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Yuzuru Hanyu Special Interview (Fantasy on Ice in KOBE pamphlet)

Yuzuru gave an interview after the 3-day Makuhari run of Fantasy on Ice, published in the pamphlet of FaOI in KOBE. He talks about Chopin Ballade No.1, his short program for the upcoming Olympic season, as continuation and culmination of everything he’s learned from figure skating; his concept of live performance and ichi go ichi e (一期一会); and shares his thoughts about what an ice show and its audience mean to him (aw :’)).

Translated by gladi, feel free to repost with credits. Original scans thanks to Frances.

Interview・Toshimi Oriyama

“In order to show the best performance at Fantasy on Ice, always keeping ‘this is the real thing!’ in spirit and in mind"

For Yuzuru Hanyu, who hadn’t been able to participate last year due to injuries, it has been two years since his last Fantasy On Ice. Landing a 4T right off the bat and more at the opening show in Makuhari, he radiated exuberance as he threw heart and soul into his performance.

Keep reading

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Best of Boyang’s WTT banquet’s livestream.

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[Partly translation + My opinion] Shizuka’s role in Yuzuru’s career

I can never imagine how different everything will turn out today if Mao was qualified for 2006 Turino Olympics (she was 15, too young at that time for it). Because with her talent at that time, there’s chance that she might get gold at Turino.

Anyway, it’s just my guess, and anything can happen, but I still sometimes wonder like that because Shizuka, and especially because she is the 2006 Turino Olympic champion, plays such a huge role in Yuzuru’s career. Beside the inspiration Yuzuru got from an Olympic champion also from Sendai, Shizuka also helped him so much with his training. 

In this video, they show that after winning Turino, in the PC, Shizuka was concerned with the young skaters in Sendai because the ice rink she has been training in Sendai was closed down. The significance of the only Olympic gold medal made it possible for the government of Miyagi and Sendai to support the re-opening of Ice Rink Sendai and Shizuka gave a skating lesson there a year later, which Yuzuru participated in :D

According to Aoi Hono, due to the close down of the rink, Yuzuru initially thought that he would have to give up skating for at least 2-3 years. Keeping skating skills without on-ice training is difficult, and Yuzuru has the kind of body that loses muscle mass very quickly (for example, he didn’t have practice for 10 days after 3/11, and he couldn’t do any jumps because his thigh muscles were weakened so much), so I think it would be very hard for him to be competitive if Ice Rink Sendai is closed for any longer.

Also, after 3/11, Shizuka also supported Yuzuru financially so that he can get his training, and it was such an important year in his senior career.

For these two occasion, I’m very grateful for Shizuka, and to the fact that she won the Olympics so that she could do what she did. And with Yuzuru winning Sochi Olympics and donated all the profit of his autobiographies to Ice Rink Sendai, I wonder whose talent will be nurtured from this place? :3

Here’s some interesting related materials: 

1. Interview with young Yuzuru when they reopened Ice Rink Sendai

2. Interview from Shizuka’s lesson at Ice Rink Sendai, Yuzu was such a star of the show haha

OMG Look at how he still gracefully crossed his legs in that situation!!!!! Boy is extra since forever!! XD

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After seeing so many videos of Yuzuru lip-syncing (to Brian, before competitions, etc.) I was really curious to know what he actually SOUNDS like while singing. And while we all know that Yuzu skated to Hana Wa Saku, did you know that he sang it as well? I finally found the full video and he looks so cute singing!! 🙈 

More about the event - Yuzuru was invited to be a judge at the 66th Kōhaku Uta Gassen (an annual year-end song contest) in 2015. Here’s him looking all dapper and smiley on TV:

P.S. Check out yuzusorbet’s coverage of the event for more hilarious moments, like how Seimei briefly faced off Darth Vader, and Yuzu had a fanboy moment when they announced Bump of Chicken was coming on stage ^^

