TOKYO - Figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu will present a new program online set to a song by a popular folk duo to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated his native northeastern Japan.
"I skated with prayers for a brighter future while remaining mindful of the pain of those who are still struggling," said Hanyu, who experienced life in an evacuation shelter in the aftermath of the disaster.
The two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist's collaboration with folk duo Yuzu was produced as part of public broadcaster NHK's campaign to pass on the memories and lessons of the disaster to future generations.
Hanyu's performance and interview will be available on the broadcaster's streaming service NHK One.
Yujin Kitagawa and Koji Iwasawa of Yuzu visited Fukushima and Miyagi, two of the three prefectures hardest hit by the March 11 disaster, and drew on survivors' experiences in creating the song "Ikue," according to NHK.
The 31-year-old is from Sendai, the capital of Miyagi.
"I felt as though I was able to glimpse the many thoughts and lives" behind the disaster, Hanyu said, adding that he listened to the song more than 500 times while preparing for the performance.
"It gave me an opportunity to revisit my experiences of the disaster, come to terms with painful memories and take a step toward the future myself."
Hanyu won the men's figure skating singles Olympic gold medal in Sochi in 2014 and added another gold four years later in Pyeongchang.
Noting that he deliberately held back his trademark speed in the new program, Hanyu said, "Rather than rushing forward, I wanted to move ahead one step at a time. I skated while carefully feeling the ice."
