Narumi Takahashi, the Dream She Had at 9 and Her First Setback at 12: "I Can Never Beat Mao Asada" - Her True Feelings and Conflict Over Her Record Being Broken, "It's Still Frustrating" - Her Thoughts on "RikuRyu"... "Re:MAKE ~Dear Me, Back Then~"

The new future of television, "ABEMA," broadcasts the news program "ABEMA Entertainment," which delivers carefully selected entertainment information on the "ABEMA NEWS Channel."

"ABEMA Entertainment" has launched a new original project, "Re:MAKE ~Dear Me, Back Then~." This self-documentary project features guests who face photos from turning points in their lives and send messages to their "past selves." The first installment features former figure skater Narumi Takahashi, who candidly spoke about her journey and struggles from childhood to her post-retirement present. This segment is currently available for streaming on "ABEMA."

(Streaming URL: https://abema.tv/video/episode/89-116_s45_p1)

▼【Life】If only that moment hadn't happened... Former figure skater Narumi Takahashi's "Joy and Regret"

■ The dream she had at 9 and her first setback at 12: "I can never beat Mao Asada"

Takahashi began figure skating at age three and was a promising talent, competing in international competitions by age nine. However, at twelve, she witnessed the performance of top skater of her generation, Mao Asada, and experienced her first setback, thinking, "In the future, even if I compete with Mao Asada, I will never win." Nevertheless, her passion for the sport did not cool. Saying she "loved skating and wanted to do it forever," she pursued pairs skating in China, where she had moved due to her father's job transfer. Although Takahashi achieved results with an unconventional pairing with a Chinese skater, her success led to being told, "As a country, we cannot teach you," and "If you don't change your nationality, we would be raising a rival." She tearfully recalled her feelings of loneliness at the time, wondering, "What is nationality?" and "Will everyone who was friendly yesterday ignore me now?"

■ "If it wasn't Ryuichi Kihara, I might have won," Her former partner becomes a rival... The truth about missing the Olympics

Later, she formed a pair with Mervin Tran in Canada and won a bronze medal at the World Championships. Just as she was aiming for greater heights, she fell from a lift during practice and suffered a career-threatening injury, including a dislocated left shoulder and damage to her right knee. Takahashi, who questioned herself many times thinking, "If only that moment hadn't happened... If only I hadn't gone to practice that day..." said she once decided to leave skating, thinking, "I've already won a medal, so maybe I'm satisfied," and "If I can't improve any further, I'd feel sorry for my partner."

Amidst this, at the suggestion of the Japan Skating Federation, she newly paired with Ryuichi Kihara of the "RikuRyu" pair, who won a gold medal in pairs at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Looking back, Takahashi called Kihara her "savior" and recalled that they had gotten along well since their junior days. "People around us would say, 'Try doing something pair-like. Your height difference is just right,' and when we tried it as a joke, I said half-jokingly, 'Isn't Ryuichi amazing at pairs? This feels so right.' Those words truly came from the heart," she revealed, sharing an episode from their junior years.

She then fulfilled her dream of competing in the Sochi Olympics with Kihara, but they dissolved their partnership the following year and went their separate ways. In the battle for a spot at the PyeongChang Olympics, she had to face her former partner, Kihara, in a direct showdown. Takahashi confessed her frank thoughts at the time: "Why Ryuichi?" "If it wasn't Ryuichi, I might have won," and "Why, of all people, is Ryuichi standing in front of me?... Such feelings also welled up." After losing the selection, she said she was "hit by a sense of emptiness, as if I wanted to disappear," and revealed her state of mind when she decided to retire.

■ "It's still frustrating" - Her true feelings and conflict over her record being broken. Her thoughts on "RikuRyu" and her present

After retiring, Takahashi became involved in the figure skating world as a commentator. When the "RikuRyu" pair, including her former partner Kihara, broke the World Championship record she had once set, she admitted to having complex feelings: "I was commentating with all my might, but... it was still frustrating." While struggling with the thought, "If it wasn't Ryuichi, honestly, I could have been happier," she also recalled feeling that "I don't like this side of myself." She said it was the performance of "RikuRyu" that helped her overcome these feelings. "The 'RikuRyu pair' was doing the kind of skating I admired back then. I found myself simply moved by it, and before I knew it, I had moved beyond my former partnership and my own achievements, and I was cheering for them," she said.

Currently, she is active as a TV personality, commentator, and also as the youngest board member of the JOC (Japanese Olympic Committee). "This is all thanks to everyone (my past selves)," she reflected, sending a message to her future self: "Please do everything you are doing now with all your might, without being lazy."

Takahashi's journey of confronting her past and overcoming setbacks and conflicts is still available for streaming on "ABEMA." Please be sure to watch it.

■ "ABEMA Entertainment" Broadcast Overview

An information program that introduces carefully selected news from the world of entertainment. It delivers hot topics daily, including breaking news, new releases, and news related to celebrities' social media. It also features original interviews that delve into the charm and true nature of trending figures.

Broadcast time: Every Monday to Friday from 11:00 PM

Broadcast channel: ABEMA NEWS Channel

■ "ABEMA Entertainment" Original Project "Re:MAKE ~Dear Me, Back Then~" Overview

In life, there are unforgettable turning points...

If you could turn back time,

Knowing the regrets and joys you know now,

What words would you give to your past self?

By facing the past,

The present becomes clearer and the future can be drawn.

"Re:MAKE ~Dear Me, Back Then~"

"ABEMA Entertainment" Program URL: https://abema.tv/video/title/89-116

※When using images, please include the credit: 【(C)AbemaTV,Inc.】.

■ About "ABEMA"

"ABEMA" is a video streaming business that aims to innovate television as a "new future of TV," celebrating its 10th anniversary on April 11, 2026. Since its launch, as an internet television service that can be enjoyed for free without registration, it has been broadcasting about 25 channels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in a wide variety of genres, including a 24-hour news channel, original dramas and romance reality shows that pursue "the highest quality or the one and only," variety shows, anime, and sports.

In addition to boasting the No. 1 number of original episodes for a domestic video service in Japan (*), it also offers an extensive lineup of notable new movies, popular domestic and international dramas, and trending anime, as well as sports broadcasts and online live events. Through a viewing experience that is not bound by time, allowing you to enjoy works anytime on TV or on-demand, and not bound by place, on smartphones, PCs, tablets, and TV devices, we continue to provide content that寄り添う (accompanies) diverse lifestyles.

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(*) As of March 2026, according to our own research

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