuru Hanyu, a first-year student at Tohoku High School in Miyagi Prefecture, was practicing at a skating rink in his hometown of Sendai in March 2011 when the earthquake struck. His home was declared completely destroyed, and he experienced life in an evacuation center. In his first Winter Olympics appearance, he became the first Asian to win the men's title in Sochi in 2014, and achieved the first consecutive victory in 66 years at Pyeongchang in 2018. He placed fourth at Beijing in 2022. He won the World Championships in 2014 and 2017, and won the Grand Prix (GP) Final four consecutive times from 2013 to 2016. He has won the All Japan Championships six times. In 2016, he became the first person in the world to successfully land a quadruple loop jump. After announcing his professional debut in July 2022, he has been planning and producing his own ice shows, and every March he performs a requiem of remembrance in "Yuzuru Hanyu Notte Stellata." He is a graduate of Waseda University. He is 31 years old.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine-translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

2026.06.11

 

Source: https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/yuzuru-hanyu-nhk/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20260612011047/https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/yuzuru-hanyu-nhk2/

 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu: "I hope the wounds will turn into gentle pain." He talks at length about his special collaboration with Yuzu's "Ikue" 15 years after the earthquake. Full interview (2)

 

Yuzuru Hanyu (31), a native of Sendai City who won two consecutive gold medals in men's figure skating at the Winter Olympics, performed his own original routine set to "Ikue," an NHK song commemorating the Great East Japan Earthquake, created by the popular duo "Yuzu." Fifteen years have passed since the earthquake. In this second part of the full interview with Hanyu, who spoke about the thoughts he put into the choreography and the changes in his feelings after finishing the recording of his performance, we bring you the full interview. (This series will be delivered in three parts.)

 

Spoiler

The reason why my feelings towards "Ikue" have changed

―Thank you for your hard work on the recording. What are your honest feelings now that it's over?

 

"Well, I was really nervous. It's a program where I have to put a lot of different emotions into it, and I felt that I had to be perfect for such a wonderful song, so I pushed myself really hard. But I think I was able to show the results of my practice to some extent, so I'm glad."

 

―How did you feel after the last cut was called during today's recording?

 

"Well, I had a feeling that I had done my best. I had practiced so much for this recording, so I felt a little relieved, or rather, yeah. I felt like I had done my best."

 

―You've listened to "Ikue" many times before, but how have your feelings towards the song changed from the impression you had when you listened to it before you decided to express it through skating, to now that you have choreographed and performed it?

 

"Hmm... Since I was listening to it from the very beginning with the assumption that I would skate to it, it's a bit difficult to say. But after creating the choreography, there was definitely a difference between simply listening to it while imagining things and actually choreographing it, then listening to the music while skating to it myself. I had a general sense of what I wanted to express from the start. At the same time, as Yuzu and Marihiko Hara were creating the piece together, there was, in a way, a kind of collaboration that also overlaps with the idea of 'layers' contained in 'Ikue.' I wanted to become part of that as well, or rather, to layer my own feelings onto it, so I kept listening to the song with that in mind."

 

"But when it came to actually skating it, I realized what a tremendously important work it was, and how much responsibility came with it. The more I listened to it, the more I felt I could see all kinds of emotions and all kinds of lives within it. As I skated, I kept thinking with all my heart that I had to stay close to those feelings and experiences."

 

"Before creating the choreography, it was more about placing my own feelings into the piece. But once I had finished creating it, I felt that I really had to stay close to many different things. Throughout the performance, I kept skating with the hope that somehow I could 'become part of someone else's inner world.' Because of that, I felt nervous, and there was certainly a lot of pressure as well. But for the time being, I feel that I managed to carry it through to the end."

 

The biggest challenge I faced in choreography

―Of all the preparations you've been making, what was the biggest challenge or struggle for you?

　

"Hmm, let's see..." (After thinking for more than ten seconds.) "Well, the music is very much pop music. In figure skating, we often skate to classical music, and more recently there have also been quite a few modern pieces. But with Yuzu's roots in acoustic guitar and singing, or rather, band music, I had to skate to a pop-like rhythm, so figuring out how to beautifully incorporate figure skating into that was very difficult..."

