#tokyo university of science

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Scientists pioneer novel heat-to-electricity conversion in semimetal WSi₂

Thermoelectric materials, which convert heat into electricity, are valuable tools for capturing waste heat and turning it into usable electricity. These materials are especially useful in industries and vehicles where engines produce a lot of waste heat, improving energy efficiency by converting it into additional power. They also exhibit potential for portable power generation, in remote sensors and satellites where traditional power sources may be impractical. Traditional thermoelectric devices, known as parallel thermoelectric devices, generate a voltage in the same direction as the heat flow. These devices typically use two types of parallel materials, namely p- and n-type, which generate voltages in opposite directions. By connecting them in series, a stronger voltage can be generated. However, this also leads to a greater number of contact points, which increase electrical resistance and consequently, power loss. In contrast, transverse thermoelectric devices do something unique: they generate electricity perpendicular to the heat flow.

Read more.

[kiichilog]

2023.7.16 日光植物園

アキアカネと夏の花 キレンゲショウマ、クサアジサイ、ヒヨドリバナ、ウマノミツバ

[synthetic-soul]

Professor Shoji Takeuchi and his team at the University of Tokyo's Biohybrid Systems Laboratory have developed lab-grown synthetic self-healing living skin for use on robotic components

Professor Shoji Takeuchi and his team have also developed a new technique to attach the skin to the surface by creating “anchors” using a collagen gel applied to small V-shaped holes on the robotic surface. The new method provides a more seamless and durable attachment.

[tetsuyasogo]

February 9, 2025: Attended the OB/OG Meeting of Waseda University’s Ohno Laboratory, held at Hilton Tokyo. The event also served as a celebration of Professor Ohno’s 30th anniversary as a professor. It was a grand meeting with a large number of alumni in attendance. I enjoyed engaging conversations with people excelling in various fields and the nostalgic reunions.

In Professor Ohno's laboratory, research is conducted on practical applications from a financial perspective of businesses, focusing on identifying and solving issues in fields such as marketing, general management, and finance.

Additionally, great emphasis is placed on enhancing fundamental knowledge and communication skills essential for professionals and business leaders. Graduates of the laboratory have gone on to excel in a wide range of fields, including consulting, corporate management, and as certified public accountants.

Furthermore, Professor Ohno has held key positions in the university’s international and academic affairs departments, contributing to Waseda University's globalization and educational system reforms.

[takmiblog]

「希望学」始めます

　社会の問題���考えようとするとき、これまで希望は前提でした。希望、それはすなわち欲望や目的となり、その欲望や目的を所与として、消費、進学、就業、結婚、出産などが実行されると、社会科学では考えてきました。しかし現在、その前提自体が揺らいでいます。

　進歩、発展、成長、近代化。そんな言葉を信じられる時代がありました。個人が何を欲し、何を目的として生き、社会がどこに向かっているかについて、はっきりと先行きが見えているかに思える、そんな時代でした。そのころ、学問を含む様々な社会的言説もまた、「希望はいつでも存在する」ことを暗に想定していました。しかし、今や、そのような想定が失われつつあるのです。

（中略）人はどのようにして希望を持ち、そして失うのか。希望は社会とどのような関わりを持つのか。希望学は、社会のなかでの希望の意味とありかについて、一人ひとりが探求するための科学的プロジェクトです。私たちは社会科学者として、事実の積み重ねを通じて、希望について考えていきます。

東京大学社会科学研究所 希望学プロジェクトチーム

(https://project.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/hope-archive/outline.html)

[wildtokyo-jp]

この秋から都内の国立大学で初めての非常勤講師を担当しています。講義の準備は想像以上のタスクですが、毎回鋭くなっていく学生たちのコメントに必死で答える時間は、大きな充実感があります。今週でちょうど半分、「科学コミュニケーション」の最前線の一つとして、私自身学びを得る機会としたいものです。

今回は動物学の様々なトピックを扱う講義ですが、結局そこに通底する ◯進化は集団内の遺伝子頻度の変化 ◯進化は目的も方向性もなく「進歩」ではない ◯個体は種のために生きているのではない ◯生物の理屈と人間の理屈を安易に同一視すべきでない ということを、手をかえ品をかえ話し続けている気がします。

[falseandrealultravival]

Japanese Central Government Agency(4) Ministry of the Environment

Coordinating agency of other ministries. There are many jobs to protect endangered species, but what's the point of giving sympathy to creatures that humans have caused extinction?