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Nếu bạn định cố gắng làm điều gì, hãy làm cho đến cùng. Không thì đừng bao giờ bắt đầu. Cuộc thử thách này có thể khiến bạn mất bạn gái, vợ, người thân, thậm chí là mất trí. Nó có thể khiến bạn sẽ phải nhịn ăn từ ba đến bốn ngày. Nó có thể khiến bạn chết cóng trên ghế đá công viên. Nó có thể khiến bạn đi tù. Nó có thể khiến dân tình chỉ trích, chế nhạo bạn – hay nói cách khác, bạn sẽ cảm thấy cô lập. Nhưng sự cô lập là một món quà. Tất cả hòng kiểm tra sức chịu đựng của bạn, xem bạn thực sự muốn làm điều đó đến thế nào. Và bạn sẽ làm, bất chấp thất bại và những hậu quả tồi tệ nhất. Và kết quả sẽ tốt hơn bất cứ điều gì bạn có thể tưởng tượng. Nếu bạn nỗ lực, hãy làm cho đến cùng. Không có cảm giác gì hơn thế. Bạn sẽ đơn độc cùng với các vị thần, và từ những đêm đen sẽ bùng lên ánh lửa. Bạn sẽ cưỡi lên cuộc đời và tiến thẳng đến tiếng cười viên mãn. Chỉ có cuộc chiến ấy là có ý nghĩa trong cuộc đời này.

Charles Burowski (via daobachlien)

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Brian Orser Interview (Ice Jewels Vol. 6, May 2017)

I think everyone––fans, media, and officials––came to understand that program for the first time that day. The choreography was such that the program falls flat when there are mistakes. Even I myself have wondered whether that was a suitable piece for him. But I think Yuzu knew.

Just a short one. This interview with Brian Orser was part of Ice Jewels’ 2017 World Championships report. Yuzuru-related parts translated. Translated by gladi, feel free to repost with credits.

“Yuzuru’s free skate was perfect”

Three days after the World Championships ended in Helsinki, Yuzuru Hanyu’s coach, Brian Orser, agreed to an interview in New York. (Report by Akiko Tamura)

Keep reading

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Yuzuru Hanyu Special Interview: Toward the Ideal and Beyond! (Ice Jewels Vol.6)

Yuzuru looks back at the season, talks about his struggles with Hope & Legacy, declares his love for the ever dependable 4T and lavishes attention on primadonna 4S (somewhere in the background, 3A cries), nerds out, and shares his thoughts on preparation for Pyeongchang.

More seriously, he has always been a sincere student of the sport and thoughtful about every single decision he makes with his programs. It’s always been a delight to read his words, and hopefully that comes across.

Translated by gladi. Feel free to repost with credits.

理想の先へ！Toward the Ideal and Beyond

Translator’s note regarding the title:  Yuzuru first wrote “risou no saki he” (理想の先へ) as a message for the next season in an interview with Nagano-san on Hoodo Station Sunday (報道ステーションSUNDAY), aired by TV Asahi on April 23, 2017 after the World Team Trophy ended. There is duality in this sentence due to the word saki (先), which can be defined either as “destination” or “ahead”, “beyond”, “hereafter”. Therefore, the entire phrase can be taken as moving “toward the ideal” but also “toward a place beyond the ideal.”

Keep reading

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The family that nurtured Yuzuru the genius

Japanese article: http://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/41840

Note from translator: Please be advised that this translation is not perfect, so just for your personal reference. Please also note that I don’t necessarily like or agree with all parts of this article.  I have just translated, since I have appreciated some other translations from Russian, Spanish, etc into English or Japanese.

——————————————————— Title: “The family mottos of the Hanyus” which nurtured Yuzuru the genius: the new facts disclosed by his parents, grandmother, aunt and the personal trainer who have never appeared in the public. (30 January 2015, Weekly GENDAI - digital version)

Why is Yuzuru Hanyu so mentally strong? That’s the question held by those who see him skating. He is usually childish like a little boy off rink, while his eyes during competitions embrace fire. We will look at the real figures of his parents who nurtured the genius skater.

1. Modest and humble parents : At the press conference after winning the second (consecutive) championship of the GPF, Yuzuru Hanyu (aged 20) was posed with the following question: “Many mothers feel like raising their children like yourself, but how do you think a child can grow like you?” After being a little puzzled and reflecting a bit, Yuzuru answered as follows. “I am ‘myself’. No one is the same as others. So many men, so many minds. I also have many shortcomings. But if adults can look not only at children’s shortcomings but also at their strengths, they will be pleased and grow more, I would suppose.”