 

"There was also the question of how it worked together with the costume. If I marked the rhythm too much, I felt that the way the costume fluttered didn't look very beautiful. I worried a great deal about things like that, and while choreographing and practicing, I was constantly researching and working hard to figure out how to present the music and the skating in the best possible form."

 

―When did you start to feel like you were finally getting a grasp of that difficult overall balance?

　

"Basically, I feel best when I'm skating freely. It's definitely better if I stop thinking of it as a program and simply listen to the music and skate however I feel in the moment. But if I do that, it ends up becoming nothing more than my own self-indulgent skating....

 

"So when I'd go all out freely, without choreography or anything, but just skating intensely through improvisation, the way the feelings came through would make me think, 'This kind of flavor was good,' or 'This kind of atmosphere was good.' Little by little, I incorporated those things. But at the same time, it had to be made into a properly organized program, so it felt like I was really putting it together like puzzle pieces."

 

Thoughts put into the costume
　

―That was a really beautiful costume. What kind of image or feelings were expressed through it?

 

"The fabric of the costume was also made up of layers, and it was created with the image of layer upon layer being stacked on top of each other."

 

―To link with the song "Ikue"?

 

"Yes, to match 'Ikue.'"

 

―The colors, such as the blue tones, also evoked the sea. Were the colors and shape chosen to match 'Ikue' as well?

 

"I feel like the song 'Ikue' itself is very close to the sea. With my previous songs about the earthquake, like 'Hana wa Saku,' there wasn't really a direct connection to the sea. Rather, it was more of an approach that enveloped the overall atmosphere. "But this song, 'Ikue,' has a very strong sense of being close to the sea. When I thought about expressing it through figure skating, I felt that things like waves, the wind, and blue tones would suit it best. So I thought, 'It's blue.'"

 

"What is lost can never be recovered."
　

—"Ikue" is a song that Yuzu created by visiting the disaster-stricken areas, listening to many people's words, and engaging in repeated dialogue with them. You, too, have visited the affected areas over the years and spoken with many people. How have your experiences, such as hearing the stories of those affected and seeing the scenes of the disaster-stricken areas, been reflected in your way of life and your expression in skating?

　

"Hmm... Hmm... I don't think I can point to any one thing in particular. It's just that fifteen years have passed now, and there's no longer a world in which the event that happened fifteen years ago didn't happen. I've lived these fifteen years on the foundation of the fact that it did happen. So rather than saying, 'Because that happened, this is how I became,' or pointing to one specific thing and saying, 'This is it,' I feel that the earthquake, meeting so many people, talking with them, coming into contact with so many different feelings and experiences—all of that is woven into my life as a whole. That's the feeling I have."

　

"Yeah... how should I put it? It's not something I can express simply... I've always thought this: that event happened, and certainly the people whose stories I've heard had their lives changed in many ways because of it. And there are many people who have somehow managed to keep moving forward from that point. But what I've always thought is that, in the end, I wish that event had never happened."

 

"With that event, we lost irreplaceable things, and in reality, the cityscape and the things that were lost will never come back. Nothing will ever be the same again. In that sense, we learned many things through that experience, and many things changed because of it. Perhaps, in a way, we gained the strength to move forward by carrying that experience with us. But when I come back to it and reflect on it, I still think: it would have been better if it had never happened."

 

The future entrusted to the skating of “Ikue”
　

―As time moves from the past to the present and into the future, the song carries a message of moving forward while holding wounds and complex feelings. I imagine that in your performance as well, you were conscious of the passage of time and the idea of moving toward the future. What kind of future did you entrust to your skating of “Ikue”?

　

"At the end, I head towards the words 'opening up the future,' so I myself, although I don't know what will happen from here on, was thinking while choreographing it that I wanted to combine even a little of my own strength with everyone else's strength and somehow pry open something like a door to the future.

 

"To be honest, we don't know what will happen in the future. Even now, earthquakes are still occurring, and just recently there were tsunami warnings, and in some regions tsunamis actually came. So the future is really something we cannot know at all. Even so, I was skating with prayer in my heart, hoping that a peaceful and calm future would continue for everyone, even if only a little longer."

 

―Not just in Japan, but with major disasters and various calamities occurring all over the world, I think everyone wonders what they can do when such things happen. When that happens, what kind of feelings do you have?