Also, many graduates of the environmental science course at the University of Tokyo Faculty of Engineering,Department of Urban Engineering, which I graduated from, find employment at the Ministry of the Environment, but they have not properly learned about their specialty, "water problems." Therefore, we accept the fraudulent act of SDGs advocated by the United Nations as correct. (Among the 17 SDGs, acceptance of the wrong technology of flushing toilets.)

Rei Morishita

日本の中央官庁（４）環境省

他の省庁の利害調整官庁。絶滅危惧種の保護の仕事が多いが、人間が絶滅を仕向けた生物に、今更情けをかけて何になる。

また、環境省には、私の出身である東京大学工学部都市工学科環境科学コースの卒業者が多く就職するが、専門の「水問題」を正しく学んでいない。それで国連の提唱するSDGｓという詐欺行為を、正しいものだと受け入れる。（SDGs17項目のうち、水洗トイレという誤った技術の受容。）

[bowtiepasta]

contents: twitter profiles and shoko’s phone, slight violence, language, crude, stsg crumbs. -> california dreamin ♪

moodboard ♡ series masterlist ♡ next chapter

bulletin board, check after every chapter!

majors are forensic science for shoko, compsci for gojo, film and digital media for geto. <- same major as yn, communications for haibara. <- campus celebrity btw

haibara is friends with 80% of the student body because he’s a social butterfly and switches clubs every semester

story is set in tokyo university, abbreviated TU or TOKYO U

the graduating years are irrelevant, but all of them are adults. ‘26 is there on haibara’s page for stylistic flair and whimsy

stsg are sharing a phone because of an accident in the port a potty by the arts building about three months ago at the twelfth hour. they refuse to tell anyone what actually happened so everyone has heard a different retelling

where are the latinas was a suguru tweet

shoko and satoru will sometimes walk or carpool to class together since their classes are in the same area of campus

suguru and haibara share a dorm and toru is a leech. for fun

thank you mar & dj for helping me on call w this ily guys

tags @cryoarm @luvvcho @kawaiitoga @2uyi @adoresugu @shokosbunny @skzhoiic @jinxiewritings @prettyboysunoo @kissunday @penguinotapioca @gojoluverrr @uzumakioden @linaaeatsfamilies @17020 @tlfafwhahhh @jelxqa

© bowtiepasta: do not copy edit or repost anywhere

[mindblowingscience]

A sealed rock fracture almost 50 feet below ground has remained home to microbes for the last 2 billion years—the oldest life ever discovered in such conditions. The nearly 1-foot sample, excavated beneath South Africa’s Bushveld Igneous Complex, predates the previous microbial record-holders by as much as 1.9 billion years. The finding could help researchers better understand the earliest stages of evolutionary life not just on Earth, but on Mars, as well. The findings, published October 2 in the journal Microbial Ecology, come from a team at the University of Tokyo’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, who confirmed the previous oldest known lifeforms in 2020. “We didn’t know if 2-billion-year-old rocks were habitable… so this is a very exciting discovery,” Yohey Suzuki, study lead author and an associate professor in the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science, said in a statement on Thursday.

Continue Reading.

