Yuzuru Hanyu

[kriwyr1009]

Hi everyone, I'm Japanese,and I've been a big fan of yuzuru and figureskating.

Few last two days, his weigh and cross"lucky charm" became the talk of this thread, I'm so happy if I have jointy a litllt bit more about him.
But my English isn't a good , so please read inattentively in the end...Especially translate his words or feeling into other languages.

First, about his weigh, it is unopened officially. I do think he will more than 52kg now, too. The information is two years ago,at least.

While his height is opened by Jpanese figure skating official-fanbook. In according to this(published by 2012,12th Jan.) , the latest height is 171cm.
This book is interviwed by more than a half year ago , thus I think he will be some taller now. I agree he's already had a major growth spurt.
Then I think he is slender even in my eyes. Maybe other Japanese will agreement ; In fact a lot of Japanese people who see him is surprised his body line and his little face.
(A source of twitter, blog,news forum and so on.)

Otherwise, people who know him all this time feel he is getting more mature and powerful. If you watch his performance at 2009,Junior Worlds SP program(borelo I do like ><), he was really still more slender than now.

[Mathman]

Welcome, kriwyr1009.

Thank you for your kind and informative post. We hope you like it here at Golden Skate.

[kriwyr1009]

As you already know, yuzuru takes many good luck charm; stone bracelets(given by his mother), cross pendant, bangle(gifted by Plushenko), misanga (presented by famous Japanese women singer ”Mai Kuraki”)that I glance over. And he turns off the cross before he performs the program since 2007-2008season(propably at least).

But, these cross pendant and turn off the cross dosen’t mean religiously so deeply.
Of course, these charms are very precious gift for him ,though.


It is difficult for even for me(ourseleves) to explain the religion of the Japanese. But I will try to explain.

For many Japanese, we cereblate New Years in the style of Shintoism, weddings in Christianity, and funerals in Buddhism.
As you know, most of the European people and the American people have their religion. And their religion is mainly Christianity.In Saudi Arabia, or in Africa, many people believe in Allah.
Comparing with them, the Japanese seem to not to have deep religious feelings.(
Of course, some Japanese believe in Buddhism, and some believe in Shintoism, or some even believe in Christianity. )

I think, however, Japanese do have their own unique religious feelings. We Japanese have syncretic religious feelings(see; Religion in Japan at Wikipedia), and they do not seem for many foreign people to be the deep religious feelings.
It is not strange that one Japanese prays to Buddha and at the same time prays to Shinto gods. This doesn’t mean lack of religion in the Japanese. This is the typical form of Japanese's religion. It is often difficult for Japanese themselves to say which god they believe in, or which spirit, or holy being, they believe in. But most Japanese believe in something religious entity which is, however, difficult to name correctly. And you should know that this is the style and existing form of the Japanese religion.

[lcd]

Very interesting posts

[skateluvr]

thank you kriwyr for your thoughtful posts about current religious belief trends in Japan. I was touched to hear Plushenko giftd him a cross and bangle. So actually, he is showing appreciation and respect to one of his skating idols to wear it. It changes my mind and softens my heart at its use. I think Plush is or was Russian Orthodox. I don't know if it is a big part of his life or not. It is very interesting to me. Plu has said "Hanyu is the one to beat." I think Sochi podium is within possibility for Hanyu. He has much time to mature and he looks to be a great competitor already. I could see him as Japan's first Olympic Gold medalist, perhaps in 2018 as you say.

[kriwyr1009]

I’m glad to see my thread. ^^; …… getting off the subject, I become tangential at times going into long explanations. It is really difficult to explain.

After all, for many Japanese , religion is so to speak “culture which is established in our lives”. Thus it seems to be difficult to be aware of its presence.



But….Sorry skateluvr!! My way of writing is poor.

Plushenko gifted yuzuru his bangles,put on his right arm ;blue and black one, at the year before last summer(at the ice show), though I don’t sure his cross charm ><;.

But I really agree with your opinion about “he is showing appreciation and respect to one of his skating idols to wear it” , too.
In fact, he wears it all the time even at the competition! Moreover yuzuru replied, “He(Plushenko) is a god of figureskating’s world on Japanese TV after 2010 JW.
So he is very pleased and it must be a great encouragement.

*We heard the way he “takes a cross before he skates” means “make his axis of body level and horizontal with ices”. So it doesn’t express the religious feeling.
It seems to be an incantation against good performances.
*We * means Japanese people among fan of yuzuru , though above-mentioned is common opinion of us.

[Becki]

New video on Yuzuru:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naDKw9_DJpY

Can someone translate :D

[kilyca]

New video on Yuzuru:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naDKw9_DJpY

Can someone translate :D

I'm sorry. Because I am running out of time today, I cannot translate content.The contributor seems to intend to delete this video on the morning of 9th of the Japan time.I wrote in comment when "Please did not delete this video" for a contributor.I will pray for a video not being deleted tomorrow.

[doctor2014]

thank you kriwyr for your thoughtful posts about current religious belief trends in Japan. I was touched to hear Plushenko giftd him a cross and bangle. So actually, he is showing appreciation and respect to one of his skating idols to wear it. It changes my mind and softens my heart at its use.

I also like this little touching story between Plushy and Hanyu.

Plu has said "Hanyu is the one to beat." I think Sochi podium is within possibility for Hanyu. He has much time to mature and he looks to be a great competitor already. I could see him as Japan's first Olympic Gold medalist, perhaps in 2018 as you say.

