Ryuju Hino

[rRainbow]

Ryuju Hino (日野 龍樹) is a Japanese figure skater. He was born in Tokyo Japan on February 12, 1995.

ISU Bio
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00010969.htm

Tracings.net entry:
http://www.tracings.net/hino-ryuj.html

Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryuju_Hino

RinkResults entry:
http://www.rinkresults.com/skater?skater_id=555

Social Media
Twitter
https://twitter.com/vnagar_juna
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/日野龍樹/

Fan Facebook Account
https://ja-jp.facebook.com/pg/Ryuju.Hino/posts/?ref=page_internal

Affiliation:
Yoshimoto Kogyo Co.
https://profile.yoshimoto.co.jp/talent/detail?id=6595

19-20 Personal Bests Domestic Scores (incl. unofficial records)

Short	Free	Total
75.19	140.93	215.26
Iizuka Cup	Chubu Regionals	Chubu Regionals

Results: (From 19-20 to 20-21)

Season	Competition	SP score	SP rank	FS score	FS rank	Total score	Total rank
2020/21	Japan Championship (12/24-27)	69.79	11	132.34	11	202.13	11
2020/21	Aichi FS Competition (12/3-6)	60.67	2	n/a	n/a	60.67	2
2020/21	Western Sectionals (10/30-11/1)	71.75	4	127.70	5	211.05	5
2020/21	Japan Open (10/3)	n/a	n/a	120.37	3	120.37	3
2020/21	Chubu Regionals (9/25-27)	59.66	2	124.57	2	184.23	2
2019/20	Japan Championships (12/18-22)	62.47	18	140.26	9	202.73	13
2019/20	Aichi FS Competition (12/1-8)	62.82	3	n/a	n/a	62.82	3
2019/20	Western Sectionals (11/1-4)	70.66	4	136.47	4	207.13	4
2019/20	Chubu Regionals (9/27-29)	74.33	1	140.93	1	215.26	1
2019/20	Iizuka Cup (8/2-4)	75.19	1	127.31	1	202.50	1

Results: (From 2014/15 to 2018/19)

Season​	Level​	Competition​	SP​	FS​	Overall​
2018/19	Senior	Japan Championships	(18) 62.47	(9) 140.26	(13) 202.73
2017/18	Senior	Japan Championships	(12) 69.63	(14) 129.35	(14) 198.98
2017/18	Senior	CS Finlandia	(9) 70.92	(9) 134.23	(10) 205.15
2017/18	Senior	Challenge Cup	(5) 68.29	(5) 124.58	(5) 193.77
2017/18	Senior	Japan Championships	(10) 68.22	(4) 155.39	(7) 223.61
2017/18	Senior	CS Ondrej Nepela	(6) 67.25	(11) 117.08	(11) 184.33
2017/18	Senior	Asian Trophy	(1) 70.90	(2) 136.96	(2) 207.86
2016/17	Senior	Bavarian Open	(8) 63.17	(2) 133.15	(4) 196.32
2016/17	Senior	Universiade	(9) 75.23	(6) 150.78	(6) 226.01
2016/17	Senior	Japan Championships	(4) 78.65	(4) 151.66	(4) 230.31
2016/17	Senior	NHK Trophy	(9) 72.50	(9) 134.65	(9) 207.15
2016/17	Senior	CS Finlandia	(13) 55.91	(11) 125.34	(11) 181.25
2015/16	Senior	Bavarian Open	(3) 72.18	(1) 134.34	(3) 206.52
2015/16	Senior	Japan Championship	(7) 74.03	(7) 139.14	(8) 213.17
2015/16	Senior	CS Finlandia	(4) 67.55	(6) 135.87	(6) 203.42
2014/15	Senior	Challenge Cup	(5) 58.30	(2) 131.11	(3) 189.41
2014/15	Senior	Universiade	(11) 58.92	(8) 127.38	(8) 186.30
2014/15	Senior	Japan Championships	(10) 61.23	(9) 120.10	(9) 181.33
2014/15	Senior	Merano Cup	(1) 69.08	(1) 134.65	(1) 203.73
2014/15	Senior	CS Nebelhorn	(12) 48.99	(10) 106.71	(10) 155.70

Results: (From 2005/06 to 2013/14)