[onlyjaeyun]

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 — 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒

⤥ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

⤥ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬!𝐀𝐔

⤥ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐀 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞, 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧��𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤.

|| 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐘𝐍: 23 year old economics major, lives with her younger half brother, former prof. ice skater, works as a barista at her best friend's café, born in Japan but moved to SK at the age of 4 after her mother's death, barely any contact to her father, also works little jobs like dog-/baby sitting and tutoring to save the money (faceclaim: @/yooxseo on IG!!!)

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍: 23 year old marketing major, also a former prof. ice skater, works as an intern at a company's PR department, coaches the university's hockey team, no contact with his father, shares an apt. with jaeyun and lives in the same building as the nishimuras and heejay

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐈: 18 year old computer science major, in his freshman year, the hockey team's youngest player, got an athletic scholarship but doesn't plan on going pro, was born in Japan but moved to SK when he was less than a year old, however went to boarding school in JPN, works as an intern in a company's IT department

𝐅𝐔𝐊𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐈 𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈: 23 year old owner of the café 'little tokyo', born and raised in japan until she moved to SK bc of her mother's new BF when she was 12, y/n's best friend since elementary school, cat mom

𝐍𝐀 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍: 25 year old application analyst, former hockey captain, lives alone, y/n's boyfriend of two years, lowkey a douchebag, hates all of her friends, mad toxic

𝐒𝐈𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐔𝐍: 23 year old computer science major in his senior year, one of the hockey team's defensemen, hoonie's roomie and bestest friend, used to live next door to the nishimuras, works with riki

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄����𝐍𝐆: 24 year old international business major, jay's roomie, 1/3 of hoonie's childhood besties, the hockey team's center, works at the same company as hoonie but in a diff department

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆: 23 year old business major, seungie's roomie, 2/3 of hoonie's childhood bffs, one of the hockey team's defensemen, y/n's study buddy, also works at the same company as hoonie

𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐎𝐎: 21 year old education major, wonie's roomie, one of riki's closest (childhood) friends, hoonie's cousin, lowk y/n's adoptive child, the hockey team's left wing, works at 'little tokyo'

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐍: 20 year old education major, sunoo's roomie, riki's other closest (childhood) best friend, also works at 'little tokyo', the hockey team's goalie and captain, y/n's other adoptive child

𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐀𝐊𝐘𝐔𝐍𝐆: 23 year old communications major, hoon's FWB, used to be friends with y/n and tsuki, lowk annoying af

(A/N: LISTEN TO ME FIRST NO DONT SCOLD ME HEAR ME OUT OR I'LL CRY 🙏🏼🥺 i am posting the profiles now bc they take the most time and this is lit the last day where i'll have this much time to do anything so pls believe me when i say im gonna take my break starting today i SWEAR 🤕 anyway, thank you guys SO much for all the love and support. can't wait for this journey with you all. feedback is always appreciated!!!🧸🫧)

TAGLIST CLOSED: @soonigiri @en-happiness @lhsvibez @dammit-jjk @heerinnie @primroselover @jungwon-xo @szkstay @lostwonderwall @hoonieluv @certifiedmoa @doodlelibrary @ikeuizm @kpoprhia @sleeping-demons @jongszn @imtoanonymousforyou @lalalovejay @ineedsomezzz @xrr-s4sha @ariadores @viagumi @electrobutterfly @mimikittysblog @blurryriki @heelcvr @wonkifangirl @joonzseoulmate @kwiwin @hoondiors @seuomo @zerasari @love-you-twice @aloverga @marz-mars @velvtcherie @niniissus @abrazosolorcereza @ddazed-lhs @acphengene @sunasbl6nts @skz-streamer @kshoshi @tya0 @yizhoutv @jebetwo @myheelody @seokgyuu @blockbusterhee @l0vee-l3tters @luvkpopp

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Energy storage is an essential part of many rapidly growing sustainable technologies, including electric cars and renewable energy generation. Although lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the current market, lithium is a relatively scarce and expensive element, creating both economic and supply stability challenges. Accordingly, researchers all over the world are experimenting with new types of batteries made from more abundant materials. Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries which use sodium ions as energy carriers present a promising alternative to LIBs owing to the abundance of sodium, their higher safety, and potentially lower cost. In particular, sodium-containing transition-metal layered oxides (NaMeO2) are powerful materials for the positive electrode of Na-ion batteries, offering exceptional energy density and capacity. However, for multi-element layered oxides composed of several transition metals, the sheer number of possible combinations makes finding the optimal composition both complex and time-consuming. Even minor changes in the selection and proportion of transition metals can bring about marked changes in crystal morphology and affect battery performance.

