The ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu Notete Stellata", led by Yuzuru Hanyu (30), a professional skater from Sendai who won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, opened on the 7th at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture. With 11 days to go since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which he himself was affected by, he performed the legendary program "SEIMEI" in collaboration with Kyogen master Mansai Nomura (58), dancing with a wish for the souls of those who died in the disaster to his hometown. This is the third consecutive year that the ice show has been held. The performance will run until the 9th.

Yuzuru Hanyu's legendary program was elevated to a new dimension by fusing it with Kyogen. The venue was also used as a morgue at the time of the earthquake. Abe no Seimei, played by Mansai Nomura, summoned Yuzuru Hanyu as a spirit of martial arts, saying the words "heaven, earth, man." As Seimei and the spirit of martial arts performed a dynamic performance, they completed a pentagram on the ice, soothing the spirit.

"SEIMEI" is the free program that won him consecutive Olympic gold medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. When he was creating the program 10 years ago, he had the opportunity to talk to Mansai Nomura, the kyogen performer who played Abe no Seimei in the movie "Onmyoji," and received advice from him.

An unusual collaboration that has come to fruition after 10 years. Hanyu reflected, "I was incredibly nervous. With SEIMEI, I felt a certain dignity behind me, and I was under pressure to never make a mistake. I was so nervous that I thought I was at the Olympics." He continued, "I've had a lot of experience, and I've been involved in a lot of activities as a professional, so I tried my best to stand on the same stage, speak from the same perspective, and be on the same level. I tried to be on my guard and to challenge them as a professional skater. Speaking of myself, I feel that I am still a novice after stepping firmly into the professional world, the world of expression, and I feel that it is an honor to collaborate with someone who has inherited the traditional Japanese arts and is particularly outstanding in the arts, and I feel that I need to have the appropriate skating and artistry for that. I felt this very strongly from the rehearsals. I'd say today's performance was about 50 points. I was really nervous."

Mansai said with a smile, "It's the song that won him the medal, which can be considered a milestone for him. I'm honored to have been involved in such an important song." He then said of Hanyu as an artist, "I'm happy to see him growing into a reliable person. I myself believe that I am living my life with the traditional culture of Japan on my shoulders. In his own case, he is carrying something very big on his shoulders. In that sense, I think it's wonderful that he has gone beyond the boundaries of a public figure, or simply an individual activity. It was a wonderful show that condensed his will, ideas and actions that go beyond his skating. I think that professionally, Yuzuru Hanyu will continue to accomplish even more of what he is capable of." He narrowed his eyes.