Season​	Level​	Competition​	SP​	FS​	Overall​
2013/14	Senior	Triglav Trophy	(4) 59.26	(4) 123.80	(3) 183.06
2013/14	Senior	Coupe du Printemps	(2) 60.83	(1) 123.53	(2) 184.36
2013/14	Senior	Japan Championships	(14) 64.18	(12) 127.02	(12) 191.20
2013/14	Junior	Junior GP Final	(6) 58.56	(6) 123.83	(6) 182.39
2013/14	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(4) 59.69	(2) 136.98	(3) 196.67
2013/14	Junior	JGP Minsk	(2) 66.47	(2) 131.65	(2) 198.12
2013/14	Junior	JGP Mexico	(2) 67.30	(2) 132.34	(2) 199.64
2012/13	Junior	Junior World Championships	(12) 57.71	(10) 119.14	(10) 176.85
2012/13	Senior	Japan Championships	(9) 68.28	(9) 134.02	(10) 202.30
2012/13	Junior	Junior GP Final	(4) 67.55	(3) 131.37	(3) 198.92
2012/13	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(1) 71.35	(1) 138.50	(1) 209.85
2012/13	Junior	JGP Linz	(3) 60.41	(3) 125.44	(2) 185.85
2012/13	Junior	JGP Courchevel	(2) 59.70	(3) 121.91	(3) 181.61
2011/12	Junior	Junior World Championships	(14) 56.59	(9) 124.75	(9) 181.34
2011/12	Senior	Japan Championships	(11) 60.19	(8) 128.11	(10) 188.30
2011/12	Junior	Junior GP Final	(5) 60.12	(6) 112.63	(5) 172.75
2011/12	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(6) 57.51	(1) 131.43	(1) 188.94
2011/12	Junior	JGP Brasov	(1) 61.25	(5) 113.74	(2) 174.99
2011/12	Junior	JGP Volvo	(2) 58.10	(1) 124.61	(1) 182.71
2010/11	Senior	Gardena Spring Trophy	(5) 59.22	(6) 104.29	(6) 163.51
2010/11	Senior	Japan Championships	(19) 50.80	(13) 120.90	(13) 171.70
2010/11	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(2) 58.33	(3) 104.64	(3) 162.97
2010/11	Junior	JGP SBC	(11) 49.10	(11) 104.45	(12) 153.55
2010/11	Junior	JGP Courchevel	(8) 45.65	(6) 99.03	(6) 144.68
2009/10	Senior	Japan Championships	(16) 56.15	(19) 99.24	(18) 155.39
2009/10	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(9) 51.03	(3) 96.33	(4) 147.36
2007/08	Novice	Gardena Spring Trophy	(1) 47.50	(1) 77.29	(1) 124.79
2007/08	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(10) 45.95	(10) 94.47	(10 140.42
2006/07	Novice	Mladost Trophy, Zagreb	(2) 43.44	(1) 88.58	(2) 132.02
2006/07	Junior	Japan Junior Championships	(13) 40.45	(8) 84.20	(10) 124.65
2006/07	Novice A	Japan Novice Championships	n/a	(1) 86.56	(1) 86.56
2005/06	Novice B	Japan Novice Championships	n/a	(1) 76.80	(1) 76.80

VIDEO LINKS:
2007 Yuzuru vs Ryuju II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNmtSICKX_4
2006 Yuzuru vs Ryuju
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MojGIhD3Hts

2019 Japanese Nationals SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrOsJuZdOlM
2019 Japanese Nationals FS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbU35kxP48c

2018 Japanese Nationals SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd_sXJ715QE
2018 Japanese Nationals FS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZTpBXrTTmc
2018 Challenge Cup SP+FS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7CL9UdkuuQ
2018 Challenge Cup SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-u40T42eU
2018 Iizuka Cup FP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV9LuhXhnm0

2017 Asian Open LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra-4gSPRdt0
2017 Asian Open EX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsdl9tBgMZU
2017 Bavarian Open FS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUge-LNYIMY
2017 Ondrej Nepela Trophy SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDUsquVwmKI
2017 Iizuka Cup FP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV9LuhXhnm0
2017 Japanese Nationals FS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyHDohbNRKo

2016 Japanese Nationals SP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsVD7PJcmZI
2016 Japanese Nationals FS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJBGTxOwJ8U

 

[surimi]

Thank you for starting a thread for Ryuju! He's such a nice skater and deserves his own fan thread. He is one of the oldest Japanese single skaters who still compete, and for that he has my admiration. He is on friendly terms with Yuzuru and Keiji, with whom he is the same generation.