Read more.

[kxttqi]

ノ [00] INTROS (t. oikawa x f!reader)

fic m.list . next

+ content: swearing, suggestive, angst, fluff, crack, kys/kms jokes, manga spoilers for timeskip

i fucked up kageyama’s jersey number (he’s #20) and i also fucked up y/n’s jersey number (#12 is taken by shoko hirugami) haha oops

guys i beg ignore the microsoft emojis its a long story 😢😢

nonchalantly living life 🥱

y/n:

goes to the university of tokyo after graduating from niiyama joshi and majors in film production. also plays as the starting setter for the division 1 team, hikari pharmaceutical red rabbits.

tobio kageyama:

both of you were invited to the all-japan youth camp in your first year of high school and met each other during dinner on the first day. you remained in touch after the camp and eventually became close friends.

hitoka yachi:

you were introduced to her in your second year of high school by kageyama and became friends. both of you share a lot of the same classes in university. you two are on a trip to brazil together to visit hinata and get some inspiration for a film project.

yuu nishinoya:

your inseparable platonic soulmate. the bestest of besties. not a single day passed without talking to each other after kageyama introduced you to him in high school.

shoyo hinata:

he caught your eye in high school when watching karasuno’s matches and kageyama frankly would NOT shut up about him. became good friends pretty quickly.

kei tsukishima:

finds you tolerable

ethically sourced slut + da boys

tooru oikawa:

plays for CA san juan, and is currently visiting brazil.

hajime iwaizumi:

currently in irvine, studying sports science at uci

mattsukawa:

silly #1

makki:

silly #2

© kxttqi — do not repost, copy, translate or steal my works without permission.

[gooner-media]

Goo.ner Media: "Real Lives, Real Stories"

The Incident: A Bold Stand Against NMCA Legislation

In an audacious and highly organized effort, five young women aged 20 to 22 from Tokyo University not only staged a mass protest against the NMCA legislation but also engaged in acts of civil disobedience that captured national attention. Their actions, while driven by a desire for change, led to severe repercussions that turned them into a public spectacle.

As a result of their conspiracy, these women now face harsh punishments. They are prohibited from wearing any tops and must adhere to the NMCA dress code, which mandates that no more than half their diapers can be covered. For the remainder of their time at university, they are permitted to wear only their diapers, backpacks, socks, and shoes. Additionally, they endure a daily public bare-bottom spanking in the center of campus for the rest of the semester.

Meet the Protesters

1. Yui Tanaka, Age 22 Yui, a sociology student, is known for her outspoken views on human rights. She led the group in not only protesting but also staging a sit-in that blocked access to a government building, demanding the repeal of the NMCA.

2. Haruka Nakamura, Age 21 Haruka, an art major, created provocative art installations that were displayed in public spaces without permission. Her works criticized the NMCA and the government's overreach, sparking significant media attention.

3. Aki Yamamoto, Age 20 Aki, a political science student, orchestrated a hacking operation that temporarily took over a government website, displaying messages against the NMCA legislation. This act of cyber protest was pivotal in their severe punishment.

4. Emi Sato, Age 22 Emi, a literature student, wrote and distributed an underground pamphlet that criticized the NMCA and called for nationwide civil disobedience. Her writings were considered seditious and led to her being heavily penalized.

5. Mei Suzuki, Age 21 Mei, a psychology major, organized unauthorized public demonstrations and utilized social media to coordinate simultaneous protests across multiple campuses, defying government orders and regulations.

