フィギュアスケート男子の元世界王者で、日本勢歴代最多3個の五輪（オリンピック）メダルを持つ宇野昌磨さん（27）の現役引退会見から、5月14日で丸1年を迎えました。現在は1カ月後の6月14日から全国3カ所で開催する、自身初プロデュースのアイスショー「Ice...
www.nikkansports.com
A very good Shoma interview with Nikkan's Wataru Matsumoto, this was done after Ice Brave announcement back in March 2025.
Some summary about what Shoma said:
About Shoma's perspective now that his position has changed from the one who is interviewed (especially as a person who is quite unfiltered in his answers) to the one asking questions to active figure skaters as an interviewer:
"My perspective has completely shifted.
Some people, without meaning harm, focus purely on numbers and see them as goals. That’s just part of the job, so I understand it. Whether it’s social media or traditional media, people engage in it because they find meaning in their work.
Sometimes, you might think,
'I really don’t like this person,' but in reality, they might not be doing it because they enjoy it. They may have superiors instructing them to do so, and while they dislike it, they comply.
There are people who say unpleasant things to me or ask questions that make me think,
'You're really going to ask that?' But I've come to realize that very few actually want to behave that way—it’s often just part of their role."
As someone asking questions, I also notice that—while it's not necessarily rude—some people ask uninteresting questions. Now that I’m on this side, I don’t want to be disrespectful toward the athletes. I feel that interesting questions lie somewhere between being slightly provocative and still respectful. When I seriously consider the athletes’ feelings, I don’t want to be rude, so I find myself asking very safe questions.
Everyone works really hard—athletes perform for just four minutes in the free skate or two minutes and 45 seconds in the short program. Meanwhile, the media spends three sleepless days covering it all. Observing this effort, I’ve realized just how tough their job is."
On what Shoma thinks are the Questions that lies between provocative and respectful - the truly good Questions:
"It's a tricky balance. For instance, if an interviewer suddenly throws out a private question, it really depends on the type. If it’s something I genuinely have an interest in, like video games, then that’s fine. But if it's something I don’t care about, I don't really feel anything about it. However, if it's a question that everyone wants to know but I don't particularly want to talk about, then I feel a bit uncomfortable when people push for an answer.
If we talk about competition results, asking directly,
'Will you be world champion?' feels different from asking,
'You're obviously aiming for the top, but what kind of training will help you get there?' Even though they essentially ask the same thing, the way the question is phrased changes how the interviewee perceives it.
When it comes to 'interesting questions,' instead of simply asking
'How will you train for the next competition?'—I think adding something extra would make it more engaging. But it’s tough! Since I’ve been on both sides, I understand that as athletes, we keep answering the same things over and over, so we want a bit of variety.
For example, today I'm on the fourth interview. That means the reporter is asking this question for the first time, but I’m answering it for the fourth time. So, the feeling is different. Some viewers always support me, while others are seeing me for the first time. That makes it difficult to decide what kind of questions should be asked and how I should respond.
To keep things in perspective, I always make sure to ask those in charge,
'What kind of position should I take in these situations?'"
On Shoma's posts and updates at Youtube and Twitter:
"On YouTube, I just do whatever I like—it’s all about my hobbies. Lately, I’ve really come to appreciate having social media. I'm not particularly good at it, but when I'm launching something, like an ice show, it becomes incredibly helpful.
Of course, there are challenges—both with the platform itself and the people involved. There are good and bad aspects, but everyone is working hard, and that makes me feel more inclined to be kind. Even when someone is slightly rude, I remind myself that they have a family too. They could be a parent, earning money to support their children. Looking at things from different perspectives has made me realize,
'This person has their own circumstances as well.'"
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This interview is so interesting and insightful, and it shows how much Shoma has grown in less than 1 year after his retirement. I was worried about him entering the "normal" workforce after his retirement, but I think this really shows that whatever Shoma chooses to do, he'll be the same insightful and thoughtful Shoma and there's not much to worry about. He's very kind, too.
Like, they can't even make eye contact—way too obvious! lol
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