Keiji Tanaka | Page 10 | Golden Skate

Keiji Tanaka

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Yeah, I think Kirara mentioned it in the Kazuki thread. :]
I was looking up Keiji stuff online today. I came across, among other things:
- this cute collection of Yuzuru/Keiji interactions at SC 2019 gala - https://twitter.com/kattwts/status/1287167174625427456. They look so happy to perform together again!
- this beautiful fanart of practicing Keiji: https://twitter.com/mayukkkkkkk/status/1286977412828286976/photo/1
- I think I was able to locate his interview from the training camp? https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202007210000420.html What could it say? ... Rainbow? please? *puppy eyes* Does he really say that his jumps are not restored yet?
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
- I think I was able to locate his interview from the training camp? https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/202007210000420.html What could it say? ... Rainbow? please? *puppy eyes* Does he really say that his jumps are not restored yet?

Yeah, I can see your puppy eyes, surimi. Seriously, basically the article is almost the same as the one posted on another fan forum with a superb translation. I translated some parts leaving out the redundant information.

-- Impact of coronavirus.
(The period in which practice was interrupted was) about one and a half months; specifically after an emergency declaration until the reopening of the rink after the lifting of the declaration. Honestly, compared to the last season my jumps are not what I want them to be, so I am still impacted by the off-ice period.

--During the self-isolation period, did your view of skating change?
I spent my days telling myself not to take it too hard. It’s no use struggling and I did what I could do at a minimum. I did not pressure myself, and I tried not to take it too seriously either.

--How about new jumps?
Honestly, my jumps are not completely back yet. Jumps are necessary to tackle something new, but now that I keep my programs for the second season I can carefully select some more parts to brush up on them. I am steadily polishing the programs and my skating skills.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Some more from the same Nikkansports interview.

-- What did gain by overcoming the hardships caused by the coronavirus outbreak?
The worst fear I had during my off-ice period was a decrease in my jump sense and physical strength. After practice resumed gradually I found out that my stamina did not go down so much as I had been jogging during the time I could not skate. It was down somewhat but I’m regaining it now. I would like to get back on previous form as soon as possible by restoring stamina and techniques such as jumps.

--You had any difficulty in jump training?
Right before I became unable to practice on ice the Worlds was cancelled, so I started self-isolation when I peaked. When I resumed practice I was unable to measure up to my peaked self. I came back on ice having my previous form fresh in my mind, and I wanted to get back to my previous state but all I remembered was my top form. That was tough. Now I visualize my good form and try to get back one at a time without getting hasty.

--How is it coming along?
Usually at this time of year I work on new programs, and honestly, I would be mentally prepared for the new season. But since I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that, I anticipated I would feel gloomy. Therefore without any fuss I decided to keep the old programs. As I wanted to work hard to bring the existing programs to perfection, I adopted the strategy of keeping both programs for this season.

--Is this your first time keeping both?
I believe it’s the first time since I became senior.

--We don’t know what will happen to GP series and the event schedule is still up in the air. How do you keep motivated?
To tell you the truth, it is hard to maintain my motivation. When the Worlds got cancelled I lost my motivation once and it was such a painful experience. I’m trying to practice steadily every day without overthinking. Every step I take every day will add up to make a difference. I keep in mind that it is impossible to stay in a 100% good shape, and I don’t want to psych myself up too much. I also keep in mind that I practice well enough.

--About the Worlds I understand you were already in the location. Can you give me more details?
I went there but it turned out to be just a two-night 4-day trip [laughter]. I went to Canada and came back so quickly that I was really surprised. It was two weeks before the competition and it was the first time I had arrived in the location so much ahead of time, and it was also my first time returning so quickly… The moment they announced the cancellation, I got in touch with other team Japan members and everyone was disappointed. Because I shared the feeling of disappointment with them instead of suffering alone I did not feel down a lot, but after coming back to Japan I was a little depressed.

