Hyoen (Japanese: 氷艶) is a series of Japanese cross-genre ice shows produced by USM (Universal Sports Marketing Co., Ltd.), starring 2010 Olympic men's figure skating bronze medallist and World Champion, Daisuke Takahashi. Hyoen fuses figure skating with Japanese culture, blending elements of Japanese traditional performing arts (e.g., Kabuki theatre, Takarazuka Revue), contemporary storytelling, music and advanced visual effects. Each production features a narrative, integrating skating, acting, singing, (Japanese) dance and acrobatics, creating a multidisciplinary theatrical experience. Hyoen draws from Japanese heritage, whether through adaptations of classic literature, such as The Tale of Genji (Hyoen 2019) or modern reinterpretations of folklore, such as the Ura Legend (Hyoen 2025), a legend from Okayama that inspired the Momotarō folk tale. Themes range from historical epics to contemporary fantasies, like Night on the Galactic Railroad in Hyoen 2024. The narratives often explore universal themes such as moral conflicts, justice, love, (self) sacrifice/altruism and identity.
Performers and creative contributors
The shows are headlined by Japanese men's figure skating pioneer Daisuke Takahashi, bringing both performance skill and star appeal. The casts are complemented by other popular top figure skaters, such as 2006 Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa, 2006 Olympic silver medalist Stéphane Lambiel, 2014 World silver medalist Yulia Lipnitskaya, 2012 World bronze medalist Akiko Suzuki, 2005 World Junior Men's Champion Nobunari Oda, 2010 World Junior Women's Champion Kanako Murakami and Takahashi's ice dance partner, 2022 Four Continents silver medalist, Kana Muramoto, as well as established actors, singers, dancers and performers like Blue Tokyo (an ensemble that fuses dance and rhythmic gymnastics) or Japanese taiko drum ensemble Tao (formerly: Drum Tao).
Rehearsal process and evolution of performers' skills
Because the Hyoen productions are interdisciplinary and performers from various backgrounds perform together on the ice, rehearsals involve intensive training camps lasting several weeks. While actors and singers are learning the basics of figure skating, the figure skaters are receiving acting instructions and, in some cases, singing lessons. For Takahashi, in particular, who often sings and speaks live as a lead actor, Hyoen provides a platform where he takes on new challenges in various performance disciplines beyond figure skating.
Venue and distribution
Hyoen is typically held at Yokohama Arena, accommodating large audiences. The shows have been broadcast live on TV channels NHK BS Premium (2017) and CS NittelePlus (2019–2025) as well as streamed on HuluJapan (2019, 2021), PIA Live Stream (2019), ZAIKO (2021) and ePlus (2024) and screened nationwide in cinemas.
Visual production
Hyoen utilizes large-scale staging, projection mapping, spatial video production and intricate lighting to create immersive experiences. The implementation of projection mapping followed a test project for the fusion of this technology with figure skating, which was performed by Daisuke Takahashi to the song GIFT by the Japanese pop rock band Mr. Children, in March 2016. The aforementioned project as well as the subsequent implementation in Hyoen were realized by the art collective teamLab, an interdisciplinary group of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects.
Theme: Inspired by the Genpei War and the legendary figure Minamoto no Yoshitsune, this show incorporated traditional Japanese Kabuki theater elements, one of Japan's cultural arts. The narrative followed a fictional storyline loosely based on historic events, blending skating performances with Kabuki style acting, sword fighting, traditional Japanese music and vibrant costumes. It established Hyoen's signature style of merging athleticism with theatrical storytelling.
Direction: Basara was directed by Kabuki actor Ichikawa Somegorō VII (now Matsumoto Kōshirō X), who also starred as the villain Nikki Danjo.
Theme: A loose adaptation of The Tale of Genji, a classic 11th-century Japanese novel by Murasaki Shikibu, depicting the aristocratic society of the Heian period, focusing on the romantic and political life of Hikaru Genji. The show incorporated elements of musical theatre to enhance its storytelling. It combined skating with live singing and acting.
Direction: Like the Moonlight was directed by internationally acclaimed theatre director Amon Miyamoto.
Music:Takahiro Matsumoto of the rock duo B'z contributed the theme song. All other music was written by acclaimed soundtrack composer Kenji Kawai.
Theme: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic a full Hyoen production could not be realized. Instead, LUXE was promoted as a Takarazuka Revue-style Hyoen spin-off without a strict storyline, themed around a journey around the world, featuring loosely connected vignettes.