Resilient mentality fighting against hardships, and always polite behavior to anyone – when looking at Yuzuru Hanyu, it is no surprise that mothers hope their children to be like him.

But a question may occur to one’s mind. What kind of persons are Yuzuru’s parents…? There are few people who could answer the question. For Yuzuru’s parents have neither agreed to be interviewed nor appeared in a public occasion, not even once. “The reason why Yuzuru’s parents don’t appear in public is that they think it’s Yuzuru himself who has been working hard and that it has nothing to do with the parents. Even after winning the gold medal at the Olympics, they were saying, “We have nothing to talk by coming to the fore”.  They are such parents who are modest and don’t talk too much, having the typical spirit of those people from the Tohoku region.”  A close friend of the Hanyus so explains.

The parents are as humble as their son is. What kind of education was conferred within the Hanyus that nurtured Yuzuru Hanyu, the genius?  To detect the secret, we flew to Sendai where Hanyu was brought up.

Yuzuru was born and bred in Izumi-ward of Sendai city. The Hanyus are a family of four, consisting of parents, an elder sister [and Yuzuru]. His father is a vice-principal of a junior high school, his mother is a housewife, and his sister (4 years older) works as a staff of the Ice Rink Sendai, which used to be Yuzuru’s home rink.

The prefecture-run residence in which Hanyu was born and bred is located in an area about a 20 minute-drive from the Sendai station. “Figure-skating is a sport that requires lots of money for shoes, costumes, fees for rinks, etc. It cannot be pursued without cooperation from families. In case of the Hanyus, his father is a local public official, which means that they are neither poor nor necessarily rich. They led a humble life in a place where the monthly rent was just JPY50,000. To save money, Yuzuru’s mother used to make the costumes until just 3 years ago.” (Ibid.)

On a snowy day, we tried to find a doorplate ‘HANYU’, in vain. Then, a neighbour told us as follows. “You know, media rushed to his residence after he won the gold medal, so they moved out to an apartment in Sendai City around October last year”. With no other choice, we visited his maternal grandparents’ residence in Sendai City. When told that we would like to interview them, the grandmother apologetically said, “I feel sorry that you have come all the way from Tokyo, but we cannot talk about our grandchild.” After we insisted, she started talking little by little.

- (Journalist) We think that Yuzuru’s personality is a blessing due to the education of people around him, including his parents. (Grandmother) ”No, his parents only did what is all too natural; they did nothing special.” - (Journalist) Do the Hanyus have any “family mottos” or something like that? (Grandmother) “It’s Yuzu’s parents who nurtured him, thus we are not in a position to talk about it. If an article saying that his grandparents talked about many things and that should be issued, we would be too embarrassed to live on.” - (Journalist) Even after he became famous, no one including his parents and other family members appear in public. Is that the Hanyus’ motto? (Grandmother) “Because Yuzuru himself is the one who has been working hard.” - (Journalist) We think that it’s his parents’ solid education that has made Yuzuru. (Grandmother) “I think it’s because his father who is a teacher has great character, and not my daughter. We are just ordinary people.”

2. “You may quit if you don’t like it.” When Yuzuru was small, he was a boy who liked playing with balls, influenced by his father who played baseball. While he was often mistaken for a girl due to his graceful appearance, people close to him regarded him as a cheerful and playful boy. However, he had a big disadvantage since birth as compared to other children: asthma.

Due to asthma, he suddenly couldn’t stop coughing after running a bit, and occasionally had days with continuous coughing which caused him sleepless nights. Yuzuru was 4 years old when he met with figure skating. The initial occasion was that he followed his sister who was going to figure skating lessons, but the purpose was to help him overcome asthma. “His mother was worried with Yuzuru’s asthma and wanted to help cure it by all means. Figure skating was a perfect sport for Yuzuru as indoor skating poses little risk to inhale dust.” (Ibid.)

