Yuzuru Hanyu's Beauty & Wellness Routine | Skincare, Diet, Training

Watching him glide across the ice, it can seem as though gravity has loosened its hold. His arms extend gracefully to his fingertips, his body moves with remarkable fluidity, and his expression changes subtly with the music. Even after completing a difficult jump, he returns seamlessly to the emotional world of his performance. Yuzuru Hanyu's skating brings together the power of elite sport and the beauty of artistic expression.

Born on December 7, 1994, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Yuzuru Hanyu began figure skating at the age of four. He won the men's singles gold medal at both the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, becoming the first man in 66 years to win consecutive Olympic figure skating titles. In 2018, he received Japan's prestigious People's Honour Award.

His best-known programmes include "Parisienne Walkways," "Ballade No. 1," "SEIMEI," "Hope & Legacy," and "Heaven and Earth." His performance of "SEIMEI" at the PyeongChang Olympics remains particularly memorable, combining a distinctly Japanese aesthetic with powerful jumps, expressive choreography, and beautifully controlled movement.

In July 2022, Hanyu announced his departure from competitive skating and began a new chapter as a professional figure skater. Through productions such as "Prologue," "GIFT," "RE_PRAY," and "Echoes of Life," he has developed an approach that combines skating, music, visual storytelling, lighting, and theatrical production. In 2026, he continued that creative journey with "REALIVE." Now 31, he remains committed to exploring new possibilities on the ice.

Beyond his achievements, many people are fascinated by Hanyu's clear-looking skin, slender physique, graceful posture, extraordinary flexibility, and the beauty and wellness habits that have supported his long career.

His interviews reveal an intriguing contrast. He approaches everyday skincare with a surprisingly relaxed attitude, yet has devoted years to studying nutrition, training, and the subtle changes in his physical condition alongside specialists. As a teenager, he showed relatively little interest in food. Over time, he developed a detailed understanding of how eating, training, and recovery fit together in his life as an elite athlete.

This article explores Yuzuru Hanyu's own accounts of skincare, diet, amino acid and protein supplementation, strength training, flexibility, sleep, and recovery. It also looks at the family members, collaborators, friendships, games, and music that have shaped the person behind his remarkable performances.

1. Yuzuru Hanyu's Skincare Routine and Natural Approach to Beauty

Chilled Facial Lotion and His Preference for Rose and Jasmine

One of Yuzuru Hanyu's most recognisable features is his smooth, clear-looking complexion. Because he performs under bright lights and in front of television cameras and enormous audiences, it is easy to imagine that he follows an elaborate daily beauty routine.

His own comments, however, reveal a more personal and relaxed relationship with skincare. He appears to appreciate the way a product feels and smells rather than focusing exclusively on complicated techniques.

In June 2019, Hanyu attended a talk event in his hometown of Sendai for the Japanese skincare brand Sekkisei, produced by KOSÉ. At the time, he was serving as an ambassador for the brand and spoke openly about his preferences.

He explained that he liked the refreshing sensation of facial lotion, the hydrating toner-style product commonly used in Japanese skincare. He also mentioned that he sometimes kept it in the refrigerator so that he could enjoy using it chilled.

Fragrance was another detail he noticed. He spoke favourably about rose and jasmine scents, suggesting that the sensory experience of skincare was something he appreciated.

There is an interesting connection between those comments and his life as a figure skater. His profession requires sensitivity to tiny changes in musical phrasing, body position, balance, and the feeling of a skate blade against the ice. Hearing him describe the texture, cooling sensation, and fragrance of skincare products offers a small glimpse of that attentive personality away from the rink.

At the same event, Hanyu discussed the importance of consistency, drawing a parallel between beauty care and figure skating.

Landing a difficult jump once is an achievement, but developing the ability to perform it beautifully and reliably requires repeated practice. The same is true of refining the smallest elements of an artistic performance, from the extension of a fingertip to the movement of the shoulders.

For Hanyu, the idea of beauty is closely connected with the quiet accumulation of effort over time.

These comments were made during a promotional event for a beauty brand and describe his preferences at that time. They offer an insight into his approach to skincare rather than establishing what products he uses today.

His Relaxed Beauty Philosophy and the Art of Expression

Hanyu shared a different side of his beauty philosophy during an appearance on the Miyagi television programme "OH! Bandesu" in September 2022.

