Retired figure skating pair Riku Miura (三浦璃来) and Ryuichi Kihara (木原龍一), known to fans as “Rikuryu,” launched a joint YouTube channel on July 25, 2026. The debut video opens with a self-introduction that immediately shows off the duo’s easy chemistry: when Miura states her name, Kihara deadpans “I know that,” setting the tone for the rest of the video.
The conversation then turns casual, with Miura revealing she has recently gotten into cycling. Kihara specifies that it’s road biking, prompting Miura to joke that the channel might end up becoming “a road bike channel.” Miura went on to say she wants the channel to focus on sharing their everyday life together, while Kihara noted that their relaxed, joking dynamic in the video is simply “how we always are.”
Explaining their motivation for starting the channel, Miura said she wanted to convey the appeal of pairs skating and give fans a chance to get to know the two of them better. She also reflected that during their competitive careers, they deliberately avoided activities that carried any risk of injury. Now retired from competition, she said she wants to enjoy things outside of skating. The pair indicated future videos may cover cooking, training and games.
The debut video has drawn an enthusiastic response, with viewers commenting on how happy the pair looked and comparing their rapport to a comedy duo, with one comment reading, “It’s like watching a married couple’s manzai act.”
Who are Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara?
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara are a Japanese figure skating pair who won the gold medal in pairs skating at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Widely known by the portmanteau nickname “Rikuryu,” the duo built a large fanbase both for their performances and for their warm, comedic off-ice dynamic. Since retiring from competitive skating, they have remained popular figures in Japan, and their new YouTube channel marks their first ongoing platform for connecting directly with fans outside of competition.
Author’s Comment
Retired athletes launching a YouTube channel is basically a national pastime in Japan at this point, but Rikuryu might actually have the chemistry to pull it off. That "I know that" line within the first thirty seconds tells you everything — these two have clearly spent years finishing each other’s sentences on the ice, and now they get to do it for the camera instead of the judges. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for the "road bike channel" tangent already outpacing the actual mission statement. Give it three videos before cooking content shows up, and give it six before someone in the comments starts a petition for them to do a tandem bike episode.