There are not too many Ryuju videos around so don't worry about editing your OP - what's around can be added little by little. Here's one of my favorite performances by him, from JNats where he placed 7th and got emotional: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfzRsFL2PTA My other fave is his Boheme from two seasons ago, but I cannot find the one performance of it I really liked (Finlandia).

Little known fun facts:
- from what I've stumbled upon, Ryuju is probably the biggest talent at foreign languages among the Japanese skaters of late. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think he speaks not only English and Russian, but learns also Italian, Spanish and German! That's very impressive. I want him to become an interviewer at skating events held in Japan, to interpret and interview skaters. He'd be a star at pronouncing their names!
- his father is Russian, and his middle name is Fyodor. Hence also his nickname 'Fei' among Japanese fans and his skating friends.
- I think he's originally from Tokyo but IIRC he lives in Osaka and trains in Nagoya. I think he has a brother.
- I think he trains at Chukyo university, and unless he's left, I think he also trains at Howa Sportsland in Nagoya. He used to work there too, I don't know if he still does.
- he's revealed his FP for this season is 'Gettysburg'. Very original choice!

 

[rRainbow]

Thanks, surimi for providing more information.
I'll add links to his videos, etc. later when I have time.

He has an older brother by the name of Koojun Hino(日野 公純 ひの こうじゅん), who is a graduate of Tokyo University Graduate School, the most prestigious university in Japan and he had a job lined up, but instead of accepting a job offer he surprised everybody by choosing a career of rakugo (落語 らくご）storyteller in May, 2019. Rakugo is a Japanese traditional art form in which an entertainer sits on stage and tells a comical story. This is Ryuju's brother's bio. https://rakugo-kyokai.jp/variety-entertainer/member_detail.php?uid=459

 

[rRainbow]

An interview with Ryuju on Quadruple Axel 2020 (June 18, 2020) available from these online sellers.
USA: https://www.amazon.com/フィギュアスケート男子...3658516&sprefix=quadruple+axel,aps,308&sr=8-1
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/フィギュアスケート...&sprefix=quadruple+ax,digital-text,215&sr=1-1

Translation excerpts:

--As the government declared a state of emergency I’m afraid it is affecting your skating practice. Tell us your current situation.
R: My home rink is temporarily closed, and I cannot practice on ice, so I’m doing what I can do at home. There are so many workouts to do that I have to think more carefully than usual about what I need to do.

--Last year you worked out to strengthen your body following the menus your trainer made for you.
R: Yes, I follow the same menus and also add some more which I think are necessary.

--What are these additional workouts?
R: I have an exercise bike at home and I pedal at a higher intensity. I also use spinner equipment to spin. I have to work on muscles such as leg muscles and inner muscles to maintain my endurance and explosive power.

--You may feel less motivated sometimes. At such times what do you do?
R: I think every skater loses motivation once in a while, but I think at such times those who hold out will be winners. I fire myself up so that I will be on the winners’ side.

--Other than working out, how do you spend your days?
R: I watch movies and read books. Also, I learn foreign languages using mobile applications.

--You continue learning Russian and English, which you mentioned before.
R: In addition to these, I’m learning Italian, Spanish, French, and German as well. Since there are many similar words it is easy to expand my knowledge and connect languages together. Actually I wanted to learn Portugese but there was no application to learn it, so I gave up for now. Usually my life revolves around skating, but I want to try doing various things now (laughs). I think it’s okay to spend days like that during my lifetime.

.... to be continued

 

[rRainbow]

Part 2

--I see you’re living fulfilling days making the most of the current situation. Next, please tell us how you think about this season.
R: I was doing better in the first half of the season. Now that the season is over, I thought carefully of reasons why I could not keep up the momentum for the rest of the year. I would like to build on my experience next season.

