YOSHIKI

Yoshiki Hayashi (Japanese: 林 佳樹, Hepburn: Hayashi Yoshiki; born November 20, 1965), known mononymously as Yoshiki, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, film director, and fashion designer. He is best known as the leader of the visual kei rock bands X Japan and the Last Rockstars, for which he is the drummer, pianist, and main songwriter. He has been described by Billboard as a "musical innovator" and named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history" by Consequence. Time labeled Yoshiki as "an absolute force" and "one of Japan's most celebrated musicians". Yoshiki's solo career includes several classical studio albums and collaborations with artists such as George Martin, Bono, will.i.am, St. Vincent, the Chainsmokers, Skrillex, Ellie Goulding, Stan Lee, Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen, Gene Simmons and Kiss, Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Brightman, Jonas Brothers, Josh Groban, Jonathan Davis of Korn, and Diana Ross. In 1999, at the request of the Japanese Imperial family, he composed and performed a classical song at a celebration in honor of the tenth anniversary of Emperor Akihito's enthronement. Yoshiki also composed the theme for the 69th Golden Globe Awards as well as for several anime and film soundtracks including Attack on Titan and Saw IV. In 2023, he made his directorial debut with the feature documentary film Yoshiki: Under the Sky. In 2018, readers and professional musicians voted Yoshiki the best drummer and the best keyboardist in the history of hard rock and heavy metal in We Rock magazine's "Metal General Election". In 2023, he was selected as the first Japanese artist to be honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in nearly 100 years. In 2024, Variety selected Yoshiki as the International Achievement in Music honoree. Time named Yoshiki one of the most influential people of 2025 in their Time 100 list.

Bands

• X Japan - current member

Credited On

• X Japan - Blue Blood Tour Bakuhatsu Sunzen GIG - X Japan, released September 5, 2001 (KSB5-5734). Drums, Piano.

Biography

Translated from the ja.wikipedia article YOSHIKI (CC BY-SA 4.0), revision 110496827.

Person

YOSHIKI is best known as the drummer and pianist of X JAPAN, the visual kei rock band that made its major-label debut in 1989. He also serves as the band's leader and main composer.

As a solo artist, he has released three studio albums: Eternal Melody (1993), ETERNAL MELODY II (2005), and YOSHIKI CLASSICAL (2013). His major solo works include a celebratory composition for the National Celebration Ceremony in Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor (1999), the official image song for the Japan International Exposition, Aichi Expo (2005), and the official theme song for the Golden Globe Awards (2012).

The independent record company Extasy Records, which he founded in 1986, produced artists including LUNA SEA, GLAY, and ZI:KILL, and became one of the pioneers of the visual kei movement. From 1993, he also began producing other artists, and has worked on releases by NOA, GLAY, Hideki Saijo (西城秀樹), Seiko Kitano (北野井子), DIR EN GREY, Shizuka Kudo (工藤静香), Porun (ぽるん), Seiko Matsuda (松田聖子), and SixTONES, among others.

In 2000, he received a commendation from the Minister of Education as a person who had contributed to Japanese society and culture. In 2010, he established the U.S. nonprofit public benefit corporation 501(c)(3) Yoshiki Foundation America and became involved in international humanitarian assistance. In 2019, the business magazine Forbes Asia selected him as one of the 30 leading philanthropists in the Asia-Pacific region in its “Heroes of Philanthropy” list. In 2021, he received the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon in recognition of his dedicated charitable activities.

Through X JAPAN's performance at Madison Square Garden in 2014, X JAPAN's performance at Wembley Arena in 2017, and YOSHIKI's solo performance at Carnegie Hall that same year, he became the first Asian to perform at the world's three major music venues. As a result of such achievements, the American media outlet Consequence has regarded YOSHIKI as “one of the most influential composers in Japanese history.” His passion to “continue creating art that can compete on the world stage” led X JAPAN to worldwide success, and he has long been known as an innovator in music.

Some have argued that YOSHIKI's talent lies in his ability to create songs that will be heard around the world for 100 years, and that his music, with its moving melodies and beautiful harmonies, is uniquely his own, directly conveying the tremors of the composer's heart.