Mr Shoichiro Tsuzuki, who used to coach Yuzuru during his childhood and is currently an exclusive instructor for the Kanagawa Skate Rink, recalls those days as follows. “The initial purpose seemed to get over asthma, but Yuzuru’s body trunk was so solid that I saw a “glimpse of his talents”. He got up no matter how many times he fell;  he already had strong (mental) core and was unyielding. He bravely tried jumps and spins, saying “I should be able to do if my sister can.” Since then, I already thought that he would be an international competitor if things go smoothly.”

His talents were already glimpsed the minute he put on the skating shoes. However, it was not that his skating life has been smooth and successful ever since. Yuzuru’s aunt (Yuzuru’s father’s younger sister), who works for a nursery, disclosed an episode. “My brother always liked baseball and was a Counsel for a baseball club [at the school]. So, he wanted Yuzu to play baseball. When Yuzu got a little tired of skating practice at the 3rd or 4th grade, my brother reportedly told him, “If you don’t like skating, you may quit it; playing baseball would cost less money [than figure skating].”

Given his symptom of asthma was getting better, his father’s suggestion made Yuzuru wonder. After serious reflection, Yuzuru made his own decision to continue skating. “It seems that my brother’s question served as a good occasion for Yuzu to reconfirm his zeal for figure skating. Since then, my brother never put his nose into figure skating. He never made such instructions as “work harder” or “practice more”. It was my brother’s stance to observe from a step away and only mention “good, you are working hard.” Yuzu’s athletic talents and [physical] figure should stem from his mother. Our genealogy [Yuzuru’s father side family] usually likes baseball, but is not necessarily good at athletics; we don’t have long legs and arms either (laughter).” (Yuzuru’s aunt)

Mr Tsuzuki (above) talks about the education policy of Yuzuru’s parents as follows. “I have a feeling that, in the case of the Hanyus, his parents were intimate with him at some moments while keeping a distance at other moments. They didn’t make their children do anything, but rather supported the children to do what they got interested in, as much as possible. It was the Hanyus’ education policy to respect children’s autonomy.”

3. Don’t become a person who can do nothing but figure skating Given this background, Yuzuru further flourished. At the 4th grade, he won the championship at the National Novice Competition for the first time. At the 7th grade, he won the bronze medal at the National Junior Championships, although he was still a novice skater.

As Yuzuru studied further at the junior high and high schools, his parents, while respecting his autonomy, repeatedly warned Yuzuru not to become a person who can only do figure-skating. Mr Kazuya Igarashi, the school principal of the Tohoku High School which Yuzuru used to attend, disclosed. “Mr Hanyu diligently pursued both studies and figure-skating. I think it’s because of his parents’ guidance. It seems that his father was always saying to Mr Hanyu “you should study as hard as skate”, and that he carried textbooks and study aids even to faraway competitions and maintained studies. Since the junior high school days, he always achieved high grades, particularly in science and mathematics. It might be influenced by the fact that his father was a math teacher.”

In 2010, he made a “debut” at the senior level and won a silver medal at the 4 Continents Championships in 2011, which made him the youngest ever medalist in the figure skating history. In May 2012, 3rd year of high school, he went abroad for further level-up.

In order to practice under Mr Brian Orser, who used to coach Ms Yuna Kim, the gold medalist at the Vancouver Olympics, he left Sendai and moved to Toronto, Canada, with his mother, leaving his father and elder sister behind. A new life for Yuzuru and his mother in a totally different place started.

“It seems that at the beginning they had struggled with the language barrier and difficulties adjusting to a new living environment. In Canada, people often eat meat, but Yuzuru has a small appetite and had uneasy digestion after eating out. So, his mother made various efforts in Yuzuru’s health management by cooking something digestible such as hot-pot at home.” (the Hanyus’ close friend, above) Thanks to his mother’s dedicated support, his life in Canada managed to get on track. Yuzuru actively absorbed Brian’s training and steadily improved his staking skills.

According to a sports journalist who has long written on Yuzuru, Brian’s coaching methods had a good match with Yuzuru’s parents’ way of thoughts. “Brian puts great emphasis on communications with skaters. There are some coaches who firmly instruct students “this skill should be achieved by that way”, but Brian is the complete opposite. He tries to find a way that most fits each skater through sufficient discussion with the skater.”

