[2026.07.19] Sponichi - Four Years Since Yuzuru Hanyu Turned Professional
"So this is what it becomes." — The view that only came into sight after everything accumulated along the way.
Yuzuru Hanyu, the two-time Olympic men's figure skating champion, marked the fourth anniversary of turning professional on the 19th of this month. Ahead of the occasion, he sat down for an online exclusive interview with Sponichi, looking back on the past four years while also outlining his vision for the future.
Although the past year included a period devoted to maintenance and readjustment, he still staged "notte stellata," the ice show centered on the theme of earthquake recovery, as well as "REALIVE, " a solo performance that traced the path he has walked throughout his career. He has also announced that production is underway for ICE STORY 4th, officially embarking on the fifth year of an ever-evolving professional career. In this first installment, the focus is on the road he has travelled over the past four years.
It has now been exactly four years since this national figure skating icon stepped into the world of professional skating. Judged by the Olympic-centered competitive cycle, that also marks the completion of one full quadrennial, a significant milestone. For Hanyu, who has reached this point one step at a time, those four years have felt both incredibly long and as though they passed in the blink of an eye.
Hanyu: "I feel that these past four years have been about doing everything I possibly could, one step at a time. To be honest, when I first turned professional, I had absolutely no idea what I was aiming to become. It really felt like the road ahead was shrouded in darkness, and I didn't know which direction I should be heading. That's how I began my professional career: performing as a professional skater while searching for something, trying to find my way as I went.
But now, the things I truly want to express have become much clearer and more concrete. More and more, I find myself thinking, 'This is how I want to express it,' and 'This is how I want to bring it to life.' At the same time, though, when it comes to turning those ideas into reality, my physical condition, my mental strength, and even my skating technique are still far from where I want them to be. Even now, that leaves me feeling frustrated and impatient. And because of that, I feel more strongly than ever that I still have to keep evolving."
Four years ago, Hanyu held a press conference to announce that he was stepping away from competitive skating and had decided to continue his journey as a professional. At the time, how did he imagine himself four years into the future? And now that he has arrived at that point, how does the person he sees today differ from the one he once envisioned?
Hanyu: "To be honest, I never really imagined what I would be like four years later. I always felt that unless I actually tried, I wouldn't know the answer. So when I look back now, my reaction is simply, 'Ah, so this is what it became' (laughs). I think things have moved in a good direction.
When it comes to what I want to express, I've always kept the initiative firmly in my own hands. At the same time, many professionals have offered their perspectives on the things I want to create, helping me connect those ideas little by little. In that sense, ever since I turned professional, I've been surrounded by an incredibly talented team.
Even during my competitive years, I always felt I was fortunate to have met my trainers, my coaches, and so many people who supported me. Now that I'm a professional skater, I still feel exactly the same. Once again, I've come to realize that the reason I'm able to keep skating is because of the support of all the people around me."
The ICE STORY series, for which Hanyu serves as executive producer, has now successfully completed its first three instalments. Meanwhile, "notte stellata, " the annual ice show held in his hometown of Miyagi to commemorate earthquake recovery, continues to bring to life one highly anticipated collaboration after another. Driven by a desire to live up to everyone's expectations, he has continued moving forward under constant pressure, steadily building up experience and achievements as a professional skater.
Hanyu: "I've simply wanted to take the things I couldn't do before and gradually turn them into things I can do. And then, if I can present all of that well through my programs, that's enough for me. There were also many things in the past that I approached purely by instinct, feeling my way forward as I went. Later on, I made a point of studying many different things more seriously. I kept asking myself over and over, 'What exactly is figure skating?' 'What kind of body does Yuzuru Hanyu have?' I think the reason I've become who I am today is probably because I've continued thinking about those questions all along."
Today, with the fundamental theme of "living" at its core, Hanyu continues to tell his own ICE STORY through a wide range of skating expression and stage productions. At the same time, he also presents works with different themes, such as notte stellata, the ice show dedicated to earthquake recovery. Compared with his competitive years, the ways he connects with fans have also evolved through social media, YouTube livestreams, and other platforms. Being able to connect with fans both in Japan and overseas, and to share the same moments with them through his work, is something that brings him great joy.
Hanyu: "At the moment, the ICE STORY series is only held in Japan. I think the fact that people travel all the way from overseas to Japan specifically to see these performances is, in itself, something very meaningful.