--Who did you get in touch with?
Ice dancer Misato-chan, pair skater Ryuichi Kihara, Yuzu, and Shoma. Ladies members were in touch with each other as well.
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
Poor Keiji! :(
Hope he recovers fully soon.
Does anyone know which regionals is Keiji scheduled to participate?
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
Keiji will compete at Chuugoku/Shikoku/Kyushu regionals (Sept. 24-27). https://www.jsfresults.com/National/2020-2021/fs_j/block6/data0100.htm
He represents Kurashiki FSC. Kurashiki is his hometown and in Okayama prefecture in Chuugoku region which is west of Kinki region. His rinkmates, Kazuki K and Nozomu will be at Kinki regionals (Oct. 1-4).
Thanks for the info, rRainbow! Hope Keiji is healing nicely. From what I've seen, it seems he'll be the only notable senior man at this regionals, right? He should be able to compete without pushing himself too much :pray:
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan

Translation: Page 1, 1 of 2

--It was unexpected that you two are interviewed together. To get started, I would like to hear from Tanaka-san why you decided on the collaboration of figure skating and Shinji-kun of Evangelion.

K: I’m 25-year old now, and have been training figure skating since I was in the first year of elementary school, and Evangelion made me an anime fan.
E: It doesn’t add up considering your age, does it [laughter]. “Neon Genesis Evangelion” premiered on TV 25 years ago. What did you watch first?
K: First, I watched “Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone,” (t/n: released Sept. 2007) and I became interested in Evangelion. I then read manga, watched TV series, and I got totally hooked. Meanwhile, I continued figure skating.
E: Thank you very much. I watched Tanaka-san’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
K: Ah, Really? Thank you very much.
E: It suited you to a T. The costume looked like the one Josuke Higashikata wore and was really cool. Your finishing pose was exactly the same as JoJo signature pose, and accurately recreated!
K: I was dying to do JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure for my gala (2018 gala program). Afterwards I came out being an anime fan, which led to interviews like this one now and I’m grateful for that.

ABOUT EVANGELION

--Tanaka-san doesn’t look like Shinji-kun.
K: Mentally, I’m probably like Shinji-kun…… I don’t like competitions.
E: Is that so?
K: Once I go out there on the ice and the music starts, I cannot run away. I cannot stop skating until the program is over, and that’s where…..
E: You have to fight alone.
K: So on the ice I’m a Unit-01 (t/n: Unit-01 is a human type battle weapon), as I skate alone. But when it comes to mentality, I’m more like Shinji-kun…. wanting to escape the battlefield.
E: Most battlegrounds are like that. I feel the same.

--You, as voiceover actress, feel like running away from the recording session sometimes?
E: I rarely do in my voice acting jobs. I may have felt that way in the past, but I don’t remember any more…. [laughter]
Working as a musician, when I’m about to perform live on stage in bad physical shape, I have to figure out what to focus on so that my bad condition doesn’t show…… In such situations I want to run away. I shouldn’t run away, though [laughter]. Of course I give it my all, even if I collapse at the end.
K: I know what you mean. I calm my nerves too, or my skate in competition would be affected. On the ice I have to perform without showing my nervousness.

Bottled-up Feeling of Loss

E: How have you been doing in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic? Last season some events were cancelled.
K: The World Figure Skating Championships which was scheduled in March got cancelled. At that time I was already in Canada where the Worlds was supposed to be held.
E: You were able to return home right away?
K: I came home after a two-night-three-day trip. It was a whirlwind trip going there and coming back.

--You went there early fearing the possibility of travel restriction on departure?
K: I went there to be ready for the Worlds, so I had a hard time mentally coping with the situation.
E: You had been training to peak at that event.
K: Since I had been preparing for that all along, I felt a huge sense of loss. It was my first time that I couldn’t go to the last event in the season.

***Skipping the part of Emi’s talk about voice actors’ work situation amid the pandemic

- To be continued -
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 1, 2 of 2

Figure skating is a battle against myself but also a show at the same time.

E: You can practice at the rink now?
K: Yes, our skating rink reopened and I’m practicing again. During the off season we normally do ice shows, but all shows got cancelled.
E: All of them were canceled?
K: All my appearances were cancelled as a result, although this year I had been booked for many shows and I’d been pumped up.