--After the Western Sectionals things seem to have changed. (t/n: see updated OP for 19-20 results) Can you think of some reasons?
R: After the Sectionals I increased the practice volume and intensities. But I could not make good use of it and I couldn’t properly recover from fatigue. Therefore, next season I want to prepare myself early on to build physical strength to be fully competitive throughout the season. I want to avoid making the same mistake.

--What did you think about your placement (13th) at the Japanese Nationals?
R: I think it reflects my current true ability. Of course I regret that I couldn’t do better, but I have to accept that the Japanese Nationals gave me the opportunity to face reality. I feel disappointed with the result, but I should use that to motivate myself to improve next season.

--What are you going to work on to improve?
R: There are three things: to expand my jumps; to be able to glide more effortlessly; and to improve spins for higher difficulty levels as well as increasing rotational speed. Especially I want to attempt a quad, otherwise I will definitely regret not trying. This is one thing I am determined to accomplish.

.... to be continued

 

[rRainbow]

Part 3

--I understand you have a quad toe loop. How is it lately?
R: Well, I think it rotates enough, so I want to continue training it after the rink reopens. I noticed recently that up to triple jumps I rotate more doing the flip, so I may add a new type when I train quad. Either way, I will keep working hard on quad no matter what.

--You said you were aiming to spin faster. Do you work out on the spinner you mentioned before for that purpose?
R: No, Rather, spinner is used to help me improve jumps. Once you’re on the spinner, if you cannot maintain your posture, you cannot keep spinning. Therefore it helps you improve jump air position, because you cannot land a jump cleanly if you go off the rotational axis. I consider the spinner an important tool for jump training as it helps me learn how to sustain my tight air position.

--When did you start using the spinner?
R: I’ve had it since I was in elementary school, but I’ve been spending more time on it during this self-isolation period. It helps me spin on ice faster, so I intend to continue training with it.

--Thank you very much for the valuable story. I would like to ask you about your programs next season.
R: I’m planning to keep “Symphony No. 3 (with Organ)” for the short, but I’ll have a new free program. Next season I’ll skate to “Gettysburg.” This is the music I’ve always wanted to skate to, and in the past I’ve been waiting to see when the time is ripe; I kept wondering “Is it too soon?” and “Should I do it now?” but I had not had enough courage to decide until recently. My feeling about it is so strong that it took me quite a lot of courage to make up my mind.

--You felt “At last, the time has come.”?
R: Yes, exactly..

--Many skaters have skated to it. Who do you remember well?
R: The American skater, Todd Eldredge is most memorable. Among Japanese skaters there are Takahito Mura, Tomoyuki Koriyama, Kento Nakamura who was my senior at Jingu (Meiji Jingu Gaien Ice Skating Rink in Tokyo), and Takuya Kondoh. Also, Kohei Yoshino who is my current choreographer skated to it during his competitive career.

.... to be continued to the last part

 

[rRainbow]

Last Part
--You said you would keep the short, and I would like to know why.
R: Because people around me liked (Symphony No. 3) “Organ” very much. Besides, I regret I could not skate my best at Japanese Nationals so I wanted to make it a better program. First, I want to review the program as a whole and then I’ll aim to perfect every move. I want to add more intensity as well as softness to the program to make it more profound.

--I am looking forward to it. Please tell us your next year’s goal and also any issues to work on.
R: Rather than trying to skate clean early in the season, I want to go all out with no fear of failure. In the past I had a tendency to somehow pursue perfection, but I now want to be an insatiable fighter. I will do my best aiming for spots in international competitions.

--Did you know that your brother became a professional rakugo storyteller?
R: He was studying in graduate school and went through job hunting and had a job offer but could not give up his dream to be a rakugo performer (t/n: comic story teller). Before telling our parents he wanted to start his rakugo career by becoming an apprentice of his mentor, he had asked me for advice. I encouraged him right away, and our parents gave him their blessing by saying “Your life, your choice.” My parents have been supportive of me as well and helped me continue skating for such a long time, and I’m truly indebted to them.

--I understand your older brother used to be a figure skater when he was little.
R: We practiced together at Citizen Rink and Jingu Rink until he went to middle school. Then he decided to devote himself to studies and had been studying hard. He is much smarter than I and a hard worker and I’m no match for him (laughs).

