The Figure Skater Who Refused to Stay Retired

Nobunari Oda’s figure skating career was filled with moments that almost sound fictional. In 2005, he stood on top of the Japanese National Championships podium as champion — only for officials to discover a scoring error afterward and award the title to Daisuke Takahashi instead. Away from competition, Oda also became one of Japanese figure skating’s most beloved personalities. His friendship with Yuzuru Hanyu revealed a playful side of both skaters, while Oda’s emotional reactions to Hanyu’s greatest achievements became memorable moments for fans. Then came the ending nobody expected. More than a decade after retiring, Nobunari Oda returned to the Japanese National Championships at 37 years old — and opened his short program with a quadruple toe loop–triple toe loop combination. He landed both. This is the story of one of figure skating’s strangest, funniest, most painful, and ultimately most inspiring careers. Chapters: 00:00 - How Nobunari Oda’s Career Was Shaped by Costly Mistakes 03:47 - How Oda Became One of Japan’s Most Beloved Skaters 09:40 - How Oda Returned to Competition at 37