It all started when Yuzuru Hanyu said he was a MOTHER 2 fan on a TV program. This brought about the kind of discussion you only dream about. Not in a cliche way, but really and truly an amazing thing. Last December, Yuzuru Hanyu and Shigesato Itoi met in a studio in Sendai and talked about all kinds of things for two hours. We’re pleased to be able to bring you that discussion.
Yuzuru Hanyu
Born in 1994 in Miyagi Prefecture. Began figure skating at 4 years old and became world junior champion at age 14. Later won four consecutive Grand Prix Finals and four consecutive Japan Figure Skating Championships. Also won two gold medals in a row at the Sochi and Pyeongchang Olympics. Became a professional figure skater in July 2022. Currently concentrating on producing and starring in an ice show.
Boyhood／Mirror Neuron／Heaven and Earth／Mr. Saturn／
Ballet／Timeline／Homesick／Universe／Johnny Weir／
Reset／Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami／Picasso／Sprain／
Parallel Universe／Heroic Sword and an Evil Sword／Produce／
Astro Boy／Music／Ness／Fifteen-year-old／
Romeo and Juliet／Goldfish／Nap／Athlete／Millennials／
Elder sister／A Beatles song, XXXterday／
Score／Vinyl／Death／Youngest child／
That／Hip hop／Mozart／Dilemma／Ice Show
- Hanyu
- It costs so much money to create an ice rink for an ice show that we rely on sales to be able to even continue holding the show.
- Itoi
- Ah, because you have to create a rink somewhere where there isn’t any ice.
- Hanyu
- Right. So even if we reserve the venue for a week, it takes so much time to prepare the ice that we can only spend two of those days holding the actual performance.
- Itoi
- I see, I see.
- Hanyu
- You might think of increasing the number of performances in a day, but that would lower the quality of the show. I’m sure there’s a way to make the show into something that’s easily repeatable, easy to manage, and is catchy to the audience. People would also enjoy it if I repeated some well-known performances I’ve done in the past. But then I wouldn’t really feel like I’m enjoying performing, or feel much meaning behind it. If I’m going to put on a show, I’d want the audience to have a special experience that money can’t buy.
- Itoi
- Yeah.
- Hanyu
- I want to create something that people will remember forever, like MOTHER 2. Something that doesn’t end with one performance, but something I continue to create.
- Itoi
- Even when you’re done competing, you really never stop, do you?
- Hanyu
- (Laughs)
- Itoi
- But you have a long road ahead of you.
- Hanyu
- You mean my life?
- Itoi
- Yeah.
- Hanyu
- Hmm... You can’t really tell anymore, can you? Things are so unstable in the world, and who knows what kind of natural disasters may occur at any time.
- Itoi
- Ah.
- Hanyu
- From that perspective, since the ice show takes a full year of preparation, by the time it’s ready to release to the world, I’m not thinking about the rest of my life. I think I just feel like, “Okay, we made it, everything’s fine.”
- Itoi
- Have you always thought that way?
- Hanyu
- I don’t think the way I think has changed. I experienced the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, COVID happened, and now we’ve just got the general state of the world, all while traveling around the world to skate. I don’t think living normally has really been the norm for a while.
I’ve skated while traveling to various places across the world. Seeing the recent situation, I think that being able to live normally is not something to be taken for granted.
- Itoi
- I see.
- Hanyu
- I’ve kind of lived my life bracing for things to happen. Like I live my life in such a way that no matter when the world might end, I’ll have no regrets about missing out on something.
- Itoi
- ...I didn’t think someone as young as you would tell me that.
- Hanyu
- (Laughs)
- Itoi
- What I mean by that is, usually elderly people are the ones who think we shouldn’t act like we’ve got all the time in the world. It’s when you start to see the end in sight that you realize you can’t do as much and feel compelled to do what you’ve wanted so there are no regrets. I’m surprised someone as young as you talks like that so earnestly and matter-of-factly.
- Hanyu
- I’m sure part of it is having experienced the earthquake.
- Itoi
- That earthquake had a large impact on everyone. It made a lot of people realize that we don’t have forever.
- Hanyu
- I was practicing when it struck, and it seemed like the building was going to collapse. I honestly thought that was how I was going to die.
- Itoi
- I’m sure.
- Hanyu
- I’ve taken some courses in bioethics as well, and from the moment we’re born, we’re already heading toward death. After fertilization and cell division, we come into this world as a single being, and then we spend the rest of the time heading towards death. That’s the law of the universe—even the universe is expanding, but will eventually shrink and disappear at some point. I understand that’s how things work, so I just think it is what it is.
- Itoi
- Things will end one day.
- Hanyu
- It will end one day. If it’s going to eventually end, we should do the best we can now. Whether it’s deciding you’re not going to do anything today, or will spend the day making lots of dad jokes, do it right. (Laughs)
- Itoi
- Yeah. (Laughs)
- Hanyu
- I have this vague feeling of wanting to live my life that way.
- Itoi
- Did you get that mindset from participating in and winning world class competitions from a young age?
- Hanyu
- I don’t know if that’s necessarily it.
- Itoi
- What if you were a normal high school student?
- Hanyu
- Even if I hadn’t taken up skating, I probably would have thought the same way.
- Itoi
- Wow. So it’s more a boy who already had that mindset, and he just happened to become a figure skater and end up winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
- Hanyu
- Yes, you’re right. When I first started skating, my parents always told me to quit if I was going to neglect my studies. As an extension of that, in junior high school they told me to quit if I was going to lose sight of myself as a person. If I was going to be so engrossed in figure skating that I start losing common sense as a human being or my sense of self-worth, then they told me to just quit now. I remember begging my parents to let me continue skating.
- Itoi
- Ah.
- Hanyu
- So, whether I’m skating or not, I’d like to think that I’ve always considered whether things are truly right or not, or whether I’m trapped inside my own way of thinking. In that sense, I think there’s the life of Yuzuru Hanyu, and skating is just a layer on top of that.
- Itoi
- That’s amazing. Especially what your mother told you. But she probably said that to light the way to happiness for her child.
- Hanyu
- I guess so. (Laughs)
- Itoi
- It was for your happiness that she would have stopped you from skating if it started to change your personality.
- Hanyu
- Yes. So I can say for sure that I don’t dislike studying. I’ve been thinking lately about what I would have been if I hadn’t taken up skating. Whether I ended up being a doctor or a painter or something, I’m sure I would have gone hard on it.
- Itoi
- I can see that. (Laughs)
- Hanyu
- So, in my life this time around, I made it to where I am because figure skating was right in front of me and I chose to learn it. But I don’t think I would have changed as a human being.
- Itoi
- Makes me want to see that parallel universe, too.
- Hanyu
- I think it’d be really, really dull. (Laughs)
Boyhood／Mirror Neuron／Heaven and Earth／Mr. Saturn／
Ballet／Timeline／Homesick／Universe／Johnny Weir／
Reset／Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami／Picasso／Sprain／
Parallel Universe／Heroic Sword and an Evil Sword／Produce／
Astro Boy／Music／Ness／Fifteen-year-old／
Romeo and Juliet／Goldfish／Nap／Athlete／Millennials／
Elder sister／A Beatles song, XXXterday／
Score／Vinyl／Death／Youngest child／
That／Hip hop／Mozart／Dilemma／Ice Show
（To be continued）
2024-03-10-SUN
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Photography: Toru Yaguchi
Clothing: tk.TAKEO KIKUCHI