Consequences

The punishment imposed on these brave women is severe and serves as a deterrent to others who might consider challenging the NMCA legislation. Their daily public spankings and strict dress code enforcement are stark reminders of the government's zero-tolerance policy towards dissent.

[daily-hyosatsu]

No kanji today, but something fun: a mimic script! This time, it's English cosplaying as Thai. The serifs(?) are so lovely. It says "Thai style mixed rice / Gakugeidaigaku Melancholy."

学芸大学 Gakugeidagaku is neighborhood named after a university, specifically, 東京学芸大学 Tokyo Gakugei University.

学芸 【がくげい】 liberal arts; arts and sciences 大学 【だいがく】 university; college

学 is new to this blog. It's read まな.ぶ or ガク. It means study or learning. It's also used as a suffix meaning science or study of ~, read ガク.

芸 is also new. It's read う.える, のり, わざ, ゲイ, or ウン. It means technique, art, craft, performance, acting, trick, or stunt.

大 is read おお, ダイ, or タイ. It means big or large.

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 778: “Hakogaku's sprinter”

Pag 1

1: Izumida-san!!

2: I'll use it

“Hurakan”!!

Pag 4

1: This year's May

2: Ibaraki Prefecture

West Tsukuba

3: Tsukushiba University, located at the foot of the sacred eastern mountain, Mount Tsukuba, at 887m above the sea level

4: In front of the second dormitory building on the campus

5: Basically, Doubashi

You mean you want to race me in a serious sprint battle...

Pag 5

1: Yes, please

This might be a weird way to say it, but

2: In Hakone Academy... among our team, there's no one who can be my opponent!!

3: Alright, then I'll gladly accept!!

4: I, Izumida Touichirou of Tsukushiba University racing club!!

First year at Tsukushiba University, department of science and engineering, former Hakone Academy captain

Pag 6

1: Former Hakone Academy ace sprinter

2: The area around the university is a town, but if you go out of it it's really easy to ride, Izumida-san

3: There's both flats and mountains, it's a good place for biking

4: Did it take long to come to Ibaraki?

5: Coming here from Kanagawa, you have to cross Tokyo, so... yeah

Honestly, I had to change so many trains...!!

Pag 7

1: Is Manami doing alright?

Yeah, he's so carefree, but sometimes he says something serious too!!... I guess?

Sounds like Manami

2: Ngh....!!

3: Dammit.... this is so fun!!

What's this!! We're just riding our bikes and talking, but I've missed this feeling!!

4: When I was a second year and Izumida-san was a third years, we practiced like this every day!!

5: Sometimes Izumida-san was the one who attacked, sometimes it was me, and we pushed each other to our limits

7: It's not the time to smile about this!! I've come here to become stronger!!

Pag 8

1: Sorry, Izumida-san!!

I got too relaxed for a moment!!

3: It's good to relax

That's important, too

5: There's as many roads to ride as we want!!

So, which one is better? You can choose

For today's menu!!

6: An easy course with a 100km run along the roads of Ibaraki and a sprint at the end

Pag 9

1: Or the hard course, cut into section, with a final sprint when we're giving our all!!

4: Of course!! The hard one!!

6: Since it's you

Pag 10

1: I knew it would come to this!!

Abs, read?

2: Go!!

Pag 11

1: Abs, abs, abs, abs, abs!!

Buoooorah!!

Pag 12

1: Buah!!

2: Doubashi!!

You've really gotten stronger!!

3: If it were you from last year, you wouldn't have been able of getting ahead on a short climb like that before!!

4: Izumida-san, you're the one who has powered up!!

I seriously think I'm gonna be torn apart right now!!

5: But this is what I wanted

Pag 13

1: An opponent to race against in a fierce and close battle!!

During that you become stronger, and move to the next stage!!

2: Abs, Doubashi!!

Rise!! With that body!!