Asked about skincare, he said that he generally did not pay a great deal of attention to it. He also laughed about how much he sweats.

Placed alongside his 2019 comments, this reveals an appealing contrast. He enjoys the refreshing feeling and fragrance of skincare products while maintaining a relatively uncomplicated attitude towards his everyday appearance.

He has also spoken about performing without conventional makeup during competitions and about spending relatively little time styling his hair.

In a 2019 interview, he said that arranging his hair usually took around five to ten minutes and that he did not use a hairdryer.

Yet the details of his performances receive extraordinary attention. Costumes, music, the movement of his arms, the extension of his fingertips, and the shape of his body are carefully considered parts of his artistic expression.

What matters to Hanyu is communicating the world of a programme through his entire body.

In "SEIMEI," for example, he conveyed the mysterious and commanding presence of the historical onmyoji Abe no Seimei through his costume, music, gaze, posture, and deliberate movements.

In "Ballade No. 1," the flowing piano melody was reflected in softer, more graceful movements, alongside exceptionally difficult jumps. The same skater could create two very different atmospheres through physical expression.

During a 2019 interview, Hanyu also described figure skating as a kind of language for him. Through movement, he can communicate feelings to people whose spoken languages he does not share.

That philosophy helps explain the international appeal of his performances. The position of an arm, the timing of a movement, and a changing facial expression can convey something meaningful without a single spoken word.

Behind the elegance of his skating are intense physical training and a highly developed awareness of movement. The contrast between his easygoing attitude towards everyday beauty and the exacting standards of his performances is one of the many qualities that make him such a compelling figure.

2. Yuzuru Hanyu's Diet: How His Relationship with Food Changed at 17

Meeting Nutrition Specialist Hidefumi Kurihara

Of all the aspects of Hanyu's health and wellness habits, his changing relationship with food is particularly revealing.

Today, he is known for thinking carefully about meal timing, training demands, and physical sensations. As a teenager, however, he had comparatively little interest in food and was only beginning to learn about sports nutrition.

An important turning point came when he met Hidefumi Kurihara, a nutrition specialist associated with the Japanese food company Ajinomoto, when Hanyu was around 17 years old. Their relationship helped him develop a more informed approach to eating, and Ajinomoto's formal nutrition support through its Victory Project began in 2013.

In 2012, Hanyu moved his training base to Toronto, Canada, in pursuit of further technical development. Adjusting to unfamiliar food and ingredients was one of the challenges of living overseas.

In a conversation with Kurihara published in 2024, Hanyu recalled that he had always had a relatively sensitive stomach. Some days he found eating easier than others.

He also acknowledged that the demands of figure skating had encouraged him to associate food with body-weight management rather than thinking primarily about nutritional needs.

Because jumps require lifting and rotating the body in the air, he was conscious of remaining light on his feet. That concern influenced how he approached meals.

Kurihara introduced him to the roles of different nutrients, the timing of meals, and the relationship between eating and training.

Hanyu later recalled that, at the beginning, he did not even have a detailed understanding of how much energy was contained in an ordinary bowl of rice.

It is a surprising detail about a teenager who was already aiming for the highest level of international sport. His education in nutrition began with fundamental questions about everyday meals.

Over time, he became increasingly involved in understanding the advice he received. Rather than simply following instructions, he began considering how his food choices and meal schedule related to his own physical condition.

Finding foods he could comfortably eat was an important first step. From there, he gradually developed more detailed strategies suited to his training.

One memorable story from those early conversations concerns his favourite foods.

When asked what he liked to eat, the teenage Hanyu named yakiniku, Japanese grilled meat, and sushi. Part of their appeal was that both allowed him to control the pace and amount of food he ate.

He preferred dishes he could enjoy one bite at a time rather than being presented with a large serving all at once.

According to Kurihara, Hanyu also had a conscientious side: he wanted to finish the food placed in front of him.

A large steak could therefore feel like a considerable commitment, while sushi or yakiniku allowed him to decide comfortably how much to eat.

It is a charming reminder that even an Olympic champion's eating habits can be shaped by ordinary preferences, personality, and the practical experience of sitting down to a meal.

Warm Soups, Hot Pots, and the Timing of Meals

Finding enjoyable, manageable ways to eat became an important part of Hanyu's nutritional support.