Programs like 'SEIMEI, ' 'Hope & Legacy,' and 'Heaven and Earth' are works I've skated while immersing myself in the emotions that Japanese composers poured into their music, as well as in the elements of Japanese culture that they embody. Of course, I think people can feel those things through the choreography or through the music itself. But I also believe that actually coming to Japan and watching these programs within the atmosphere of this country allows each person to experience something different. And once they're here, I'm sure they'll also be able to appreciate the unique appeal of Japan itself. So if my performances can become an opportunity for people to visit Japan and get to know the country a little better, I think that alone would make me very happy."
No longer pursuing the clear-cut results of competition, Hanyu now continues striving toward the ideals he has set for himself, constantly refining himself as an athlete. Four years into his professional career, he can clearly feel that his mind, skills, and body (shin, gi, tai) have all changed, and continue to evolve.
Hanyu: "Starting with 'mind' (shin), because I've been through so many different experiences, I feel it has gained much more depth than before.
In the past, I was completely immersed in the world of competitive sport. At the end of the day, all that mattered was achieving results. In a sense, I really did have a results-first mindset.
After that, I stepped into a world overflowing with information; a place where I constantly have to communicate who I am, and where I have to keep conveying my own value. Throughout that process, there were many times when I was swept along by all kinds of different things. So when it comes to my mind, I think it has become broader and deeper. Over these past four years, I've lost count of the number of times I've realized just how small the world I used to live in actually was.
As for skills (gi), there are certainly things that I've become more and more capable of doing. At the same time, there are still many areas that leave me struggling and frustrated. Honestly, both are true. But I feel that only when the things I've already mastered and the things I'm still wrestling with truly come together can I stand before everyone, hold my head high, and sincerely say, 'This is ICE STORY.' So even now, I'm continuing to put in steady work every single day, hoping to keep evolving one step at a time.
As for my body (tai), I actually feel that the parts I repeatedly injured throughout my competitive career, and then continued to push for another three years after turning professional, had accumulated a tremendous amount of damage. That isn't to say everything has completely recovered now. But at least I was able to address those problems before the injuries fully caught up with me. In that sense, I do feel a certain sense of relief now. It's almost as though... I've been given a completely new body."
"Being better than an amateur is only natural" — Upholding the Pride and Determination of an Athlete
In this second installment, the focus is on his clear understanding of what it means to be a "professional skater," as well as his philosophy and vision as a producer.
Four years ago, at the press conference where he announced his decision to turn professional, Hanyu said:
"Using the word 'retirement' makes this feel like it carries a negative meaning."
Taking professional baseball, where even high school students can enter the professional world and build careers, as an example, he stated clearly:
"This is precisely where it begins."
As someone who continues to open new paths for figure skating, Hanyu has always carried with him the belief that he can continue moving forward as a true professional.
Hanyu: "Even when I look at the skaters who are currently competing, I still feel that there are certain areas where I can honestly say, 'This is something I am the best at.' So in that sense, as long as I can continue to maintain that, I think I can still call myself a professional skater. In other words, I don't want to become someone who looks at the athletes competing today and thinks, 'There is nothing left that I can say I am better at than them.'
After all, as a professional skater, it is only natural that I should be better than an amateur. And simply considering my age and the amount of time I have spent skating, the experience I've accumulated should be overwhelmingly greater. So while valuing and making the most of that experience, I believe that what truly defines a professional skater is being able to combine the things that can only be demonstrated through years of accumulation with physical ability, technique, explosive power, and every other element—and to continue maintaining that level.
However, if you ask whether I had already envisioned this ideal state so clearly and concretely when I held my press conference four years ago, I don't think I had reached that point yet. I suppose that's how I would put it."
Hanyu achieved the remarkable feat of winning two consecutive Olympic titles and became the youngest recipient of the People's Honour Award. Even after leaving competitive skating behind, his pursuit of the essence of figure skating has never changed. It is precisely because he has carried the pride and conviction of being a professional from his competitive days onward that he has arrived at where he is today.
Hanyu: "Ultimately, I think the only difference is whether or not there are results attached to it. At the core, what I want to do is still the same: continue refining my figure skating and continue pursuing what I want to express through skating. That part has never changed. The only difference is whether things like results at the Olympics, World Championships, or Japanese Nationals are added along the way. I think that's really the only distinction. In that sense, not much has actually changed.
Now, I also create my own works, and I have become more involved in choreography, so in some ways there are actually more things I have to do. During my competitive years, I would only skate around three programs at most in a season, so from that perspective, things have definitely become more demanding now. But the essence of what I am doing has not changed."