3: More....

4: Give me more, Izumida-san!!

6: Alright, I'll show you a sprint that will make you regret those words!!

Pag 14

1: Abs!!

Come!! Masakiyo!!

2: Buooorah!!

Izumida-saaan!!

4: Today was fun

Pag 15

1: Thank you

Well, I'm beat, Izumida-san

2: In the end, I lost at the final sprint

You rode well, you drove me in a corner until then!!

3: Did you see it? Your next stage

Yeah... well, little by little, but...

4: But I'm just a little closer, I feel like I can grasp something, but I can't

5: That's because you're too serious

6: And you're an hardworker

7: You know, there are two types of “right”

Huh

Pag 16

1: There's what's socially right

And what's right for yourself

3: Rules and norms, things that must be observed when living together, are what's socially right

The other

4: are the feelings in your heart you won't give up

6: Actually, both of these are “right”

Pag 17

1: But, sometimes these two go into conflict

2: Feelings....!!

“Feelings are strength”.... Izumida-san said that before

3: When something wrong happens, you end up resorting to violence, you reflexively curse at people

However, what should be restrained is the “action”

4: Not the feelings themselves

5: If you don't like something, you can get angry

6: No but, Izumida-san, if I just blindly do that.....

7: And when you're happy

Pag 18

1: you can honestly smile

2: I got too relaxed for a moment!!

4: There's no need to deny it

Those obvious “feelings” that are boiling inside you!! You can smile because you've missed something

5: The feelings that came out amidst of your own study and research and suffering

Where is the mistakes in that?

6: Even if you took a detour, there's no lie in your hard work!!

8: Release yourself more

Lead the path of your own heart

Pag 19

1: Polish what's right for you!!

2: What's “right”.... for me....!!

3: I understood it riding together with you today

You're already good enough for the next stage

You

Pag 20

1: will become much stronger!!

Buoooo!! Smash through!! “Hurakan”!!

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.08.05] AERA x Yuzuru Hanyu: 24.8.12-19 No. 37

person in focus

"After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well."

A session with photographer Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year. In a long interview exclusive to this magazine, he talks about the ideals he pursues.

Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu

Born December 7, 1994 in Sendai. 2009 Won the Junior Grand Prix Final at age 14. 2010 Became the youngest Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships. 2011 While practicing at a rink in Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and he had to live in an evacuation shelter. The rink where he was training was temporarily closed. 2012 First participated in the World Championships, coming in third. 2013 Graduated from Tohoku High School. Enrolled in a correspondence course at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Won his first Grand Prix Final. Won four consecutive titles thereafter. 2014 First Asian gold medal in men's figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. First World Championship win. 2017 Second World Championship win. 2018 Second gold medal in men's figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2020 Won his first Four Continents Championship, becoming the first man to win all major international junior and senior competitions. 2022 Participated in the Beijing Olympics. In July, announced his professional career. The ice show "Prologue" was held in Yokohama in November and in Hachinohe in December. 2023 In February, the ice show "GIFT" was held at Tokyo Dome. In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In March and April, he appeared in the ice show "Stars on Ice" (Osaka, Iwate, Yokohama). In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Miyagi, Niigata, Kobe). In November, the ice show "RE_PRAY" tour began at Saitama Super Arena. The following year, it was held at SAGA Arena in Saga in January, Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February, and Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi in April. 2024 In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Aichi). On September 15th, he will be performing in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance Challenge" in Ishikawa Prefecture.

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It has been two years since he made a new start as a professional figure skater in the summer of 2022. In 2024, he led three successful ice shows: "RE_PRAY" (Saga, Yokohama, Miyagi performances), "notte stellata" and "Fantasy on Ice".

The shoot with Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year began with a cheerful greeting from each other, "Thank you for your continued support this year," and "Thank you." When she said to him, "You're still as young as ever!", Hanyu replied with a smile, a little embarrassed, "I'm almost 30."

"Move freely."