--You joined the cast of the famous Fantasy on Ice show, and it is too bad it was canceled. You were scheduled to go to Shanghai for that show as well.
K: This year I was casted for that show for the first time. I was rolling up my sleeves and planning to get a new gala program.
E: Is it JoJo? [laughter]
K: No [laughter]. However, I was about to come up with something anime related, and was really excited. But if created, I wouldn’t be able to use it this year, so I gave up the plan. Competitions will start in September but without an audience.

--Without audience you don’t get their reaction.
K: In my opinion figure skating is finally completed when viewed by the audience, received hand clapping and cheers from them. Of course judges’ scores will be kept, but since it is a sport in which we can express and convey emotions to the viewers, what’s figure skating without an audience?
It’s meaningless unless you make the audience feel something. I wonder what kind of game it will be without spectators. When a skater skates alone, it looks like just a run-through, and makes me wonder what it is for.
• Summary of Emi’s experience of streaming live performance of her band without audience
* All her band members lost their gigs during state of emergency and when they got together afterwards for rehearsal, they looked at each other feeling something was a bit off by a split second.
* Day by day things went back to normal and she felt confident the live concert would be fine.
* However, as soon as the concert started she was at a loss where to look at as there was no audience. Once it sunk in that she was not facing her fans, she got nervous and confused, and started to lose her voice.

E: The Worlds which was your goal was canceled, and having gone through a new situation, Tanaka-san’s first event might be a completely different one from what you’ve ever experienced.
K: After listening to your story, I can see how my upcoming competition in September is going to be like. In a normal situation I get applause when I jump, but no one will clap for me, and it’s frightening to imagine that.
Figure skating has two segments: the short programs for 2 and a half minutes and the free program for four minutes. In such a short time we try to jump, do step sequences, spin, express emotions, put everything together and build up toward the end of the program. When I’m on and finish well, the audience applauds. But without an audience, when I jump, of course I would hear no sound, although I hear the music going on. I will hear no clapping sound, even when I land a jump successfully.
E: I’ll tell you what. I suggest you ask your staff and people at the rink side to liven up the atmosphere. I’m working on my album and I’ve asked my staff to stir up excitement at the next live streaming concert, and it doesn’t matter if the streaming viewers hear the noise [laughter]. Perhaps, you will feel quite differently if you get cheers from them like that.

- To be continued -
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan

Page 2, Part 1 of 2

Just like a dancer cannot dance on ice, I cannot dance on land the way I can on ice...I don’t want to.

E: I think it’s remarkable that skaters put together everything in four minutes. In fact, I cannot understand how you stay on these thin blades and jump and spin. Well, aren’t you scared to jump!? I mean, everything looks scary to me [laughter].

--Ogata-san, can you skate?
E: Not at all. I’m from Akihabara (in Tokyo), and when I was in elementary school, I went to Korakuen Ice Skating Rink with my friend who was learning figure skating. I gave it a try gingerly but couldn’t skate at all.

--You took ballet lessons.
E: Around that time. But dancing ballet and being on the blades are totally different. After all, a ballet dancer has her feet on the floor and she doesn’t glide.
K: We skaters have been skating since we were little kids, and finally get to jump. I myself think what I’m doing is difficult.
During the state of emergency I couldn’t go to the rink, so I was back on ice for the first time in one or two months. The off-ice time was longer than when I was once injured. When I stood on ice after the rink reopened, I realized what a difficult thing I was doing.
E: You think so too, after all.
K: When I did jumps and other skating elements for the first time in a long time… I did a spin and I felt like my brain was flying out and it was so painful. I got a headache. I realized first hand that figure skating was so grueling after a long interval. When it comes to jumps, other skaters around me were also doing terrible right after they resumed training.
E: You had done land training?
K: Yes, but on ice training turned out to be totally different. I had gone through land training, hoping it would be helpful to my skating, but I became painfully aware that it was not effective.
E: We, ordinary people could only jog around home in March and April when gyms were closed. Did you work out at home?
K: Yes, for example, I walked with skating boots on for 1-2 hours.
E: You walked?
K: I wanted to keep my body stable on boots. It was better than doing nothing. I did exercises at home with my skating boots on.
E: That’s incredible! You’re back to yourself a little now?
K: I guess so. Mentally, I’m a little more relaxed now compared to when I was unable to skate.
But, since the last time I had skated was after the Worlds when I was in peak form and everything stopped right after that, all I remembered was my top form. When I restarted practice, I was surprised to find out how bad my skate was. From that low point I’ve been coming back up, but I’ve only regained a little. I am going through a phase of shaping up.