In the rink, Yuzuru always have a piercing look and demonstrates his mental strength. But he still carries a certain “dualism” inside him, according to other skaters who know Yuzuru from his childhood. “There are two sides: strong Yuzu and weak Yuzu. The weak Yuzu has not completely disappeared even after achieving so many great titles. In other words, he is Yuzu all the more because of his weakness.”

There was a symbolic incidence on 11th March 2011, the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake. When the earthquake hit, Yuzuru was practicing at the Ice Rink Sendai. Suddenly seized by huge shakes with roaring sounds, he clung to his senior fellow skater and shouted, “No, no, no!”  Even after his senior fellow skater said, “It’s ok, we are ok”, he was just crying and trembling. The ice of the rink cracked and the building was severely damaged. While all his family members survived, the lifeline including electricity, gas, and water was cut down. The Hanyus couldn’t go back home and were forced to stay in a common evacuation centre for 4 days.

“Should I continue skating in such a situation…?” That’s the emotion that occupied Yuzuru, once the immediate fear was gone. It was his mother’s actions that made Yuzuru, who was suffering with doubt, look forward. “His mother literally ran around and bowed to everyone from the Japan Skating Union to coach(es) so that Yuzuru could resume practice.  It is such an emergency situation and that’s the very reason why Yuzuru needs to skate. This is not the time to give up. I think that such thoughts of his mother were appreciated by Yuzuru. Since around this time, Yuzuru started uttering “I am not skating only for myself.” (the Hanyus’ friend, above)

The fact that he dared to perform immediately after the crash accident at the CoC provoked heated controversies in Japan. But, his fellow skater (above) asserts “it would not have been Yuzu if he hadn’t performed there.” The critics questioned, “Was it appropriate for an athlete?” but I think Yuzu is not just an athlete. He is a little more romantic; for easy comprehension, he is like a “hero of a girls’ manga”. I am not sure if “mission” is an appropriate word or not, but to Yuzu, the option to withdraw must have been impossible as far as he was able to stand on the ice.”

4. Another supporter is a “bodywork therapist”   Many may remember an elderly man who stayed close to Yuzuru who was bleeding and held Yuzuru’s shoulders at the CoC. He is Mr Akira Kikuchi, a personal trainer and a bodywork therapist. Mr Kikuchi is often described as “tranquiliser” for Yuzuru and has been reportedly engaged in asthma treatment. Since he employs something like “Qigong methods”, some magazines once portrayed him as “a suspicious person”.

“As was the case for [sumo-wrestler] Yokozuna Takanohana in the past, some athletes tend to be blindly absorbed into bodywork therapists or fortune-tellers. It seems that Mr Kikuchi is called “a wizard of Chakra”, and some fans regard him dubious, but Yuzuru’s parents as well as Yuzuru himself completely trust him.” (the sports journalist above)

When we visited Mr Kikuchi’s orthopedic clinic in Sendai City, he refused to be interviewed. But we were able to hear a few anecdotes from him. “Am I the mental support for Mr Hanyu? No way. I am just a bodywork therapist. I am rather thankful for him; he has taken me to the unknown world. Of course, he [Yuzuru] is a great person, but his parents are of great character. What is the most respectable is that they never forget thankfulness. It would have been no surprise if they had got too proud after winning the gold medal. But the Hanyus, whom I have known for more than 10 years, have never changed since the first time I met them. I don’t think the parents verbally told Yuzuru the attitude of gratefulness; perhaps, he naturally acquired it by observing his parents’ behaviour.”

Regardless of how others describe Mr Kikuchi, their relationship based upon trust wouldn’t be affected. Believing their own observation and feeling, the Hanyus keep asking Mr Kikuchi to stand by at the rink side. That’s another unchanging attitude of the Hanyus.

We see who Yuzuru Hanyu is now, who overcame various ordeals. He has never become arrogant while never yielding his belief. There is no doubt that it’s the guidance of his parents, who never appear in public, which has made such a Yuzuru.

————-END————-

I was unsure whether to post this as the interviewer’s methods are questionable.  But I decided that since Japanese fans can read the original article, other fans should also have the chance to know more about Yuzu’s background and be inspired by his humble and admirable family, and also to be aware of their need for privacy.  Translated by a generous Yuzu fan in the Facebook fan group who prefers not to be named, and edited by me.