Throughout his daily life as a professional skater, there is still one ideal athlete who immediately comes to his mind, the legendary baseball player Ichiro Suzuki.
Hanyu: "My ideal athlete is Ichiro. I have always hoped that I could become an athlete like him. Ichiro naturally has a humorous side, but he has always held himself to extremely high standards while also respecting his opponents. And that respect is not simply the kind of humility that is often associated with Japanese people. Rather, you can clearly see the attitude he embodies: 'It is only natural that I have great ability. I am strong, but my opponent also has their own life and their own strengths.' Beyond his abilities as an athlete, I deeply respect him for that kind of personal character and the appeal he has as a person."
One of the new challenges Hanyu has taken on since becoming a professional skater is personally overseeing the entire production of the ICE STORY series. When collaborating with professionals from different fields, what does he value in order to make those elements blend seamlessly with figure skating? As a producer, he has his own perspective that he holds close.
Hanyu: "I've always felt that it can't simply be about adding things together; it has to become multiplication. Because when it comes to collaboration, it's very easy to fall into the mindset of, 'Why don't we just take this person's part and that person's part, and put them together?' That kind of thinking naturally comes up. But if all you achieve is 1+1=2, then there is actually no meaning to the collaboration. Of course, each person's individuality might stand out more. But if the end result is simply, 'In that case, wouldn't it be better to just watch each person separately?' then the collaboration has lost its purpose.
This may be an extreme example, but television screens can now be split into two displays. So it would be like saying, 'Why not just divide the screen in half, show figure skating on one side and gymnastics on the other?' But that isn't what collaboration is about.
I think the most important thing is to first identify what can only be achieved because these people are working together, and what can only be brought out when they are together. Those things have to come first. Then, from there, we decide whether it is actually possible, and what needs to be adjusted or given up.
"Collaboration can ultimately go in two directions: one is simply a 'combination of individuals,' while the other is just stopping at 'fusion' itself. But even in the process of bringing things together, it is essential to create something that allows each person's unique strengths to shine. That is something I value very highly."
When speaking about his philosophy, Hanyu's words were filled with passion. While possessing the perspective of a producer, he also thinks about what kinds of people he would like to collaborate with in the future in order to create compelling works. When asked about this, he gave an answer that was, in some ways, very human. One that also revealed the struggles involved in bringing his lofty ideals into reality.
Hanyu: "To be honest, I don't really have any ready-made ideas. So every time I collaborate with someone for 'notte stellata,' I spend a long time thinking, 'What should I do?' and carefully consider things before finally making a decision. Because what everyone considers to be 'Yuzuru Hanyu's power' is extremely strong, especially in 'notte stellata.' So when I think about the overall balance of the ice show, I have to choose people who won't be overwhelmed by 'the power of Yuzuru Hanyu.'
At the same time, it cannot simply be 1+1. The collaboration has to amplify the overall result several times over. And although it is not a competition or a direct showdown, even if the two sides come together with strong energy and create sparks, they need to be people who can make that interaction look powerful and captivating. Those are the kinds of things I always consider when deciding who I want to collaborate with."
As the executive producer overseeing the entire production, every decision Hanyu makes carries a tremendous amount of responsibility. Each judgment he makes comes with a level of pressure and tension comparable to that of the performance itself.
Hanyu: "Because that is the starting point of the entire work, it is truly very difficult. And precisely because of that, I feel that if the initial direction goes wrong, then no matter how excellent the performances later on are, the final result will still fail. Creating a production carries a tremendous amount of responsibility. And of course, I still get nervous. Every time I create an ICE STORY, I find myself asking, 'Is this really okay?' Actually, there are many things you cannot know unless you show the work to others, receive their evaluations, and listen to everyone's voices. I create many different versions of myself and repeatedly ask myself questions: 'Is this really the right choice?' 'What is the best way to do this?' While continuing this process of self-examination, I also try to maintain an objective perspective. I think that is extremely important."
Entering the fifth year with quiet confidence and composure: "The flame in my heart, that core, will never change for as long as I live."
In this third and final installment of the series, the focus turns to his honest thoughts as he looks toward the future, along with the unwavering conviction that has remained with him from the very beginning.
As his mind, skills, and body (shin, gi, tai) have continued to be honed, and as he has accumulated a wide range of life experiences, both his physical performance and emotional expression have grown even deeper. While he continues to evolve, the artistry of his skating and the messages he hopes to convey are also constantly "deepening." What, then, does he himself feel about this expansion of his expressive range?