--Is your choreography and dance limited on ice? Or do you dance on land?
K: I am naturally not good at expressing emotions in front of a crowd, so dancing on land is a tall order for me [laughter].
But since I’ve been skating for many years, once the music starts on ice, I can put my emotions into dance.
Just like a dancer who cannot dance on ice, I cannot dance on land and don’t want to, either. On the ice is the only place I express emotions, or rather, that’s what I believe. Perhaps my dance is confined on ice. Anyway, since I had to remember choreography, during the state of emergency, I was dancing alone at a riverbed.

--I wish I had been there to see it [laughter].
E: How do you get choreographed? On ice, or get some parts done on land like choreography of ballet and other genres of dance, and put the pieces together to finish it up on ice?
K: Choreography itself is not done on land, only on ice.

- To be continued -
 
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rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 2, 2 of 2

--But you practiced choreo on land, at the riverbed.
K: Usually, I also dance on land as part of practice…For skating, I dance [laughter].
This season I had a program I planned to do with choreography that I didn’t want to forget even a little. That’s why I decided to practice choreo to put emotions into the program.
On the riverbed there were old men and various people but I danced by myself with earphones on. At first I was embarrassed but I got comfortable afterwards. They saw me as a dancing weirdo, but I didn’t care much.
E: I understand that you cannot really rotate there……
K: But we can practice rotational jumps such as double jumps and triple jumps.
E: Like doing a pirouette?
K: Ah, I did that too. I practiced rotating jumps, but it was limited to taking off a jump to rotate three times before landing.
E: To jump, rotate three times and land…. Is incredible. In fact, the triple pirouette itself is very hard.
K: I could practice jumps that way. However, when I’m in a spin my body rotates many more times on ice, so once I got on ice and did a spin, the centrifugal force was too much for me. At first I felt like my brain was flying out because I was overwhelmed by the centrifugal force, and I barely held my neck too.
E: I can never spin. If I tried, I would get dizzy and tip over. As a matter of fact, a spin is so much faster than a ballet rotation. Ballet dancers look in front of them when pirouetting. Can you tell me how to avoid dizziness?
K: Well… I get dizzy.
E: You do get dizzy! [laughter].
K: When I spin for the first time in a long time, I feel a little nauseous and dizzy. I have to keep practicing to get over it.
E: Some time ago, in a TV program Miki Ando was on the spinning table for a while as an experiment to find out how many rotations would make her dizzy. After spinning 1,000 times, it stopped spinning. She walked away just fine. It's a matter of getting used to it?
K: I watched that program too. I can probably do it, if I’ve been in the normal training situation. After a long interval, it is tough. You have to get used to it. Your inner ear balance is probably adjusted after a while.

**Skipping Emi’s story about her career as a singer and voice actress.

It’s easier for me to skate by portraying a character.

--Tanaka-san, when you perform, you depict how you see things? Or do you portray a character?
K: I suppose it is easier for me to skate by keeping someone in mind and portray that character. For this reason, I have a hard time imagining a character in classical music. Of course I can create a story and depict it, though.
E: “JoJo” was “JoJo!” [laughter]
K: “JoJo” was ….. Well, “JoJo” was “JoJo.”
E: Sorry for bringing it back again. I was so excited seeing “JoJo.”
K: I wanted to reenact the original character. I wanted the costume to be just like the one in the anime, without my arrangement. Fans liked it so I guess it was a clear success.