With those words, he made expressions and gestures as he pleased.

Various scenes were set up in the vast studio. Hanyu, who changed costumes and was photographed in each scene, moved and made expressions freely, sometimes under instructions and sometimes as if he was imagining (creating) a story himself. The people watching repeatedly let out gasps of amazement as the images were displayed one after another on the computer monitor. It was nothing short of amazing how he instantly exuded various moods - from boyish with a hint of innocence to cool and seductive.

His creativity was not limited to the way he behaved as a subject. When the BGM was played during the shoot, his body naturally responded to the music, and he also requested songs himself when he saw the costumes. There was also a moment when he saw a prop that had been set up and asked, "Do you have one more of these?" This revealed his high level of creative awareness.

The shooting has completed.

"Thank you very much," he said, and there was something light-hearted and cheerful about it. After a year, what he showed in the studio was a more mature and expressive side to him.

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Exclusive interview with this magazine

[In pursuit of a distant ideal]

He is now in his third year as a professional figure skater. Reflecting on his days of taking on unprecedented challenges, he spoke about what he has gained from them and what the future holds.

Photo: Mika Ninagawa    Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Yuzuru Hanyu, the journey continues

hair & make up: Noboru Tomizawa  styling: Masataka Hattori costume: NEEDLES    BED j.w. FORD    YUKI HASHIMOTO  prop styling: Ayumi Endo

Yuzuru Hanyu started out as a professional figure skater in 2022. In his first professional ice show, "Prologue," he performed the first solo ice show in history. He skated for nearly two hours, with a structure that richly conveyed his skating career. Following "Prologue," he then performed a solo show at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in history, "GIFT." The ice show filled the gigantic venue, which had never been seen before.  After "Prologue" and "GIFT," he held the performance "notte stellata" in March 2023, which was filled with thoughts and prayers for March 11. It has been a year since our interview last summer, following those three performances.

Changes in the "depth" of thinking

"When I was interviewed a year ago, it had just been a year since I turned professional. I had a desire to grow and learn more specialized things. In the year since then, I think that my technique, expression, and many other aspects have changed. Among them, I feel that I have had many more opportunities to think about expression. I have been thinking about expression even in my daily life. I think that the way I think about my show, the way I think about each program, the depth of those things has clearly changed." He talks about what triggered the change in the past year. "First of all, I had to spend more time thinking about writing a new ice story after GIFT and also about my own performance.” The new ice story was "RE_PRAY", under the title "ICE STORY 2nd".  It opened on November 4, 2023 at Saitama Super Arena. It was performed in Saitama for two days, on that day and the following day, and in the new year it was performed in Saga on January 12th and 14th, and in Yokohama on February 17th and 19th, for a total of six performances in three cities. After the premiere in Saitama on November 4th, Hanyu said the following. "First of all, I myself have learned from games, manga, novels, and various other sources, about what life is all about, how precious life is, and other similar things that everyone else roughly feels.

In games, the concept of life is really light in a sense, and you can repeat it, so you can use characters to do all sorts of things and push forward with curiosity. If you apply that to the real world, you might be a person who has the drive to grab hold of dreams, or conversely, from a different perspective, you might be a very terrifying person. But if you could do it all over again, I'm sure people would try it."