--Thank you for sharing your great story. Now, to conclude our talk, please give your fans a few words.
R: It looks like people are speculating on my status, but I am working hard to keep competing next year. I chose “Gettysburg” for the free with my considerable determination to get into competition. I will try as hard as I can, and I would really greatly appreciate it if you would root for me more than ever.

THE END

 

[surimi]

Thank you for the excerpt translations! I hope Ryuju manages to achieve his goal of getting an international assignment. The line of great Japanese male skaters who hope for the same is long, but if he manages to nail his programs, it's definitely possible. I'll be rooting for him.

I wonder why he says there are no apps to study Portuguese? Duolingo offers a Portuguese course for free. Maybe he doesn't want to learn it in English?

One recommendation if he wants to be an 'insatiable fighter'. Maybe he should add working on his overall bearing/expression for the start. It shouldn't be difficult at all, yet it makes a world of difference in the impression one gets from his programs. I like Ryuju, but one thing that I find frustrating about him is that he doesn't emote a lot (still less smile during a performance), and that when he finishes his skate, no matter if he skates well or not, he always has a tragic expression on his face, and you wonder if he's about to start smiling or crying. It's frustrating for me as a fan to watch, and I cannot imagine how the judges feel about it. I wonder if he would get better PCS if he emoted more, and stopped looking like Greek tragedy personified right after the final pose. Especially when there's no reason for that.

 

[rRainbow]

I think he is a very sensitive and emotional person, and this season we may be able to see new bolder Ryuju who does not keep his emotions inside, as he seems to be more driven and fearless.

 

[KiraraChin]

I saw on Twitter that Ryuju is going to be featured on a dance magazine!
https://twitter.com/dancemag_jp/status/1288341131760033792
Not sure if that guy with him is his brother?

 

[rRainbow]

Thanks, Kirara, for the twitter info. Yes, the guy with Ryuju is his brother by the rakugo stage name of 古今亭菊一 (Kikuichi Kokontei). The tweet says that the siblings were influenced by their mother and grew up watching ballet. They once watched (Sylvie) Guillem's bolero in the front row.

 

[surimi]

So they're not actually featured in the magazine? Their mum must be a big ballet fan, or maybe a former dancer herself? So nice to see some Ryuju news anyway, thanks for the find and the translation!

 

[rRainbow]

Yes, indeed Hino brothers will be featured in September issue of "Dance" magazine. Seems like it is a monthly ballet magazine in which every month they feature an interview entitled 「ダンス大好き！」(I love dance!) with a guest who is a big ballet fan.

 

[KiraraChin]

Thanks, rRainbow for the explanation! I bet this interview will be very interesting.
On a side note, if any non-Japanese Ryuju fan wants to understand a bit more about rakugo (his brother's profession), there is a really nice anime series about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descending_Stories:_Showa_Genroku_Rakugo_Shinju

 

[surimi]

Thanks for keeping us updated! I had no idea Ryuju and his brother liked dance so much.
I was pleased to find he's been kind of active on Twitter recently (well, compared to last year that is). It seems he posted some sort of warning story about forgetfulness yesterday? https://twitter.com/Vnagar_juna/status/1288782715509121027 He forgot a card with his personal data in a store or something?
Anyhow, seems there was a happy ending, and it's no nice to read fans call him a celebrity ^ ^
I hope he posts a snippet of his new program eventually. Does anyone know if he still trains at Howa and Chukyo?

 

[rRainbow]

Thanks for keeping us updated! I had no idea Ryuju and his brother liked dance so much.
I was pleased to find he's been kind of active on Twitter recently (well, compared to last year that is). It seems he posted some sort of warning story about forgetfulness yesterday? https://twitter.com/Vnagar_juna/status/1288782715509121027

He said that he had used a copier at a convenience store 2-3 weeks before to make a copy of his health insurance card in order to apply for the coronavirus financial aid. He then said the previous day he remembered he had forgotten the health insurance card on the copier and hurried to the store. Fortunately they had kept it for him.

To give you a little background, Japanese government approved handing out 100,000 yen per household to citizens and permanent residents of Japan as part of their coronavirus relief package, but a qualified recipient has to apply for this benefit. In Japan Health insurance cards are widely used as ID, so a stolen card can be misused once stolen. Ryuju was lucky someone found it and turned it in to the store.

As to where he practice, I'm guessing he goes to Howa and Chukyo unless he has changed his training environment.

