Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu was practicing in his hometown of Sendai when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck 10 years ago. Aged 16 at the time, he fled from the ice rink building in tears, still wearing his skates. Although Hanyu thought he would have to give up the sport, participating in an ice skating show to support reconstruction efforts in hard-hit areas inspired him to carry on -- a decision that eventually culminated in the figure-skating star winning gold at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. Hanyu still visits areas affected by the disaster and makes donations to the Sendai rink and other causes. Here, Hanyu offers words of encouragement for people affected by the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami -- a disaster he experienced firsthand.
I don't know what I should say, or what I should tell people.
I can still remember that day very clearly.
The strong earthquake that hit Japan last month also brought back those memories.
I can't believe 10 years have already passed, but at the same time, it feels as if it has indeed been that long.
Through my career as a figure skater and through competing at the Olympics, I have met and interacted with many people in the affected areas, and formed connections with them. I have felt their joy, their frustration and their pain. These are all precious emotions for me.
What can I do? What should I do? What is my role in all this? My heart aches when I think about these questions.
I also want to give strength to everybody who has been affected by the disaster. However, the days of sorrow that began on that day in March 2011 will never vanish. This makes me unsure about what I should say.
And yet, after a lot of thinking, I have realized several things.
This pain, the emotional scars many people have, the sadness and anguish that have never gone away … If such feelings exist, then I think not everything is lost.
The pain reminds us about the scars, and the scars are the proof that the day occurred.
Some people want to forget what happened. Others want to make sure it never gets forgotten. I am sure people have different feelings about this.
Personally, I don't want to forget. I want to stay positive and keep moving forward, sometimes walking, sometimes running.
At the same time, although I have not lost anything, I want to stop and look back often.
I have stopped, felt pain again and suffered, but I managed to keep going.
In recent times, I stopped thinking about what life would have been like if that day hadn't occurred. After all, I have been able to experience so much since then and do so many things. When I think about it that way, it really feels that a long time has passed since that day.
If even I have been able to feel this way, I am sure everybody has been persevering more than they could have imagined. They have kept going. It's impressive.
I think people have been overcoming immeasurable pain and suffering.
I am embarrassed that I can only express my feelings in such childish words, but I really think it's amazing.
For 10 years, people have endured so much.
I doubt things will suddenly change now that this milestone has been reached.
I think there are still wounds that have not healed yet.
There are towns and villages still reeling from that day. There are emotional scars. There are physical wounds.
There must still be times when people have to work hard to keep on going.
I know these words shouldn't be said easily.
I know people must push themselves hard even without being told to do so.
But even so, please let me share these simple words of encouragement.
It is a simple expression that has supported and inspired me the most. I think I know most of all about the power and the meaning that the expression bears.
Ganbatte kudasai. Please stay strong.
Ever since that day, many people have encouraged me by saying, "Ganbatte."
Thank you very much for this.
I also will stay strong.
Yuzuru Hanyu
March 2021
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