I’m kinda surprised that Plushy said Hanyu is the one to beat instead of someone like Chan…
At which interview did Plushy say this? Does anyone know?

[Olympia]

I don't know the whole story behind this, but often an athlete will diss another one by ignoring him. So Plushy may or may not believe that Hanyu has more potential than Chan as a rival. By saying that Hanyu is his main rival, he might just be implying that Chan is not someone he deems worthy of his attention. There's nothing wrong with this, if it's true.

Either way, the story of Plushy giving Hanyu that little gift shows a wonderful gesture of respect.

[Becki]

I'm sorry. Because I am running out of time today, I cannot translate content.The contributor seems to intend to delete this video on the morning of 9th of the Japan time.I wrote in comment when "Please did not delete this video" for a contributor.I will pray for a video not being deleted tomorrow.

Okay...thanks. I am glad I can watch the video before it gets taken off tho (although I don't understand much) !!

[kilyca]

Okay...thanks. I am glad I can watch the video before it gets taken off tho (although I don't understand much) !!

Some content that I remember about the video.
(Permit my poor English.)

【A 17-year-old boy YUZURU HANYU thinking】
When it is hard, he watches a photograph when he evacuated.
Because he remembers hardest time, and it braces oneself up.

He visited the gymnasium of a school used as a refuge and talked about an experience of his own.
And,He talked in this way;
"I was not able to sleep to see the nightmare of the earthquake"
"Four we families spent it in very very small space." (450 people evacuated there)
"Teachers prepared food. And they apologized for food not being enough."
"I distributed a small rice ball(like the chicken egg) in two people and ate"
"It was not the situation that could say that I wanted to skate"

When it was spring, the appearance requests of the show rushed to him.
It was a good opportunity to obtain an exercise place for him.
However, in the days of a beginning, he hesitated about leaving the hometown.
This is because it felt him to be in this way.
"The situation that all the homefolks have a hard time very much now"
"Only oneself escapes from the place and does a favorite thing, and will it be good?"

The reaction from the audience and a homefolk to see his skating show was praise.
He got a letter of the encouragement from many people.
He felt the pressure in the expectation from neighboring people.
However, it became the courage of his own that people were pleased by his performance.

Finally,He promised that he did his best in the world championship.

[Becki]

Some content that I remember about the video.
(Permit my poor English.)

【A 17-year-old boy YUZURU HANYU thinking】
When it is hard, he watches a photograph when he evacuated.
Because he remembers hardest time, and it braces oneself up.

He visited the gymnasium of a school used as a refuge and talked about an experience of his own.
And,He talked in this way;
"I was not able to sleep to see the nightmare of the earthquake"
"Four we families spent it in very very small space." (450 people evacuated there)
"Teachers prepared food. And they apologized for food not being enough."
"I distributed the small rice ball(like the chicken egg) in two people and ate"
"It was not the situation that could say that I wanted to skate"

When it was spring, the appearance requests of the show rushed to him.
It was a good opportunity to obtain an exercise place for him.
However, in the days of a beginning, he hesitated about leaving the hometown.
This is because it felt him to be in this way.
"The situation that all the homefolks have a hard time very much now"
"Only oneself escapes from the place and does a favorite thing, and will it be good?"

The reaction from the audience and a homefolk to see his skating show was praise.
He got a letter of the encouragement from many people.
He felt the pressure in the expectation from neighboring people.
However, it became the courage of his own that people were pleased by his performance.

Finally,He promised that he did his best in the world championship.

Thank you so much!!!! I really appreciate it!! I really admire Yuzuru's courage, and his maturity for someone his age.....

I am without words; he's just such a great character

[treeloving]

kilyca, Thank you so much for the translation.

[let`s talk]

I don't know the whole story behind this, but often an athlete will diss another one by ignoring him. So Plushy may or may not believe that Hanyu has more potential than Chan as a rival. By saying that Hanyu is his main rival, he might just be implying that Chan is not someone he deems worthy of his attention. There's nothing wrong with this, if it's true.

It seems like the words have been taken out of the context. I don't remember that Plush ever spoke ill about Chan or tried to diss him in any other form. On the contrary, even when his devoted fans asked him about Chan being repeatedly overscored in spite of all his mistakes, Plush normally left it without comments or said that Chan is doing a very good work and Plush will give him his "answer" in Sochi. Mishin did comment about Chan's abnormal score. But Plush- no. He learned from his own experience how easily the press can make things up or twist the words (all around Vancouver crap), so he prefers to stay diplomatic. Moreover, in one of his most recent interviews after RN with Flade, published in World Figure Skating magazine in Japan (in sales from March 3rd), he again mentioned Chan as one of his main rivals, together with Dai, Hanyu, and others. So, obviously he is not dissing chanadian and keeps the precious mister Chan in mind.
Plush praized Hanyu when the last one was still in junior. This year he is just keeping doing that and not without the reason. Considering the lack of ice, training hours and personal trauma (earthquake), that little Romeo made a really amazing work. He has unquie style, passion, speed, smooth edge and incredible jumps. I wonder what we will see from him in future seasons, when he becames more mature, obtains higher sophistication and has enough training hours. That will be something, no doubt. Quite logical to see him as a rival in 2014 and a possible OGM in 2018.