Japanese figure skater and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu has written a best-selling autobiography series titled Blue Flames (蒼い炎, Aoi Honō) that consists of four volumes and has been sold with over 400,000 copies by June 2023. All royalties of the series were donated to his local skating rink, Ice Rink Sendai [ja], which had been severely damaged during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. In 2023, Hanyu also wrote a picture book titled Gift with illustrations by the famous mangaka group Clamp. The story was based on his own solo ice show production Gift, which was held at Tokyo Dome the same year.[1][2][3]
Since his victory at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Hanyu has collaborated with renowned sports writers and photographers in Japan, publishing various compilation and photo books,[4][5][6][7] of which multiple ones have made it to the Oricon top 10 charts of best-selling books.[8][9][10] The photo book y with pictures from Hanyu's first professional figure skating season, published by Sports Nippon in February 2024, was awarded the Silver Award at the international 2025 Graphis Design Awards.[7][11]
In 2020, Hanyu's graduation thesis about the utilization of a "wireless inertia sensor motion capture system" in the sport of figure skating was published in the Journal of Human Sciences at Waseda University.[12][13] The thesis has been retrieved more than 100,000 times from the university's online repository.[14][15]
Blue Flames autobiography series
Blue Flames (蒼い炎, Aoi Honō) is a best-selling autobiography series by Japanese figure skater and ice show producer Yuzuru Hanyu who competed in the men's singles discipline and turned professional in 2022.[16][17] Regarded as one of the greatest skaters in the sport's history, he is the first two-time Olympic men's champion in 66 years with back-to-back gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics,[16] and the first male single skater to complete the Super Slam, having won all major international senior and junior titles in the course of his career.[18] On March 11, 2011, Hanyu experienced the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in his hometown of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, which fundamentally shaped his life and career.[17] In Blue Flames, he reflected on his skating career and memories of the disaster.[19][20] The series consists of four volumes, published between 2012 and 2023 by Fusosha and composed in collaboration with Japanese sportswriter Toshimi Oriyama and photographer Keiko Asakura.[21]
In June 2023, the number of sold copies exceeded 400,000 in total, making Blue Flames one of the most successful series of long-selling books in Japan.[22] All royalties and parts of the proceeds were donated for the rebuilding of Ice Rink Sendai [ja], which had been severely damaged during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[17] According to The Nikkei, Hanyu donated a cumulative total of ¥87,330,406 (US$686,000) to his local skating rink.[23] Excerpts from the autobiography were quoted by renowned international news outlets, such as The New York Times and the Time Magazine.[19][20] In 2020, translations of the first two volumes were published in Vietnam, China, and Taiwan.[24][25] In Japan, Blue Flames III was also distributed as a limited edition with an alternative cover.[21][26] On July 6, 2023, a special collector's box including all four volumes was released by Fusosha.[27]
^ ab羽生結弦の初写真集が2部門首位 [Yuzuru Hanyu's first photo book takes first place in two categories]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023.
^Matsubara, Takaomi (April 15, 2021). 「ジャンプの成功と失敗にどんな違いがあるのか?」羽生結弦が早稲田大学で書いた"3万字卒論"の中身 ['What makes the difference between success and failure in jumping?' Contents of the "30,000-word graduation thesis" written by Yuzuru Hanyu at Waseda University]. Number (in Japanese). Bungeishunjū. pp. 1–3. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024.
^ ab羽生結弦、7年ぶり自叙伝『蒼い炎III–究竟編』発売日&裏表紙決定 続編『蒼い炎IV』も今春発売予定 [Yuzuru Hanyu's first autobiography in 7 years: 'Blue Flames III ultimate edition' release date and back cover decided – Sequel 'Blue Flames IV' also scheduled to be released this spring]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024.
^ abNakanishi, Sota (May 30, 2023). 羽生結弦の自叙伝が異例のロングセラー 出版業界も〝別格〟と驚く「40万部突破」 [Yuzuru Hanyu's autobiography is an unusual long-seller – The publishing industry is surprised that "400,000 copies have been exceeded"]. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023.