Hanyu: "I feel like my 'vocabulary' has grown. For example, it's like when you have so many things you want to say and so many emotions you want to express, but you don't know which word is the right one. That's actually very similar to how I used to feel about figure skating. Even back then, I already had all kinds of images and ideas in my head, and there were so many things I wanted to express. Now, though, I feel that I'm gradually becoming able to bring those ideas to life through different techniques.
It's something like this: 'I want to express this feeling in words, but this particular word just isn't enough.' I've always had that kind of feeling. But now it's as if I've discovered a new way of saying it. It's like thinking, 'Ah, I've learned another new word.'
For example, if I wanted to express an emotion like anguish, I might once have been able to convey it only through choreography such as holding my head in my hands. But now I can weave that emotion into a spin, transition from the spin into a twizzle, and then flow into a new step sequence. It's become something like that.
Before, I probably would have thought that hand movements could only be expressed with the hands, and that when it came to the spin, I simply had to execute the spin. But now all of those elements are beginning to merge together. More and more, I find myself realizing, 'So it can be done this way too... or that way as well.' That's the tangible feeling I have."
At the press conference four years ago, Hanyu summarized his "priorities in life" as follows:
-To put in the effort necessary to succeed.
-To strive to be beautiful as a human being.
-Never to become complacent in learning, but to keep learning continuously.
Do those priorities still hold true today? Have they changed in any way?
Hanyu: "How does it look to you? (laughs) I think I've stayed true to them all along. The things inside me really haven't changed at all.
Of course, when I look back over my skating life, for example, if you asked what I was like around the time of the Sochi Olympics, I don't think I had reflected on things this deeply yet. Even my warm-ups back then weren't as grounded in theory as they are now. I relied much more on instinct and physical strength. Looking back, I think the way I thought about things was also much simpler.
The same was true by the time of PyeongChang. Now, when I look back, I think, 'I really was young then,' and I feel that my way of thinking hadn't yet reached the depth it has now. Of course, the pressure I carried back then was unquestionably enormous. But I think the way I bore that pressure was completely different from how I do now. What I was carrying was different, and the way I carried it was different too.
Looking back now, I can see that many things have changed. My state of mind changes from day to day, my physical condition changes as well, and I'm constantly adjusting myself in response to those changes. But as for the most fundamental part of me—the part that says, "If I'm going to show something to others, I want it to be the very best I can do"; "I don't want to give a performance that would leave me feeling ashamed of myself"; "There are people who have given me strength, and people who have taken action for my sake. I absolutely don't want their efforts to go to waste"—the flame burning at the very center of my heart, formed by all of those things, or rather, that core of who I am, I don't think it will ever change for as long as I live. I think this is simply the kind of person I was always going to become. It's like if Ichiro Suzuki suddenly stopped training, people would probably wonder, 'Would he still be Ichiro Suzuki?' Of course, I do give myself time to rest for the sake of my physical condition. But in the end, I think this is simply the only way I know how to live."
The production of ICE STORY 4th has now been officially announced, and PREQUEL, the prologue that leads into that story, has already been presented to audiences. The coming year is sure to be another period filled with excitement and new challenges. Determined to surpass people's expectations, Hanyu is preparing meticulously, thinking through every step.
Hanyu: "As I mentioned in my answer to the first question, to be honest, there are still many times when my body hasn't quite caught up with what's in my mind yet. My technique hasn't fully reached that level either. So, for the sake of ICE STORY 4th, I feel I still have to work much, much harder.
Even now, I keep thinking: there are still so many things I want to express that I haven't been able to convey completely. How much further can I push myself? No matter how much effort I put in, it almost feels as though the finish line keeps moving farther away. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that my ideal keeps receding into the distance.
But every time I think, "Ah, maybe I've come a little closer to my ideal," I soon find myself wondering, "Couldn't I do even more here?" That cycle repeats itself almost every single day. I spend each day in a state where I can hardly tell whether what I'm feeling is happiness or hardship. Even so, I'm convinced that I can continue to improve. Now, four years after becoming a professional athlete, that's how I feel: I want to keep making steady progress and continue becoming better."
Source:
https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2026/07/19/annexz/20260719b00079000019000c.html
https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2026/07/20/annexz/20260720b00079000008000c.html
https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2026/07/21/kiji/20260721b00079000003000c.html