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Yuzuru is the supreme elite of figure skating. He skates at an unimaginable level, and I have no choice. I have only one thing to do, to try achieving the same results somehow. Many skaters actually fear him, coz he’s just so above everyone else. He jumps so organically, so naturally in a program that I question if it is reality, if it’s achievable. It is necessary to set goals, but I dont look forward to the pain I have to go through to reach Yuzu’s level. Masters like Yuzuru know what to do. He “kills” even before entering the ice; he already does it during the warm-up. We juniors look up to him and try to do the same, to try to put out the rivals before entering the rink during warm up, but we haven’t reach that level, and we’ll probably never will. Even Yuzu’s look may affect another skater, so usually we try not to face his eyes. Yuzuru Hanyu has so many records. Right now there is almost no competition for him, but when a rival appears, he won’t stop and wait, he will do something new because he is the highest level, and he will not give what belongs to him. I am still far from this company of world figure skating. He is incredible, he is superior. If figure skating is a video game where there are many levels, Yuzu would be cruising in the insane level.

Dmitri Aliev on his opinion of YH  (via yuzuru-hanyu)

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I can’t help doing a gif set for this!!! Look at Plushenko’s MULTIPLE MEANINGFUL GAZE at Yuzu and how Yuzu can’t stop laughing XD Omg these two meme lords!!

(*) Usually Yuzu address Plushenko as Plushenko-san, but here he was debating with himself on the spot whether to use Plushenko-senshuu or not (usually used to address a competitive skater)

Joke aside, I love the mentor-friend-idol relationship of Yuzuru and Plushenko! They respect, admire and always want the best for each other, it’s so much that Plushenko’s wife doesn’t like Plushenko coaching Yuzuru in practice sometimes (from Aoi Hono) XD

I really recommend watching the whole video here with translation by yuzusorbet because their interactions are super cute! :D

PS: At the same time, it’s also heart-breaking to me because Plushenko told Yuzu “Be healthy and beat everybody!” but as I remember, this might be around the time, probably a few days after this, that Yuzu had to inject steroid and take painkillers in order to skate because his left foot was hurting! But anyhow, the past is the past!

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Yuzuru Hanyu & Mao Asada Nagoya Figure Skating Festival 2014

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the night won’t sleep much longer a vanishing shadow stills the heart it’s a long way up the heavens a long way down another flight

Mao Asada - Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance

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How about a top 5 exhibition/ice show programs from your top 5 favourite skaters? I'm including ice shows because I really liked Yuzuru's Believe program even though people hated his orange costume. haha

Difficult xD I won’t make a top five, just a list xD

Yuzuru Hanyu: Notte stellata, Requiem for Heaven and Earth. From ice shows: Change and Believe (FaOI). Other favourites are Hana Ni Nare and Vertigo (FaOI)

Akiko Suzuki: Love Dance and Swan Lake. 

Mao Asada: Jupiter and Cello Suite.

Stephane Lambiel: Ne me quitte pas and Don’t stop the music (the first that came to my mind, tbh).

Yuna Kim: Nessun Dorma (All That Skate) and I loved when she skated Homage to Korea again (ATS too).

Shizuka Arakawa: she honestly can skate to whatever she wants and still do great, but I really liked her latest EX (Carnaval on ice I think?).

Nobunari Oda Riverdance (FaOI).

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“’Send in the Clowns’ was never meant to be a soaring ballad; it’s a song of regret. And it’s a song of a lady who is too upset and too angry to speak– meaning to sing for a very long time.” 

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Shoma and Yuzuru on how they celebrated their wins. x

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Figure Skating Podcasts

In one of my latest entries about commies, @senyuunopoohsan asked me if I had Italian Eurosport Commentators’ FS Podcasts (or their translations) from last year.

As far as I know, the podcasts are no longer available on the net, but parts of them (related to Hanyu) were translated last year and you can find them here:

1. Episode 1: part 1 - part 2 - part 3

2. Episode 2

3. Episode 3

4. Episode 7

I know some bits were also translated in Japanese, but I have no links saved for those.

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a love one reach longer, and another one.

Mao Asada - Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance

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What could be the reason for one to keep going?

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