Direction: LUXE was directed by Kikunojo Onoe, who had previously directed Japanese dance dramas, as well as Kabuki and Takarazuka Revue works, and Ryo Harada, a Takarazuka Revue director.
Music:Ayaka Hirahara wrote and performed the theme song live in the show. Most of the other music was written by Shoichi Tamasa.
Theme: The 2024 production was a loose adaptation of the classic philosophical fantasy novel, Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa. The story, revolving around a cosmic journey and exploring themes of self-sacrifice and altruism, was reimagined as a contemporary fantasy, focusing on protagonists Kakeru, a mineralogist and Tokio, an aeronautics scientist. The show featured a cast of 38 performers, combining skating, singing, and acting.
Direction: The production was set to be directed by Amon Miyamoto again, who, due to an unspecified conflict, was replaced by Kikunojo Onoe, who had worked on all previous Hyoen productions, one month before the opening of the show.
Music: The story was entirely told through pre-existing songs of the Japanese pop rock duo YUZU, who also performed a short set at the end of each show. Amon Miyamoto chose the songs from the band's back catalogue that suited the storyline best and Kenji Kawai rearranged and re-recorded them, adding original parts where needed. Yūjin Kitagawa, one of the two members of YUZU, was in charge of musical direction. The band also wrote a theme song specifically for the show, titled Jyujisei (engl.: Cross Star Miracle), which was subsequently released on the album Zukan (図鑑 engl.: Illustration book).
Visual effects:FLYD Tokyo (spatial video production)
Notable Performers:Daisuke Takahashi (figure skater) as Kakeru, Takurō Ōno (actor) as Tokio, Kana Muramoto (figure skater) as Yuki, Kazuki Tomono (figure skater) as young Kakeru, Koshiro Shimada (figure skater) as young Tokio, Ayumi Urabe (figure skater) as young Yuki, Shizuka Arakawa (figure skater) as a "rich woman", Masahiro Ehara (actor and comedian) as the train conductor, Marie (actress and singer), Eliana (singer) and Kai Hasegawa (singer) portraying several roles, members of BLUE TOKYO, Ayumu Matsuoka of TOK¥O TRICKING MOB, YUZU
Theme: Inspired by the Ura Legend, that served as the basis for the popular Momotarō folktale, the story explored the clash of ideals between Ura (the benevolent king of the Shirakiri tribe, who befriended the villagers of Kibi no Sato and was portrayed as a demon/ogre (yasha) by the Yamato Imperial Court) and Kibitsuhiko (the model for Momotarō). Set in Okayama Prefecture, it explored themes of "justice" and "evil" against a backdrop of Japanese mythology, with a focus on dramatic confrontations and cultural motifs. The regional connection, due to Okayama being Takahashi's home Prefecture, added a personal layer.
Direction: The production was directed by movie director Yukihiko Tsutsumi.
Screenplay: Takuma Suehara
Music: Rock musician SUGIZO of Luna Sea and X Japan composed the music for the entire play and performed live on guitar and violin throughout the show. SUGIZO said about his involvement in the production: "It has been my long-cherished wish for a quarter century to work with director Tsutsumi Yukihiko, whom I respect deeply as an artist. I think this rock opera that I will create with director Tsutsumi using the expressive method of ice skating will be the culmination of my musical career".
(Visual) effects: Video production by RAM, Chūnori (wire-flying)
Notable Performers:Daisuke Takahashi (figure skater) as Ura, Takahisa Masuda (actor and singer, member of the boy band NEWS) as Kibitsuhiko, Misato Morita (actress) as Asohime, Ryota Aoyama (actor) as Senshū, Seiji Fukushi (actor) as Yakumo, Eisaku Yoshida (actor and singer) as Shadow Emperor, Shizuka Arakawa (figure skater) as Iron Goddess, Takuma Zaiki (actor) as Tometamaomi no Mikoto, Keiji Tanaka (figure skater) as Sasamorihiko no Mikoto, Koshiro Shimada (figure skater) as Takeru Inukai, Kana Muramoto (figure skater) as Kasumi, on-screen performance by Masachika Ichimura (actor) as Darkness Swallowing God, voice performance by Keiko Toda (actress) as Iron Goddess, members of BLUE TOKYO, Ayumu Matsuoka of TOK¥O TRICKING MOB, SUGIZO
Cultural significance
Hyoen pushes the boundaries of ice shows by merging figure skating with Japanese storytelling and performing arts, appealing to both skating fans and theatergoers. By adapting Japanese stories and aesthetics, Hyoen celebrates and reinterprets the country's cultural heritage, making it accessible to both domestic and international audiences.