Warm soups and Japanese hot-pot dishes were among the foods incorporated into that approach.

Hot pots can bring together vegetables, meat, fish, and other ingredients in one meal. Their contents can also be adjusted to suit individual preferences, making them adaptable to different circumstances.

During the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Hanyu was reported to have enjoyed a hot-pot meal with his nutrition support team so much that he went back for four servings.

For someone who had previously struggled with food, that enthusiastic meal became a memorable example of his changing attitude towards eating.

He also described learning about dashi, the Japanese stock used in many soups, and amino acids. As his interest in food developed, he began drinking soup at the start of meals at home.

These changes brought a more thoughtful approach to ordinary mealtimes.

As he entered his twenties, his awareness became increasingly detailed.

In interviews with Kurihara published around the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, Hanyu recalled that, at about 23 or 24, he became more attentive to the feeling of heaviness in his body. Depending on his training workload, he sometimes adjusted the amount he ate with considerable precision.

One of the factors he monitored was how his stomach felt when performing jumps.

A competition might finish late at night, followed by interviews and press conferences. Dinner could then take place very late, while training might be scheduled for around midday the following day.

Such a schedule left a relatively short interval between the previous evening's meal and breakfast.

Hanyu worked with specialists to consider how much to eat and when, taking into account how he felt during training.

He explained that the sensation of having food remaining in his stomach could sometimes influence how a jump felt.

Figure skating involves considerable forces during landing, and Hanyu developed an unusually detailed awareness of how his body responded to the demands of the sport.

He and Kurihara also recalled, with amusement, how he tended to give an upbeat answer when asked about his condition before a competition.

That combination of sensitivity to tiny physical changes and a positive outward attitude offers another glimpse of his personality.

These eating adjustments were developed for an elite athlete attempting exceptionally difficult jumps, with professional support. They are best understood in the context of Hanyu's individual sporting requirements rather than as a general approach to weight management.

Learning to pay attention to his physical sensations, while drawing on specialist knowledge, eventually became the foundation of a broader approach to nutrition and training management.

3. Amino Acids, Protein, and Nutrition Support Throughout His Career

Nutrition Supplements Used Around Training

Alongside regular meals, Hanyu has incorporated supplementary nutrition into his training programme at various stages of his career.

An Asahi Shimbun Digital feature on sports nutrition described how amino acid products formed part of his long-term nutritional support and how food and supplementary intake were considered together.

Products discussed in Ajinomoto's support programme included Amino Vital Pro and items from the Amino Vital GOLD range. The focus was on planning nutritional intake around the demands of training and competition.

Through years of nutritional guidance, Hanyu learned more about amino acids, meal composition, and the timing of food and supplementary nutrition.

His daily workload involved skating on the ice, land-based exercises, and stretching. With these different activities came a need to think carefully about how ordinary meals and additional food fitted into his schedule.

Hanyu has also admitted that there are days when preparing food feels like a chore and he would be tempted to settle for rice and miso soup.

At those times, he tried to be more conscious of including foods such as meat and fish, or choosing convenient additional foods to complement his meals.

Even world-class athletes face the same practical frustrations as everyone else when it comes to preparing food day after day. Hanyu's approach developed through finding realistic ways to manage those situations.

A feature published in 2023 also introduced small rice balls prepared with a dashi flavour as one of the convenient food options incorporated into his nutrition support.

The smaller portions suited the idea of eating manageable amounts, an approach that recalls his teenage preference for sushi and yakiniku.

Throughout his career, his eating habits became increasingly tailored to the circumstances of his training, his appetite, and his own physical sensations.

The supplements and foods described here reflect the support arrangements documented at the time. They were part of an individually managed programme developed with professional staff.

His Mother's Support in Canada and the Journey Through Three Olympics

Hanyu's mother played an important role in supporting his nutritional routine.

After he moved his training base to Toronto in 2012, she helped manage daily life and worked with those advising him on nutrition.

Living overseas involved finding familiar ingredients, adapting meals, and arranging food around training sessions and travel.

His mother and Kurihara worked together to consider options that suited Hanyu's preferences and condition.

The priorities of that support changed as his career developed.

In preparation for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, an important goal was establishing regular meals and supporting his overall readiness for training and competition.

