Hanyu Yuzuru to bring new ice show "notte stellata" to home prefecture Miyagi in March
The show, to be held from 10–12 March, will commemorate the 12th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster (11 March 2011), which devastated Hanyu's hometown of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture.
Figure Skating
Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Hanyu Yuzuru is returning home to Miyagi Prefecture.
The Japanese star, who grew up in Sendai City and was displaced by the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster of 11 March 2011, is bringing his professional ice show "notte stellata" to his home prefecture to mark the catastrophe's 12th anniversary.
"Notte stellata", which is Italian for "starry night", is said to come from the starry night above Miyagi in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.
Hanyu himself remembers in a video teaser for his show: "The stars were beautiful on the day of the earthquake. It was pitch black with a starry sky on 11 March. I could feel a light of hope."
The skater told Japanese media that this was his way of giving back to the Tōhoku region of Japan most severely affected by the disaster.
"Until now, on 11 March, I was only able to make comments (and not perform). Even if I wanted to perform, it was difficult to find opportunities to perform or deliver something for everyone.
"However, because I am now a professional skater, I feel like I can finally perform on an important day and I feel like I can't do so until 11 March," he said in an interview with My Navi News.
Hanyu's "notte stellata" show schedule and venue
The event will be held over three days, from 10–12 March 2023, at the Miyagi Sekisui Heim Super Arena (Grande 21).
On Friday 10 March, the show will begin at 17:00 local time, while over the weekend of Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March, each day's event begins an hour earlier at 16:00 local time.
Who will perform in Hanyu's "notte stellata" ice show?
In addition to Hanyu himself, the show's website lists appearances from other skaters including Hanyu's former choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne, former training mate Jason Brown, and other fellow Japanese skaters.
They are:
- Jason Brown (USA)
- Shae-Lynn Bourne Turok (Canada)
- Miyahara Satoko
- Suzuki Akiko
- Tanaka Keiji
- Mura Takahito
- Hongo Rika