 

[rRainbow]

Q&A: Quadruple Axel 2020 (6/18/2020) Translation:

Q: Describe your personality
Ryuju: I have type AB blood (t/n: see this theory) and people often tell me that I have dual personalities. But I have more than dual personalities since I get easily influenced by a lot of things and go with the flow.

Q: If you were an animal what would you be?
Ryuju: Doubutsu Uranai (animal fortune telling) says I am a deer, but I am a boar by Chinese Zodiac. Since I'm a guy I wish I were a cheetah or lion [laughter].

Q: What was the most nerve-racking incident in your life?
Ryuju: Junior Nationals in summer when I was in the third year of middle school. The previous season I missed the cut at Eastern Sectionals and I also got injured in the middle of the season and had to sit out the rest of the season. It was the first competition after I came back and during the 6-minute warmup I tried to fix my shoelace but my hands were so shaky that I struggled to tie them. I still remember that very well.

Q: What do your costumes mean to you?
Ryuju: Each costume plays an important role in helping the program make a good impression. Take my programs for example, “Carmen” is red, “Robin Hood” is green, and “Matrix” is black and green. These are examples of symbolic colors used in costumes. Or sometimes I pick polar opposite colors. I try to pick colors which are effective for the program. My favorite costume is “Armenian Rhapsody.”

Q: Right after you come back from overseas competition, what food do you crave the most?
Ryuju: Rice ball. Especially I love salmon rice balls and as soon as I arrive at Centrair (Nagoya) airport I buy some at a convenience store.

Q: If you had not chosen to be a skater, what would you be doing?
Ryuju: I have no doubts that I would be playing some sports. Probably I would be playing soccer or ping pong which I used to play with my father when I was a child.

 

[surimi]

Thank you Rainbow!
Doubutsu Uranai is right, he absolutely is a deer, down to the sad-looking big eyes. Of course he'd want to be a lion, but I am afraid Sota has first dibs there, since he's closer in terms of personality (and Keiji is the closest to a lion of them all!).
Ryuju and Mitsuki are both rice fans I see. ^ ^
Armenian Rhapsody was not only his best costume, but also his best program IMO. I just don't understand why he'd go for sad things like organ music that only work as long as you nail your elements, otherwise they feel like watching a funeral. Quidam was a good program too, and look at the success he had with those. I still hope Ryuju picks Indian-themed music one day.
Yes, anyone who's seen Ryuju's Twitter does not doubt his love for soccer. ^ ^

 

[rRainbow]

An old Nikkan Gendai article on Ryuju (9/23/2018) entitled “Figure Skater Ryuju Hino’s favorite dish is a sunny-side-up egg over rice bowl”:
https://www.nikkan-gendai.com/articles/view/life/238132
Translation:

Part 1

Born to Russian father and Japanese mother, Hino started figure skating when he was in elementary school, and has been recognized as a promising skater due to his good looks and skating ability. He won the 2012 Japanese Junior Nationals and won bronze at Junior Grand Prix Final in the same year. Yuzuru Hanyu at his age is his friend and good rival as well. He still sends a message of support to Hanyu before his competition. Hino moved from Tokyo to Aichi when he entered high school because he wanted to train under a good coach. Since then he has been practicing in Aichi.

 

[rRainbow]

Part 2
https://www.nikkan-gendai.com/articles/view/life/238132/2

His favorite food is a sunny-side-up egg over a rice bowl. It all started with Eiko Hara’s anime “Atashinchi (my family)”. When he saw the scene of a character eating a york of the sunny-side-up egg covering a bowl of rice, he wanted to try.

“I always put an over-easy sunny-side-up egg on a bowl of rice and add a little soy sauce. I put a chopstick at the center of the yolk and pour a little soy sauce there. I tried it and it was so tasty. Before competition my mother comes over from Tokyo to help me and she cooks various dishes for me. A sunny-side-up egg helps me feel at ease the most,” he said.

Rice has been his favorite food from before.

He continued, “When I was a child I ate milk porridge at every meal. It’s like Russian kasha. Rice was cooked in a little sweetened milk, and served with strawberry jam and butter. Sometimes rice was replaced by buckwheat seeds. There were times we had Russian stew “borscht soup” on the table, and we often had my father’s hometown dishes.”