By the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the approach had become more detailed. In addition to monitoring body weight and body composition, the team considered the duration and intensity of daily training.

Two sessions of equal length might involve very different workloads depending on the number of jumps, the difficulty of the elements, and the overall content of the practice.

Hanyu and his support team compared such training information with his own impressions of his physical condition.

For the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the challenge of the quadruple Axel became a central consideration.

They explored how his physical strength could support the demands of the jump while preserving the highly refined movement patterns he had developed over many years.

Nutrition specialists and food-preparation staff also coordinated their work around the unusual schedules of Olympic competition.

His familiar routines were important, but major events sometimes required adjustments to the timing and organisation of meals.

Another fascinating part of this long relationship was the accumulation of physical data.

Hanyu and his team studied information about training loads, body composition, activity levels, and his own sensations during practice.

They considered questions such as whether a calculated training load matched how physically demanding the session actually felt, and how food intake related to the work he was performing.

Years of data from a two-time Olympic champion provided valuable material for understanding the individual demands of elite figure skating.

The experience also offers insights that may be useful when considering how future athletes approach their own physical preparation.

4. Strength Training and Exercise: Pushing Beyond His Competitive Years

How Professional Ice Shows Changed His Physical Preparation

When Hanyu moved away from competition in July 2022, his approach to training entered a new stage.

Competitive skating requires athletes to deliver difficult jumps, spins, and steps within programmes of defined lengths. His professional solo shows, however, involve skating multiple pieces over a much longer period.

Productions such as "GIFT" at the Tokyo Dome in 2023 and "RE_PRAY" in 2024 brought together athletic performance with large-scale visual effects, music, lighting, and storytelling.

Such performances demand not only the power and precision developed during competitive skating, but also the endurance and concentration needed to sustain an entire show.

Hanyu continued adapting his training to meet these artistic and physical challenges.

A particularly revealing example came during his preparation for the Yokohama performances of "RE_PRAY" in 2024.

He had been disappointed by aspects of his performance at the preceding shows in Saga and felt that he had fallen short of what he wanted to achieve.

He compared that frustration to the feeling of leaving a competition without delivering the performance he had envisioned.

Rather than allowing the disappointment to define the experience, he used it as motivation for intensive preparation before Yokohama.

During one particularly demanding period, he began his day with approximately an hour of stretching and conditioning. He then spent around three hours at the rink, combining skating practice with additional training.

After returning home, he devoted roughly another hour and a half to physical training. Before bed, he also spent about an hour on mental rehearsal and visualisation.

He later reflected that he felt he had trained even more than during his competitive career.

His motivation was closely connected to his artistic ambitions. He felt that the technical abilities he possessed still needed to develop further to match the performance he wanted to present to his audience.

Even after winning two Olympic gold medals, he remained driven by the gap between his current abilities and his ideal expression.

After the Yokohama performances, Hanyu described experiencing a sense of achievement alongside sadness that the production was coming to an end.

He had devoted so much of himself to the work that completing it brought both satisfaction and a feeling of loss. That mixture of emotions reveals the intensity of his commitment as a performer.

Mental Rehearsal: Training Both Body and Imagination

Hanyu's preparation includes substantial work away from the ice.

He has long used visualisation to consider the feeling of a jump, body position in the air, landing, spins, and the transitions between movements.

Since turning professional, he has also devoted increasing attention to understanding the larger artistic world of each production.

During "RE_PRAY," he thought about the intentions behind the music, the ideas of the lighting and production teams, and the emotions he personally wished to communicate through the story.

Repeatedly performing the same programme could lead to new discoveries. A movement might take on a different emotional meaning as his understanding of the music or narrative deepened.

His training therefore includes refining athletic technique alongside developing the artistic understanding needed to turn that technique into a compelling performance.

At the Yokohama shows of "RE_PRAY," Hanyu performed "Messenger of Ruin," a programme with a dramatic atmosphere inspired by the world of video games.

It combined multiple quadruple jumps, difficult jump combinations, and demanding skating elements.

The challenge was to perform those elements while maintaining the rhythm and emotional intensity of the story.

For Hanyu, mastering technique and deciding how to communicate meaning through it have become inseparable parts of his work.

In a 2019 interview, Hanyu said that one feeling had remained with him since childhood: the pleasure of having people watch him skate.

