Rikuryu Shine at Winter Olympic Parade with Gold and Silver Medals and Overwhelming Star Presence

Riku Miura (24), smiling playfully as she holds her gold and silver medals in both hands while wearing them around her neck. Beside her, Ryuichi Kihara (33) looks intently at his smartphone—this is the “Rikuryu” pair, who made history by winning Japan’s first Olympic gold medal in figure skating pairs.

On April 25, the “Appreciation Parade” for the Japanese team of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics was held along Nihonbashi in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward. About 50,000 fans gathered along the 700-meter parade route on Nihonbashi Chuo-dori.

“This was the third such event for the Summer Olympics, but the first ever for the Winter Games. According to organizers, 25,000 hand flags printed with ‘Thank you!’ were distributed for free, but they quickly ran out. About 1,400 volunteers were deployed. Although the parade started shortly after 9 a.m., many fans began securing spots from before 6 a.m., and the majority were Rikuryu fans. Some even traveled from rural areas the day before, and many brought handmade signs and fans,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

A total of 115 Olympians and Paralympians participated in the parade. It was only toward the end that the pair finally appeared, drawing cheers from the crowd—though most of them were “Riku-chaaan!” In response, Miura struck playful poses showing her medals, as described above, while Kihara focused on supporting her even in this celebratory moment, waving and filming her and the surroundings on his smartphone.

The climax of the parade also belonged to Rikuryu. Kihara lifted Miura overhead in a graceful pose, prompting loud cheers from the crowd.

On April 17, the two announced their retirement from competitive skating via their respective social media accounts. At a press conference on the 22nd, Miura said:

“We want to work hard so that Japan can become a powerhouse in pairs skating and produce more Olympic athletes in the future.”

Kihara added:

“I want to work hard so that I can return to the Olympics in the future as a coach.”

The announcement prompted many voices across Japan expressing sadness at their retirement. However, at the special stage set up at the parade venue, when MC Shuzo Matsuoka (58) asked Kihara for a comment, he declared:

“We will continue our activities as professionals, so please keep supporting us!”

The crowd responded with loud applause and cheers. When Matsuoka asked, “Has life changed a little?”, Miura replied with a smile:

“We will never change.”

Kihara also smiled and said:

“We will keep walking forward as Rikuryu, just as we always have.”

The pair is scheduled to hold another retirement press conference on April 28, but it seems certain that fans will continue to see performances from Rikuryu in the future.