--It was like fan fiction.
K: When skating to the music used in an anime or movie, it is easier to express emotions….. by portraying a protagonist. Therefore, it is probably fan fiction.
E: I am not sure if it’s fan fiction. I suppose it is a genuine original creation as part of a media mix.

--Do you sometimes skate knowing you are in a character different from yourself?
K: In figure skating, I feel that the music we use is borrowed from somewhere, such as movies or dramas, and classical music as well. The original music is there and we are allowed to use it and we skate to it. All I can do is to understand the music and show my interpretation through my skate.

**Skipping Emi’s talk about Japanese tradition of cross-gender acting

--Tanaka-san, you impersonated Chiemi Blouson. (t/n: Japanese comedian usually accompanied by two guys on her sides behind her. Her signature phrase is “35 million” in her punchline statements.)
K: Just for fun. In an ice show, I had makeup applied on my face, in Chiemi's style of costume and was a cross dresser.
E: You should have gotten two guys following you [laughter]. Chiemi retired from show business, though.

--You got “35 million” painted on your belly and flashed it.
K: I was a bit goofing around in the ice show.
E: Ice show is fun, isn’t it?
K: Unlike competition, anything goes in an ice show.

--You crossed your legs like a queen.
K: That’s right. I was sitting on a chair and made an entrance like this (gesture).
E: I want to see it by all means.
K: I would like the video to be gone, since I consider it a dark past I want to forget.
E: Really? It went well as it was.

--You had a navy blue striped shirt on and wore a wig of bob with straight bangs.
E: Seriously?
K: I went out to buy my costume and it was shortly before the show. So I quickly made a choice and put it on.

--I heard that your thighs were too large for the skirt [laughter].
E: It couldn’t have been helped. You are an athlete after all.

--How about skating a program playing a female character?
K: Umm,..... Let me see. If I’m allowed to go up to a prank level, I can go all out.
If I were to compete that way, I would worry how far I should go. No matter how much I try, I’ll end up revealing who I am. Even if I’m forced to be a female, there is a limit.

**Skipping Emi’s talk about her different mindsets in voice acting girls and young boys.

- To be continued to page 3 -
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you so much for your translations, Rainbow! (y) It's so interesting to read Keiji's experience with coming back after the long break.
It's also interesting to see diffrent reactions by various skaters; some apparently don't like it when the audience applaud during their performance, but Keiji appreciates it. Also, the difficulty that skating itself presented for Keiji and the others after the rinks opened! One normally reads about skates coming back from injuries and quickly regaining their previous skills, though sometimes there are limitations. But in this case, it seems to take long for everyone to regain their form. At least everyone will be on equal footing by regionals...
What does Keiji mean by 'riverbed' and Emi by 'triple pirouette', btw? Does Emi mean the positions you have to perform in a spin, or does she mean three rotations in a jump? I am confused. As for riverbed, I have only see it used for the bottom of the river, do I misremember or does he really mean quay/waterfront/riverside/something like that?
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
What does Keiji mean by 'riverbed' and Emi by 'triple pirouette', btw? Does Emi mean the positions you have to perform in a spin, or does she mean three rotations in a jump? I am confused. As for riverbed, I have only see it used for the bottom of the river, do I misremember or does he really mean quay/waterfront/riverside/something like that?
About "riverbed" Keiji said 「河川敷」and it can also be translated into riverside or riverbank. https://eikaiwa.dmm.com/uknow/questions/68078/ Here, riverbed probably refers to dry riverbed part which may be eroded in flood.

Emi, who once learned ballet mentioned "triple pirouette" which is a ballet movement in which a dancer makes three turns on foot.
 