24 hours a day, always skating

In this story with a game motif, the question of "choice" is often depicted. We make choices in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. What if you choose a different option than the one you originally chose? Or would you choose the same option? This story asks the audience, which serves as an opportunity to reexamine their way of life. Of course, just like "Prologue" and "GIFT," the fact that this story was completed and received with overwhelming acclaim was due to the performance of Hanyu, who was the sole performer. And even after six performances, he did not try to stay in the same place. He continued to evolve. There were many evidences of this growth at the final performance of the Yokohama show, for example. The movements in the performance of "Chicken, Snake and Pig" where he moved forward as if resisting the shackles. The performance of "Megalovania", following a silent performance without music with only the sound of his edges resonating, was more integrated with the music than in previous performances. Not only in the production aspects, but also in the details of Hanyu's performance itself, there were traces of refinement here and there. After the Saga performance, Hanyu spent his days preparing more rigorously for the Yokohama performance.  "Of course, I trained and restricted my diet. Well, how should I say it, there are 24 hours in a day, but I spent the entire time on nothing else but skating. In other words, skating was always present, 24 hours a day.” "That's right. To put it simply, it felt like I was spending every day just working on 'RE_PRAY'." The reason he spent all his time facing skating was because he had regrets about the Saga performance. "After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well." However, the standards of frustration have changed from when he was a competing athlete.

Still not enough

"Gradually, the focus is shifting from scores to an evaluation. If something technical that I had planned didn't go well, then my evaluation vector changes and my perspective shifts. I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in Saga, so I was simply disappointed." After spending 24 hours focused on skating, the Yokohama performance came. After the final performance, he said, "I feel a sense of accomplishment like winning the Olympics." While he felt a sense of fulfillment, he wasn't completely satisfied. He also felt that his ability had not yet caught up with what he wanted to do. "So I feel like there are still things I need to study more. Of course, I think I'm evolving. I think I'm getting better. But I still feel like it's not enough. As I keep digging deeper and deeper, my ideals become higher, and the things I want to express are becoming more and more specific. The more my ideals become more concrete, the more I feel like I'm not catching up." He is aware that he still has areas where he needs to improve, especially in the finer details. This is something he realises now, which he didn't feel this way when he was competing in the sport. "It's impossible to realise this when you're a competitive athlete. After all, if you can jump, you win. To be honest, if you couldn’t jump, there was no point in talking about it, as the outcome of the competition was pretty much decided by how many types of quadruple jumps there are and where you put them in the program. For example, what memories do you have of this song, the background of this song, what is the story you want to express, how will the story and the song fit together, or what meaning is in the choreography, to be honest, there’s not much room to think about them. You have to complete all your technical elements in one go in the four minutes of a competition (free skate), so that's all you can focus on."

A world not in first place

Win the match. In a competition, that is set as a goal. "Since I had already achieved that, there was no way I could go any higher. If you think about it in the world of competition, I won first place, so even if I tried harder, I couldn't get any higher than first place. In other words, I just tried to see how long I could maintain that first place position.

But in the world I'm in right now, even if I think I'm in first place, it may not be. It’s a place where I can think, "I'm still at the bottom". When I look at the various works of art or technically excellent things from around the world, I feel that there are still many things I can't do, so I think that I still have a long way to go." When he moved from the world of competition, which was fixed in a sense, to a new world, it was no longer a confined space. However, whether one knows its vastness or not, whether one feels that there is an endlessly wide world out there, is up to the individual. So even though the world is infinite, some people only notice a limited space. Or, there are those who limit the space themselves.

Right now, Hanyu thinks, "I still have a long way to go." He feels like he's at the bottom. This is because he knows that the world is endlessly vast. The reason he feels this way is because he has the ambition to move forward without being content with the present. So instead of seeing the place he has arrived at as the end point, he knows that there is still space to go beyond that.

Ideals evolve

"I may have surpassed the ideal I had a year ago. But the sense of distance between me and my ideal is probably the same as it was a year ago. For example, if the distance between me and my ideal a year ago was 10 meters, it may be 10 meters, no, 11 meters now. That's how I feel. I'm living and experiencing life, I see information every day, and in the midst of that, my ideal evolves. My ideal gets further and further away. But at the same time, through what I have seen and experienced, I'm sure I’m also one step closer to my ideal." Then, after a short pause, he continued with a smile. "As long as I want to, I think I can continue for the rest of my life." The skater is still on his journey, striving towards the ideals he has built with his own will. 

Source: AERA issue 24.8.12-19 No.37, pg 9-15 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0D89L6LS2