Yuzuru Hanyu BR: P&G Yuzu Days (2017.07): Yuzuru’s Private Life, Part 1 “Life in Toronto, Canada”

Yuzu loves nature, (continues to) expound at length about earphones, doesn’t care about fashion, and talks about his gratitude toward his mother, superwoman and an integral part of Team Yuzu :’) – gladi.

Five years since he moved to Toronto, Canada during springtime when he was 17. Hanyu-senshu who feels a sense of fulfillment every day he is able to train and be stimulated by working hard alongside fellow competitors at the top level in the world. How does he spend his time in private? Over two posts, Yuzu Days will report about his everyday life and how he spends his off time.

In YUZURU’S PRIVATE LIFE (Part 1), he talks about his life in Canada, what he carries around and what he wears normally, and what he eats.

Life in Canada

–––– From Sendai, where you lived together with the entire family, to Toronto, Canada with your mother. To Hanyu-senshu, what’s your impression of Toronto as a place to live?

YH Toronto has abundant nature and it is beautiful. Even in a residential area, I am surrounded by many big trees as if in a forest, and I think, “Ahh~today is a beautiful day too~” Although Sendai, said to be the "City of Trees,” has lots of nature as well, it wasn’t as immersed in nature as [Toronto]. Now when I am curious about a plant, I’ll ask my mother, “This flower…what is it?” and so forth. Many flowers unseen in Japan are in bloom here, and I often find squirrels and small birds like robins as well. Being able to live surrounded by nature, somehow it’s just very relaxing, and I think it’s great!

Personal belongings and fashion

–––– What you carry around and what you wear bring out the everyday you. What are the contents of the bag you’re always carrying, and can you talk about what you wear?

YH When I travel for competition, I carry my game [console], earphones, music player, portable speaker, and also self care items, such as the massage ball, all in a huge backpack. Especially with earphones, I am fixated to the extent of cramming and bringing however many pairs––at first I was just looking for pairs in shapes that don’t come off during sports, and selecting based on the form factor. But in the process of trying out a variety [of earphones], it was interesting that each model had its respective merits in terms of sound quality and I got obsessed. Now I have more than 50 pairs. There are times when I want to hear the untreated sound exactly as it is, and times when I want to raise my spirits. For example, "today I want clean, bright trebles that sparkle,” or “this sense of pounding bass going ‘don-don’ is great”, or “I want a mild, warm sound”… Depending on how I feel at the moment and the usage, I differentiate and pick the pair from my collection.

(cont. about fashion)

I’m not so interested about trends in fashion. If you say which is it, my emphasis is on functionality. I wear jerseys a lot in practice, so I’m particular about the stretchability [of the fabric] and whether it feels good on my skin. For example, in normal training, it is about thin but durable materials that can withstand a lot of stretching. When I’m traveling in flight, there are times when it is cold, so I pick thicker but, at the same time, breathable fabrics. I rarely go shopping since I came to Toronto, so I [ask / listen to] stylists during photoshoots and do my research online, and I’m always just looking for things that feels comfortable on.

About his dietary life

–––– In Toronto where eating habits are different, in order to create stamina and for the sake of body conditioning, how do you eat? What are your thoughts and feelings toward your mother who supports your dietary life?

YH My mother always cooks for me in Toronto. She would always ask, “what do you want to eat today?” Because she understands that, based on my physical condition at the time, the things that I can eat and the the things that I can’t would differ. She makes food that is easy for me to eat during that particular phase, while also keeping nutritional balance in mind––she made yakiniku (t/n: Japanese grilled meat) so that I can build physical strength, for example––and I am really grateful for that. My mother had to wake up even in the middle of the night when there was need to get in touch with Japan, which is in a different time zone. Speaking English all the time when abroad. Accompanying me to practice. And more. All of which I think are extremely exhausting. Not only physically, but also mentally tiring. Because, although I can take breaks and rest, there is no rest for my mother. But––and perhaps only I think so––but I feel that my mom, too, is fighting alongside me, with me. I’m truly thankful to my mother who supports all aspects of my life in Toronto.