He enjoys performing alone across the wide surface of an ice rink while audiences watch from every direction.

That early excitement gradually developed into an appreciation of practice, technique, and artistic growth. Understanding this change makes his dedication feel especially human.

5. Flexibility, Oblique Muscles, and Physical Development in His Thirties

What Hanyu Said About His Waistline and Oblique Muscles

Graceful body movement has always been an essential part of Hanyu's skating.

His extended arms, elegant spins, smooth changes of balance, and flowing upper-body movements reflect years of technical development and an unusually sophisticated understanding of his body.

In a 2019 interview with the Japanese beauty publication Biteki.com, Hanyu offered an interesting explanation of his slender, defined waistline.

He noted that figure skating involves many rotational movements and that regular training had developed the muscles of his abdomen and back.

He also suggested that his oblique muscles seemed particularly strong, which might help explain the defined appearance of his waist.

The obliques are muscles along the sides of the abdomen that contribute to twisting and controlling the torso. In figure skating, the core plays a role in managing rotational movements and maintaining body position.

In Hanyu's case, the appearance of his waistline was closely connected to the physical demands of years of skating.

What makes his observation particularly interesting is that he was describing a feature of his body in the context of training for his sport.

His graceful silhouette has developed through movements designed to serve jumps, spins, posture, and artistic expression.

Understanding those demands provides a fuller picture of the athletic work behind his appearance.

After performances of "Echoes of Life" in February 2025, Hanyu also discussed newer training methods aimed at improving flexibility and joint range of motion.

His goal involved developing movements that could be used meaningfully in skating.

A greater range of movement can provide additional artistic possibilities, but translating that range into controlled steps, spins, and transitions requires strength and coordination.

Hanyu discussed the speed of changing movements, recovery after training, and the need to use flexibility as part of performance.

Rather than treating a completed show as a fixed product, he continued experimenting with his physical preparation while the tour was underway.

His performances and his training developed together, even as he entered his thirties.

The Quadruple Axel and His Collaboration with Mansai Nomura

One of the clearest examples of Hanyu's curiosity about physical performance was his attempt to land a quadruple Axel at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The Axel takes off facing forward and requires an additional half rotation compared with jumps of the same stated number of revolutions.

Completing a quadruple Axel therefore demands an extraordinary combination of take-off force, body position, rotational speed, and landing control.

Hanyu investigated how his strength and familiar jumping sensations could work together to meet the challenge.

In conversations with Kurihara, he compared his physical condition at different stages of his career and discussed how muscles, tendons, and take-off mechanics contributed to the movement.

At Beijing, his attempt was recorded as a quadruple Axel, or 4A, on the judging protocol. He fell on the landing, and the jump received an under-rotation call, so it was not a successfully landed quadruple Axel. Nevertheless, the attempt became a defining moment in his pursuit of new technical possibilities.

After turning professional, Hanyu continued exploring the expressive possibilities of the entire body.

One particularly meaningful experience was his collaboration with Mansai Nomura, the acclaimed Japanese kyogen actor.

The connection between the two dates back to Hanyu's famous programme "SEIMEI." Nomura portrayed Abe no Seimei in the film "Onmyoji," and the two met for a conversation in 2015.

Approximately a decade later, they finally shared the stage at "notte stellata" in March 2025.

The production brought together figure skating and traditional Japanese performing arts through "MANSAI Boléro" and "SEIMEI."

Kyogen uses posture, controlled movement, timing, and expressive gestures to communicate meaning. There are fascinating parallels with Hanyu's careful use of his arms, gaze, and body position on the ice.

In their performance of "SEIMEI," Nomura's spoken words on stage introduced Hanyu's entrance, creating a distinctive theatrical interpretation of a programme already deeply associated with the skater.

Performing a cherished work alongside someone so closely connected to its artistic inspiration made the occasion especially significant.

In "MANSAI Boléro," Nomura's movements and the skating performances responded to one another, bringing two different traditions of physical expression into a shared artistic space.

The programme "SEIMEI," first developed during Hanyu's competitive years, had created an unexpected new collaboration approximately ten years later. It is a striking illustration of how his past experiences continue to inspire new artistic work.

6. Sleep, Recovery, and Hobbies: Life Away from the Spotlight

Adapting Sleep and Daily Routines to Training and Competition

Sleep and recovery are important parts of Hanyu's approach to managing his schedule.