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rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 3

**Skipping the discussion about Evangelion

K: Shinji-kun doesn’t like being alone.... He badly wants to gain approval by others. I am not like that so much, but there were times I thought about my value in existence and wondered if I was needed.
I don’t do well in competition. No matter how much I’ve practiced, I get nervous in competition. That’s why I asked myself what I would do if I had been in Shinji-kun’s position. I guess I identified with him.
E: Earlier you said that when you go into a competition, you get in a state of mind of “I mustn't run away.” (t/n: 「逃げちゃダメだ」, famous quote by Shinji repeated many times)
K: In competition, there’s nothing else. Just gotta do it. There is nowhere to escape. I prepare myself and deal with the competition myself. This is how Shinji-kun engages in combat I suppose, like piloting Eva to charge forward.
E: Tanaka-san is also a man who fights alone, to a place where no one can help you.

Principles I Live my Life By

K: When I am in bad form, I don’t know how to get over it. Perhaps I take it all on myself without asking for advice from anyone.
Anyhow, I try something that seems doable one by one. If something doesn’t work, I will move on to the next. If it still doesn’t work, I will keep searching for a solution. When I overcome the problem, I know what went wrong. That’s how I’ve come out of my slump so far….
E: I get that skaters get into shape before a competition, and get in a slump in a long cycle.

**Skipping Emi’s story about voice actors’ irregular work schedules and ups and downs between auditions.

--When you are at a loss what to do, what do you value the most? Standards or policies or something like that?
K: I’ve come this far by devoting myself to skating and eliminating everything else. Recently I am thinking of taking the hard path. I’ve heard a line in an anime “taking the hard path is more worthwhile,” and I liked it. Also, I will enjoy the process longer by taking the hard road.

--You’d rather not take the easy path.
K: I don’t like to do something just to pass the time. I’m always excited to do what I do. I’m looking for things that make me feel fulfilled.

**Skipping their thoughts on Evangelion storyline.

Hope and Suffering at Age 14

--Ogata-san, what kind of person were you, when you were 14?
E: I was on a sports team at school. I was an ordinary middle school student.
K: I have fun memories of those days. Most of my friends I still meet up sometimes are my former middle school classmates.

--You didn’t keep to yourself?
K: I’m a little shy, but back then I was still friendly and enjoyed talking to my friends.
E: When you were in middle school, you already competed at events?
K: Of course, I was in many competitions. I left school early for that. I was pushing forward, hell-bent on doing what I liked. I already realized my parents did me a favor and let me continue skating, so I was always feeling uneasy.

E: I understand figure skating costs a lot of money.
K: And yet I grew up in a middle class family and, to be honest, it (the financial burden) was weighing on my heart. But personally, quitting was not an option.

--I wonder what the appeal of figure skating is to make a middle schooler devote himself to it so much.
K: Shinji-kun was forced to do something but I was allowed to do something [laughter].
Now that I am a regular guest of many ice shows, finally at my age I’m able to earn enough money. At last I’m relieved and I can skate without any worries. I live on my own and I’m mentally stable.
E: But then, the coronavirus changed our lives.
K: I’ve given up a lot in order to keep practicing, but Shinji-kun, on the other hand, had a life having most of his needs covered, and in my view his blessed environment makes him feel even more that he is not loved and needs someone's shoulder to cry on. I think he rebelled against his parents because he was spoiled.
But I’m 25-year old now and I cannot understand how a 14-year old truly feels, because I am independent now. I’d rather be alone to be comfortable. All I can say, though, is that a 14-year old boy needs someone.

--You are who you are today, thanks to figure skating, Evangelion and anime
K: After coming home from practice, I enjoyed watching anime more than watching TV at random.
We have to practice every day, and I’ve never even thought about skipping practice. Even when I’m out of shape, in a terrible slump, or going through a tough time, I don’t stop. There are times that I get angry with myself, but I always remember who I am. When things don’t work out I want to blame someone else, but I would feel miserable, and it wouldn’t solve the problem.
Anime is very different from figure skating and I liked it right off the bat. It’s not the way to escape reality because I watch anime very seriously. However, life can be suffocating at times and anime has been my lifesaver.

--Are you heading towards collaboration between the two (figure skating and anime)?
K: I want to show who I am more and more, and I want my skate to be related to what I love. I want to express “my favorite” in figure skating. I have that desire now.

-- To be continued to page 4
 
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