Part 2 and 3 of the Mainichi Interview has been posted, but it's paid... the excerpts are really good though:
<From what I’ve heard, your coach, Stéphane Lambiel, seems to have quite a few appearances in this show as well?>
I think it's going to be pretty tough (laughs). I’m not sure what kind of energy level Stéphane will bring, but for me, looking at the past year, I’m pretty much focusing solely on this. When it comes to skating, this “Ice Brave” show represents my current sense of purpose. So naturally, my passion for it is strong. I wouldn’t go so far as to say, “You have to match my level of enthusiasm,” but I will definitely put a bit of pressure on him—like, “You’re at least going to do the minimum properly” (laughs).
<When we met Lambiel at the World Championships in Boston this March, and told him that Uno said, “I’m going to push him hard,” he laughed and said, “OK.”>
Ah, so you told him that (laughs). I also met him about twice over there (for my commentary work), but we didn’t have much time to talk. It was more like, “Hey, it’s been a while,” and we took a quick photo together.
Stéphane already has the skills, of course. What I’m most concerned about is his stamina (laughs). Unlike traditional shows, this one is structured with a small cast, so he’s going to have to do quite a bit. Personally, I tend to push myself to the point where I can’t move anymore—because I kind of enjoy that—but getting injured is the worst-case scenario. So, if I can avoid that...
<From what you've said so far, it sounds like you're giving your all, like it's your first year as a working adult.>
Yeah, that's true. There's the difficulty of being a working adult, and also the challenges of being someone in the public eye... Creating a show is an honor, and it's fun too. If I think about continuing this in the future, I feel like I need to increase my own value and capabilities as a producer—so that people can trust me more and feel at ease leaving things in my hands. I think that alone would make things easier for a lot of people.
I do feel a bit disappointed in myself. It’s not like I have specific regrets, like "I should have done this," but I do think there were things I could have started earlier.
<Even someone like you, Uno, has regrets?>
No, I have absolutely no regrets about my competitive career. But when it comes to how I’ve handled things as a public figure, I have tons of regrets (laughs). Especially with social media. I haven’t really done anything with it. I still don’t even fully understand how to use it. Even when it comes to promoting shows like this, the platforms I can use are limited. I’m still awkward about it, and I keep thinking, “Is this really okay...?”
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The funny thing about Shoma's regrets over social media use is that I'm pretty sure
this interview was done in the morning / afternoon of April 24, 2025 , and in the evening of that very day..........
this happened. Even Kurazawa-san tweeted that
"Shoma said in the interview that he doesn't know how to use social media... but from what I can see now, he's using it like an expert."