During his competitive career, international travel, time-zone differences, and competition timetables sometimes required him to live according to unusual routines.

At the Olympics, the timing of events could influence when he woke up, ate, and prepared for skating.

During the PyeongChang and Beijing Games, he and his nutrition specialists discussed meal and supplementary food timing in relation to the early starts required by his schedule.

In conversations with Kurihara, Hanyu explained that familiar meal routines sometimes needed adjustment during major events.

He therefore considered his daily preparations and eating schedule in relation to the time he would need to perform.

Time management remained a challenge after he became a professional.

Solo ice shows involve not only practice at the rink but also land-based training, rehearsals, and coordination with visual and production teams.

During preparation for "RE_PRAY" in 2024, he spoke about fitting meals and sleep around periods of intensive training.

When a demanding day's work finished late, he had to consider the rest available before the following day's commitments.

Stretching before training and physical maintenance after demanding sessions have also been important elements of his routine.

The preparation behind a long solo performance therefore extends well beyond the hours spent on the ice.

In 2025, while discussing newer flexibility and mobility training, Hanyu also referred to the importance of recovery after physical activity.

As a professional performer responsible for skating extensive shows, he continues to consider both the effort required on stage and the time needed to prepare for the next performance.

Games, Manga, Anime, and His Love of Music

Hanyu's intensely focused expression during performances offers only one side of his personality.

Away from skating, he has spoken enthusiastically about video games, manga, anime, and music.

During a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in 2018, he was asked what he enjoyed outside figure skating. His answer included these familiar hobbies.

Playing games, enjoying stories, and listening to music are activities that bring him pleasure in everyday life.

There have also been occasions when he temporarily stepped away from his hobbies to concentrate on competition.

Before the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, Hanyu revealed that he had avoided playing games for approximately a month and a half.

After winning the gold medal, he was reported to have enjoyed playing again.

He explained that he had been concentrating on skating and prioritising time spent analysing his technique and physical sensations.

The story reveals two complementary sides of his personality: genuine enthusiasm for his hobbies and the discipline to set them aside when pursuing an important goal.

His love of games and storytelling has also influenced his professional productions.

"RE_PRAY" incorporated ideas reminiscent of video games while exploring choices, identity, and questions about life.

The idea of making decisions, encountering setbacks, and trying again has intriguing parallels with Hanyu's own experiences in elite sport.

The worlds he enjoys in his private time have become part of the creative language he uses to produce new performances on the ice.

7. Family, Marriage, Collaborators, and His Connection to Sendai

Following His Older Sister onto the Ice

Hanyu's skating journey began through a close family connection.

His older sister, who is four years his senior, was already taking skating lessons. He began visiting the rink with her and started skating himself at the age of four.

As a child, he was motivated in part by the desire to keep up with his sister.

His training environment, however, faced challenges during his early years.

A rink in Sendai where he trained closed for a period, creating difficulties in maintaining regular practice.

With support from his family and coaches, he continued developing his abilities despite these interruptions.

In 2012, he moved his training base to Toronto to work under coach Brian Orser and pursue further technical development.

The years that followed eventually led to his historic consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Hanyu has generally kept details of his private life out of the public spotlight.

In August 2023, he announced his marriage through his official social media account. In November of the same year, he announced his divorce.

His statement described difficult circumstances affecting privacy and expressed his wish for the other person's future happiness.

Throughout his career, Hanyu has repeatedly expressed gratitude towards the family members, coaches, and other people who have supported him.

In a 2019 interview, he also discussed the encouragement he receives from fans.

Knowing that people watch his performances and place their hopes in him has influenced the way he thinks about his responsibilities and his skating.

Family, mentors, staff, and supporters have therefore remained important parts of his journey.

Performing with Mao Daichi and Remembering the Great East Japan Earthquake

Since turning professional, Hanyu has collaborated with accomplished performers from outside figure skating.

At "notte stellata" in 2024, he shared the stage with Japanese actress Mao Daichi.

Their production used the powerful music of "Carmina Burana" to create a dramatic theatrical performance.

Daichi brought decades of experience on stage, while Hanyu contributed his distinctive movement and expression on the ice.

Together, they created a work that connected two different artistic traditions.

Such collaborations have become an important way for Hanyu to explore new forms of expression as a professional skater.

