Yuri On Ice AND Figure Skating Nerds Might Appreciate That This Weekend, The NHK Trophy Is Taking Place

Yuri On Ice AND figure skating nerds might appreciate that this weekend, the NHK Trophy is taking place in Yoyogi Stadium, which is the location where Viktor won his 5th consecutive World Championship

The real stadium vs. the anime version:

... and from above - a sight we don't get to see in the anime.

The venue from the inside real vs. anime:

If you look closely, you can even spot the two big ventillation tubes on the left right below the curved ceiling.

It's not that uncommon that a figure skating event takes place in one of the venues from YOI because there are only so many suitable venues for figure skating competitions available. In 2021, the Rostelecom Cup was held in Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi where the Grand Prix Final of tears happened. The Beijing Olympics in 2022 and the 2023 Grand Prix Final were held in Capital Indoor Stadium where Yuuri and Viktor kissed for the first time. And the 2022 Skate Canada was held in Mississauga, just like the Skate Canada in YOI-- and those are only the competitions since I've started following the sport.

By the way: the 2021 NHK Trophy was held in Yoyogi Stadium as well.

However, every time a real figure skating event takes place in some of these places, it feels magical. As if the world of YOI and the real world connect and the universe feels a bit more complete.