Triple Axel in Love: Yuzuru Hanyu’s Swift Spin from Wedding Bells to Solo Skate
Hi everyone!
I’m a huge fan of figure skating and have attended the World Championships many times. Among Japanese figure skaters, Yuzuru Hanyu stands out. Shocking news about him was reported, so I want to analyze it incorporating the opinions of average Japanese people.
On November 17, 2023, figure skating legend Yuzuru Hanyu, who married on August 4, 2023, announced his divorce after just 105 days of marriage, shocking the world. Hanyu, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, announced on his official SNS account that excessive media scrutiny and harassment had made his brief married life unbearable. This article will examine Hanyu’s meteoric rise to fame, the intense pressures he faced as a national icon, his fairytale wedding and short-lived bliss, media ethics, and the implications for his career going forward.
First, let’s look at Hanyu’s statement.
Below is an English translation of the statement issued by Yuzuru Hanyu. (I have tried my best to avoid mistranslations, but please point them out if any Japanese people find them!)
To all my supporters,
I am truly grateful for your warm words, encouragement, and support.
There is something personal that I wish to share with you.
I have married a person from the general public.
We married with the resolve to deeply respect and cherish each other.
Together, we have faced various challenges and strived to protect each other.
In this life, my partner has continued to act and support me, even when they could not step outside our home.
Currently, various media outlets have targeted not only my partner, who is a private individual, but also their family and acquaintances, as well as my own family and associates, with slander, stalking, unauthorized interviews, and reporting. We have experienced suspicious vehicles and individuals lingering around our living space and have been approached unexpectedly.
Together, we have pondered deeply and tried our best to protect each other from such situations.
However, due to my own inadequacies, it has become exceedingly difficult to continue protecting both my partner and myself in our current state, and the burden has become unbearable.
Considering the possibility that this situation may persist or, even if it improves temporarily, may recur in the future, I have decided to divorce, hoping for my partner’s happiness and a life free of limitations.
I sincerely request that the slander, unauthorized interviews, reporting, and other disturbances towards my partner, their family and acquaintances, as well as my own family and associates, cease.
Please, I ask this from the bottom of my heart.
I will continue to move forward.
I hope for your continued support.
Yuzuru Hanyu
Yuzuru Hanyu, the legendary child.
At just 28 years old, Hanyu has already etched himself into the record books as one of the all-time greats of men’s figure skating. He exploded onto the scene by winning gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics at just 19 years old. His artistic abilities and jaw-dropping jumps dazzled audiences and judges alike. Four years later, he defended his title in PyeongChang, becoming only the third back-to-back Olympic gold medalist in 66 years.
With his slim build, delicate features, and ethereal skating style, Hanyu became an unlikely heartthrob in Japan. His popularity transcended the sport, and he was one of the most recognizable and beloved celebrities in the country. This intense fame came with both rewards and costs — while he earned millions from endorsements and shows, he was also hounded mercilessly by the tabloids and could hardly make a move in public without being accosted by fans or photographers.
Throughout his career, Hanyu was famously private about his romantic life, deflecting personal questions from the press. So fans were stunned when on August 4th, 2022, he announced his engagement and imminent marriage to a non-celebrity woman. While considered a private citizen, some details emerged about his fiancée — she was in her late 20s, worked a white-collar job, and shared Hanyu’s love of dogs.
The existence that hindered the couple’s happiness
Just weeks after the wedding, Hanyu described relentless harassment from media, fans, and stalkers that threatened the couple’s safety and privacy at every turn. Tabloids published unauthorized photos of his wife, along with unflattering articles. Strangers frequented their neighborhood hoping to spot the newlyweds. Dangerous incidents occurred, including vehicles lingering near their home and unknown people shouting Hanyu’s name in public.
Hanyu admitted both he and his wife were suffering under the intense scrutiny, but were trying their best to protect one another. However, the harassment showed no signs of abating. He came to the difficult conclusion that divorce was the only way to shield his wife and allow her to live freely. Hanyu’s post cited wanting her to have an “unrestricted happiness” as motivation for this heartbreaking choice.
The level of media harassment Hanyu and his wife endured raises serious ethical questions. As a beloved public figure, interest in his personal life was inevitable. However, ambushing them outside their home, publishing private images, and compromising their safety crossed a clear moral line. Figure skating forums were flooded with messages of sympathy and outrage on the couple’s behalf.
This ugly situation also fuels ongoing debates over celeb privacy laws in Japan. While reforms have passed, critics argue they still lag behind many nations in protecting public figures from predatory press behavior. There are growing calls for more stringent policies from politicians, industry leaders, and celebrities themselves.
Future prospects
For Hanyu, the path forward remains unclear. How this experience may impact his passion for skating and willingness to remain in the spotlight is unknown. He concluded his statement by saying “I will keep moving forward. Please continue to support me.” His millions of fans will surely rally behind him, although many worry this intense violation of privacy may drive him from the sport altogether. Still only in his 20s, Hanyu’s career could reach even greater heights. But following this divorce drama, the world anxiously waits to see whether Japan’s figure skating golden boy will take the ice again.
Japanese opinion
This news about Yuzuru Hanyu has also been a big topic in Japan. And not just fans, but many other people have opinions about this topic, so I summarized them below.
The following are Japanese people’s opinions from Twitter and YouTube comments:
1. Fan reactions: Many comments are by Hanyu’s fans, with prominent voices supporting his personal decision. Opinions like “The moment you can’t accept your idol being happy, you’re no longer a fan but rather a stalker or lunatic” advocate for a healthy fan relationship. Meanwhile, comments like “If it was someone I really didn’t want to let go, wouldn’t there have been options besides divorce?” question his decision.
2. The role of society and media: Opinions like “People who don’t know anything just casually commenting that Hanyu’s report is an excuse or that he should have stayed married” express frustration towards societal pressure and ignorance. Comments like “It’s hard to have a normal life because of the paparazzi protecting him” highlight the tension between a celebrity’s privacy and public life.
3. Individual freedom and responsibility: Comments like “It was bad because he hid it, right? He should have just been open about it” raise the issue of balancing personal freedom and public life. Meanwhile, opinions like “I guess marriage is impossible for him now in Japan” reflect how societal pressures influence individual choices.
In summary, Twitter and YouTube comments show diverse reactions to the news of Yuzuru Hanyu’s marriage and divorce. Fans, society, and the media alike have opportunities to reconsider their roles and responsibilities through this news. Ultimately, the delicate balance between public interest in a celebrity’s private life and individual freedom seems to be at the core of this discussion.