The name "notte stellata" also carries a deeply personal meaning connected to his hometown of Sendai.

On March 11, 2011, Hanyu was 16 years old when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. He experienced the disaster in Sendai, and the disruption affected daily life and the environment in which he trained.

He has spoken about how those experiences led him to reflect on the meaning of continuing to skate.

"Notte stellata" is Italian for "starry night" and is associated with his memory of looking up at the stars in the darkness following the earthquake.

Hanyu has continued to honour his connection to the region through performances that express his memories, gratitude, and hopes for the future.

His skating carries the experiences of his competitive career, the people he has encountered, and the place where his journey began.

His continuing attachment to Sendai and the experiences of his earlier life are reflected throughout his professional work.

By turning his memories and emotions into performances, Hanyu offers audiences an understanding of his journey that extends far beyond medals and competition results.

8. Yuzuru Hanyu at 31: Wellness, Physical Development, and New Challenges in 2026

Continuing to Explore His Physical Potential in His Thirties

Hanyu turned 30 in December 2024 and is 31 as of October 2026.

While maintaining the advanced jumping abilities developed during his competitive career, he continues researching new ways to move and express himself.

From December 2024 to February 2025, his production "Echoes of Life" toured three Japanese locations: Saitama, Hiroshima, and Chiba, with seven performances in total.

Hanyu wrote the original story, while MIKIKO directed the production.

Its central character, Nova, is a lone survivor searching for the meaning of life. The story explores themes of existence, isolation, and hope.

Hanyu performed 12 programmes within the production.

The musical selections ranged from classical works to pieces associated with anime and video games, requiring a wide variety of movement and expression.

At the final performance in February 2025, he also presented his celebrated competitive programme "Ballade No. 1."

In interviews following the production, he discussed continuing to explore flexibility, range of motion, and new approaches to physical training.

He appeared enthusiastic about discovering how his body could continue changing and developing after reaching 30.

Competitive figure skating evaluates elements such as jump difficulty, execution, and programme composition through a judging system.

As a professional performer, Hanyu now faces a broader artistic challenge: creating a complete experience, communicating a story, and sustaining his skating across a long production.

This involves strength, flexibility, endurance, concentration, and an increasingly refined understanding of movement.

He continues building on his technical foundation while exploring new possibilities for the body he has today.

"REALIVE" and His Next Chapter in 2026

In April 2026, Hanyu presented "Yuzuru Hanyu 'REALIVE' an ICE STORY project" in his home prefecture of Miyagi.

The production revisited programmes from earlier stages of his career, expressing them anew through his present abilities and artistic perspective.

Further performances are scheduled for November 28 and 29, 2026, at SAGA Arena in Saga Prefecture.

Official information about the production describes Hanyu's intention to bring programmes he has created over the years to audiences again through the body and perspective he has now.

Working with director MIKIKO, he continues to reinterpret his artistic journey while looking towards new possibilities.

His competitive programmes contain the memories of particular competitions, the joy of achievement, the frustration of setbacks, and countless hours of practice.

Performing those works again at 31 offers an opportunity to connect the skater he once was with the artist he has become.

His creative work now reaches beyond skating technique into music, production design, and the overall structure of a performance.

At the centre of that exploration is a continuing question: what can he express through his body today?

Looking across Yuzuru Hanyu's beauty and wellness habits reveals both enduring principles and practices that have evolved with his age and career.

In skincare, he has spoken about enjoying refreshing facial lotion and fragrances while maintaining a naturally relaxed attitude towards everyday beauty.

In nutrition, he began learning about food at around 17 and gradually developed a detailed understanding of meal timing, portions, and his physical sensations during training.

In his athletic preparation, he continued refining his technique after winning two Olympic titles, adapting his training to the new demands of professional performances.

He has also drawn knowledge and inspiration from family members, specialists, collaborators, and fellow performers.

As Hanyu has explained in interviews, figure skating is a form of expression capable of communicating feelings beyond spoken language.

Supporting that expression are his everyday food choices, physical training, growing understanding of his body, and appreciation for the people who watch him perform.

Now 31, Yuzuru Hanyu continues exploring new artistic and physical possibilities. As he creates new productions, his approach to beauty, nutrition, and wellness remains an intriguing part of his evolving journey.