The following is my translation of a report from the talk show following the Fantasy on Ice show in Makuhari.
For the original report in Japanese with photos, please see blue-C's blog here. Thank you, C-san, for a wonderful report and for your permission to share it in English.
(I translated most of the blog, but not all of it. I might add if I find time.)
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Daisuke Takahashi Talk Show at Hotel New Otani Makuhari
June 8, 2014
Introduction by MC, Ms. Watari, and a manager from Matsukiyo (a drugstore chain sponsoring this event).
While we waited for Daisuke’s arrival, they entertained us with a few quizzes about Daisuke. They were multiple choice questions as pictures were shown on the screen:
Q1: Which costume did he wear at the Vancouver Olympics?
A: white Beatles Medley B: red R&R Medley C: La Strada
Q2: Which mascot did Mr. Takahashi hug at the Sochi Olympics?
A: the snow leopard B: the rabbit C: the polar bear
Q3: Which one is Mr. Takahashi’s childhood picture?
A: baby Dai B, C: pictures of unknown kids
Q4: Which university does Mr. Takahashi attend?
A: Kansai Gakuen Univ. B: Kansai Univ. C: Ritsumeikan Univ.
Q5: Which costume did he wear at the Sochi Olympics?
A: Beatles B: Sonatina C: eye
(After the quizzes, Daisuke finally appeared on stage. A HUGE applause!!)
MC: You just finished a show. Are you tired?
D: Not at all!
MC: You look very chic today…
D: No, it’s not chic. It’s very very casual.
(He wore a plain black short-sleeved T, a white pants with rolled-up hems, black shoes on bare feet, a pendant with a long chain, a watch, a shiny ring - different from the one he usually wears.)
D: I had a show today, so maybe my hair is a bit curly. (He touches the top of his head.)
The two sat down on stools. Dai looked surprised how low the seat was. A staff adjusted it, then Dai adjusted some more himself.
D: This is as high as I can make...considering my size... lol
MC: How was Fantasy On Ice?
D: I enjoyed a lot myself. It was great to have a collaboration with Hiromi Go. He is a legend in the entertainment field. He is a person full of charms, and I was so excited to see him backstage.
It had been a while since I skated two programs in a show. It was physically hard, but also fun; I felt the audience and I became one.
MC: Many of the people here also went to the show as well, right? (She asked the audience to raise hands).
D: That’s great! Thank you! (Looking very happy^^)
I felt great while I was skating. I wonder if it reached you... (The audience applause.)
MC: You and Hanyu-kun came out together while making a heart shape…that was so cute!!
D: Yeah, we made a heart and then he kind of carried me. When we did the heart, the audience went quiet, so we changed it the next time. It was Kenji sensei who came up with the pose. He checked our pose carefully, and we tried to stay still while waiting backstage.
MC: How was the Sochi Olympics?
D: It’s difficult to say in a few words. It was fun, it was hard. When I put it in words, it sounds contradictory, but I was able to take in a lot of different feelings at once.
MC: I’m sure people have told you many times already, but you were smiling after you finished.
D: At that moment, many emotions came up. I wasn’t satisfied but did the best I could. It was a complicated feeling. I was smiling, but I myself didn’t feel that way. I guess it just came out unintentionally.
I don’t have particular themes in my programs. However, I did want to make this Olympics a compilation of my career. Lori (Nichol)’s choreography was about love, for people I’ve met, people who support me, people who I will meet in the future, for all of those people. She told me I could show my feelings toward them and comfort them a little... So that’s how we made the piece...LOL...no, I didn’t compose the piece myself, I mean the program! So I skated the program with a feeling of appreciation.
MC: Could you tell us something about Sochi that you haven’t told anyone yet? Something you can reveal now?
D: After the free program, I was invited to the exhibition. Maybe it was a relief from all the pressure, but I...digested too many things, and my body absorbed them too quickly. So I gained weight. LOL
There is a place in the exhibition program where I lie down. I watched the video later and it looked awful. My tummy was bulging!
After coming home, even my doctor said, “That was too much. That looked terrible!” I gained about 3kg in less than two weeks.
Then, his childhood picture was shown on the screen (baby Daisuke in a red shirt)
MC: How old were you when you took this picture?
D: How old…? (To the audience) Do you know? LOL
Tell me if you know.
MC: You said you wanted to talk to your mother after Sochi. Did you have a chance to talk to her?
D: Usually we don’t get to see each other much, but (after Sochi Olympics) our entire family, all 6 of us, got together for the first time in maybe 10 years. My mom said afterwards that Dad looked really happy looking at all of us together. Only my second brother drinks, so he and I drank. It was so much fun and we kept drinking. I don’t remember what happened at the end. LOL
Questions from the audience:
Q1: You look much better in shape since the Rinkai Sports Center event. Did you go on a diet, or was it due to skating?
D: You have to exercise if you want to lose weight. There is a limit what a diet can do. My current routine is to eat salad and not-so-fatty meat for dinner. Then I eat whatever I want for breakfast and lunch. My dietitian had told me my body tends to lose weight when I have 3 square meals a day. Some people lose weight when they have only 2 meals, and you also need to do exercises besides the diet. You have to eat what you enjoy eating. Something that you find delicious.
Q2: What tactics do you use to wake up in the morning? How many alarm clocks do you have?
D: I use my cellphone alarm. I set it 15 minutes apart, and it takes me an hour to an hour and a half to actually get up. I want to ask YOU rather, what tactics I should use.
What my mom used to do was to come and hug us! She hugged all us brothers and we all jumped out of bed! LOL
I’m not a morning person… I guess it’s a matter of a strong will. I think I need a stronger will to wake up… (his voice getting lower and lower^^)
Q3: What kind of gift did you give your mom on Mother’s Day?
D: I rarely give presents on Mother’s Day. I do have it ready this year but I haven’t given it to her yet. I told her what it was, though.
I bought a ○○○ for her. She told me she wanted the one I have, but I like mine and didn’t want to give it to her. LOL So I bought her another one in a different color.
(He said part of his answer was a secret to his mother, so I’m keeping this part of my report to minimum.)
MC: Oh, isn’t it great to share a secret with him? Now let us have a word from him before we move on to the photo session.
D: I’ve decided to take a break from competing, giving myself some time to think about what I want to do next. I’m not sure if I will come back to competitions or decide to do something else. One thing I can assure you is that I will continue to skate, in one way or another. I might have fewer chances to skate in front of you, but I can picture myself always staying connected to skating. So please come see me if you have some spare time. Thank you very much for coming today and for your continued support.
The photo session followed. All participants of the talk show took pictures with Daisuke in groups of 50.
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A translator's note: Athletes in Japan are normally addressed as " (last name) senshu." Since there is no adequate English term for it (senshu means competitor), I just used Mr. Takahashi throughout. I heard the general atmosphere of the talk show, however, was very casual and friendly. ----n.