 

"In the end, I'm just one individual person, so honestly I also feel that no matter what I do, nothing will really change. But at the same time, I have been fortunate enough to win two Olympic gold medals and receive many opportunities and privileges. So I feel that I should make good use of those privileges, and if my performances and activities can reach people somewhere and become even a small source of energy for them, then I want to keep doing my best. However, I am still just one person, so there are of course times when I feel how difficult that is. Even so, I always think that since I have been given the position of an Olympic gold medalist, I want to do as much as I possibly can."

 

A new side of Yuzuru Hanyu revealed through this special collaboration

―Through the “Ikue” project, did you have opportunities to discover a new side of yourself or new possibilities in expression?

　

"Hmm..." (after thinking for a while) "It really became an opportunity for me to re-examine my own experiences related to the disaster. The more I listened to the music, the more I felt that I had to properly process what had happened in the past within myself. And when it came to actually delivering it to everyone, I felt that unless I was able to coexist with it in a certain way and show myself moving forward into the future from there, it wouldn't become a convincing form of expression. There were painful memories I had left behind or covered up within myself. But I tried to find a way to face those things more properly, in a way that I could live with them. It became an opportunity to look back, and also an opportunity to learn how to coexist with them. And together with this piece, it also became a trigger for me to start walking toward the future myself."

 

―When we spoke before, you mentioned the message of "Ikue" about moving forward despite having wounds, linking it to the traces and scratches on the ice. Is it something that you yourself have learned to do over the years, how to confront yourself, and how to come to terms with it and move forward?

　

"I'm not sure. I think there are definitely times when things go back and forth. I don't think it ever becomes something like, ‘From this moment on I can face everything 100% and stay that way.’ There are times when it's painful, and there are times when I have the space to face things properly. I don't think human beings are like robots, or like something in mathematics where you can arrive at a clean solution."

 

"So for me as well, right now I'm simply thinking about delivering this program to everyone, and I try to organize things within myself by thinking: ‘Because these things happened, and because this is all part of my life, I can keep walking forward properly,’ and I skate with that feeling. But there are definitely times when it's still painful. And in those moments, I think I will listen to ‘Ikue’ and, as someone who is also a disaster survivor myself, receive courage from it again. Conversely, I also hope that when people who thought they were completely fine suddenly find themselves feeling pain again, they can watch my skating and listen to ‘Ikue,’ and in the same way as me, their wounds might become even a little gentler, maybe turning into a kind of gentle pain."

 

Why the program included so many jumps

―NHK Sendai has received a variety of messages from viewers who listened to "Ikue." Many people, including those who were not in the disaster area or who did not experience the earthquake firsthand, were deeply moved by the song's message of longing for loved ones and determination to move forward, even without associating it with the earthquake. Your skating seems to have reached people across Japan and become something very powerful. Also, in this performance you included many jumps, which must have been very physically demanding and required a lot of energy. How did you decide on the program composition?

　

"What was it... From the beginning, I had an image of it starting very quiet, but with a certain sense of contrast, and then that contrast gradually becoming stronger toward the end. So even though it's a sequence of triple jumps, the idea of performing many jumps in a very short span of time came to me as part of the program from the beginning. When I thought about various collaborations and things, I did consider making it a slightly safer program. But I just couldn't help but want to express that momentum, the powerful feeling of things being built up in layers. And also, including Yuzu's vocal expansiveness and the pitch and height of the music, I felt I absolutely wanted to express that through jumps, so I included them. Yes." (laughs)

 

—When you started thinking about the program, were you in a state where, once you listened to “Ikue,” your head was completely full of skating?

 

"Even when I wasn't listening to ‘Ikue,’ it was constantly playing in my head. So, well... it was tough." (laughs)

 

— You perform in many ice shows with many different programs and music pieces, but how did you approach the actual performance?

　

"I was constantly doing mental rehearsal, I think. I also had images of things going wrong, or thoughts like ‘this might happen,’ so a lot of negative images came up as well. I couldn't sleep at all." (bitter smile).

　

—When we visited you during practice for the recording, you mentioned feelings of self-loathing, which really surprised us. Is there a way you overcome or break through those kinds of feelings?

　

"I felt that I just had to keep practicing. Yes, I've been able to practice as much as I can, so today I feel relieved that I practiced properly. Yes."