^Pan, Taoyu (July 16, 2020). 將逆境化作動力！花滑王者羽生結弦自敘傳《蒼之炎》在臺推出 [Turn adversity into motivation! Figure skating king Yuzuru Hanyu's autobiography 'Blue Flames' launched in Taiwan]. Yahoo! (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on August 12, 2024.
^羽生結弦 ファン衝撃...7年ぶり自叙伝で明かしていたフィギュアへの"絶望" [Yuzuru Hanyu: Fans shocked ... "Dispair" about figure skating revealed in first autobiography in 7 years]. Excite Japan (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023.
^ abc羽生結弦さん 7年ぶりとなる自叙伝「蒼い炎3－究竟編－」を2月2日から発売 [Yuzuru Hanyu's first autobiography in 7 years, "Blue Flames 3 Ultimate Edition" will be released on February 2nd]. Daily Sports (in Japanese). Kobe. January 25, 2023. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023.
^ ab羽生結弦の自叙伝『蒼い炎』愛蔵版BOXセット発売決定 限定特典には「羽生結弦年表」も [Yuzuru Hanyu's autobiography "Blue Flames" cherished edition BOX set will be released – Limited bonus edition "Hanyu Yuzuru Chronology" is also available]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. May 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023.
^羽生結弦の自叙伝「蒼い炎III 究竟編」発売に伴い、直筆メッセージが公開 [With the release of Yuzuru Hanyu's autobiography "Blue Flames III Ultimate Edition", a handwritten message has been released]. WEB The Television (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo: Kadokawa. January 30, 2023. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023.
^ ab羽生結弦、フォト&メッセージ集第2弾発売決定 人々を魅了する「言葉」に迫る [Yuzuru Hanyu decides to release the second collection of photos & messages – Approaching the "words" that fascinate people]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. September 15, 2022. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
^「共に、前へ 羽生結弦 東日本大震災10年の記憶」テレビ番組が記録した被災地との関係 ['Together, forward: Yuzuru Hanyu's memories of the 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake' Relationship with the disaster-stricken areas recorded by a TV program]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Kita-ku, Osaka. December 7, 2021. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024.
^ abcd羽生結弦を撮り続ける名カメラマン語る特別番組が放送決定「これだけの被写体いない」 [A special program about the famous cameraman who continues to take pictures of Yuzuru Hanyu will be broadcast: 'There are no subjects like this']. The Answer (in Japanese). Meguro, Tokyo: Creative2. November 26, 2020. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021.
^竹内涼真、写真集が発売6週目で初の1位 累計売上は今年度の男性トップに [Ryoma Takeuchi ranks first in the sixth week of release of his photo book, and cumulative sales are the top for men this year]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. August 31, 2017. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017.
^羽生結弦選手、AERA特別編集『連覇の原動力[完全版]』が初登場1位 [Yuzuru Hanyu: AERA special edition "The driving force behind the consecutive victories (complete version)" debuts at no. 1]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. May 3, 2018. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024.
^ ab羽生結弦の全6試合に密着! "神"写真集第3弾が発売 [Close coverage of all 6 competitions of Yuzuru Hanyu! The third "God" photo book is released]. WEB The Television (in Japanese). Chiyoda, Tokyo: Kadokawa. May 26, 2020. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020.
^羽生結弦、29歳の誕生日にリリースの「写真集」1位 16シーズンの軌跡を10万枚以上から厳選 [Yuzuru Hanyu No. 1 in the "photo book" releases on his 29th birthday: The trajectory of the 16 seasons is carefully selected from more than 100,000 photos]. Oricon (in Japanese). Minato, Tokyo. December 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024.
Russell, Susan D. (September 6, 2022). "Yuzuru Hanyu – An icon leaves the competitive stage". International Figure Skating. Denville Township, New Jersey. pp. 22–33. IFSISS22-05.
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