Early Life

Yoshiki was born on November 20, 1965, in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, as the elder of two brothers in a family that operated a long-established kimono shop. His father played jazz piano, his mother played the shamisen, and his aunt enjoyed playing the koto, reflecting the family's musical side. His father had also been a professional tap dancer before inheriting the family business from the previous generation. His current manager is his younger brother, Mitsuki, who is five years his junior. His brother's wife, Chika Matsuno, is a gymnastics instructor.

During his early childhood, a housekeeper primarily cared for the brothers in place of their parents, who were busy with work. At the age of four, his father bought him a piano, and he began taking classical piano lessons at a piano school near his home. Around this time, he met Toshl, with whom he would later form a band, at kindergarten. He regularly enjoyed listening to classical music records purchased by his father, and at the age of eight, he used his own allowance to buy for the first time a record containing Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished,” and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor.

Because he was frail and suffered from severe childhood asthma, he was forced to undergo frequent hospitalizations until the middle grades of elementary school. In his hospital room, he avidly read children's biographies of great figures brought by his father during visits, and became particularly interested in the difficult life of Beethoven, who became deaf at a young age yet left behind numerous masterpieces.

Involvement With Music

Around the age of nine, Yoshiki began composing on the piano, and from the ages of 10 to 14 he played trumpet in his school brass band. From middle school through high school, he also belonged to the soccer club alongside the brass band, playing as a midfielder, the team’s playmaker. It was customary for him to receive a musical instrument for his birthday each year, and he began playing trumpet after his father bought him one for his 10th birthday. However, his father died by suicide the following August, at the age of 34.

Until then, he had listened only to classical music, but he became fascinated with rock after purchasing Kiss’s single “Love Gun,” drawn by the cover he happened to see at a record store he frequented, and after attending Kiss’s Rock and Roll Over Tour concert at Nippon Budokan with his mother. He began playing drums at the age of 11. He also began playing guitar at the age of 12, but quickly gave it up because detailed work did not suit him.

At the age of 11, he formed his first four-member band, DYNAMITE, with two elementary-school classmates and his childhood friend Toshl, who could play guitar. Initially, he was the drummer and vocalist, practicing Kiss songs at a nearby rental studio. However, because his voice changed late and he could sing only in a high register, after entering middle school he recruited a new classmate as vocalist and focused on drums. The band was renamed NOISE and performed songs by Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, among others.

In order to play more complex rhythms, he asked his mother to buy him a double-bass drum set for his 14th birthday. Using Cozy Powell, who also played double bass drums, as a model, he practiced by covering songs such as Rainbow’s “Stargazer.” He made his first stage appearance at a farewell event for graduating students held in his middle school gymnasium. After entering Awa High School, he continued performing as NOISE at school cultural festivals and other events, playing songs by Led Zeppelin, UFO, Rainbow, and others.

Formation of X JAPAN

In the summer of 1982, he dissolved NOISE after members left to concentrate on university entrance examinations. Influenced at the time by Iron Maiden's albums Iron Maiden and Killers, he formed a new band, X (now X JAPAN), with Toshl, who had switched to vocals, and students from other schools in a twin-lead guitar lineup, pursuing a heavier style of rock. In addition to performing existing songs, X began composing original material; “I'LL KILL YOU”, the first song he composed for X, was released as the band's first single in 1985. The band steadily expanded its performance repertoire.

From his third year of high school, he devoted himself seriously to the piano with the aim of entering a music university, studying musical theory including solfeggio, harmony, and music theory through an entrance-examination program. He received piano instruction from Ryo Mishiba, who was then enrolled at Kunitachi College of Music. Between studying for entrance examinations, he entered several band contests with X. Although the band did not receive an award at the Chiba Prefecture competition of Yamaha's amateur band contest EastWest, he won the Best Drummer Award individually. Toshl also subsequently won a Best Vocalist Award at a contest in which he participated. Having gained confidence in the band's potential as a result, Toshl told him that he had decided not to attend university and to continue the band in Tokyo; in response, he withdrew his application to music university one week before the entrance examination.

After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo with Toshl in order to pursue band activities in earnest. During the live-house era, he played drums as a helper at Doom's first live performance, through a connection with a staff member at the live house Kagurazaka EXPLOSION (神楽坂EXPLOSION), where X performed, who was a member of Doom. Alongside his activities with X, he also formed and performed with the punk band L.O.X together with NAOKI of Lip Cream and ACT of ORANGE.

As X frequently underwent membership changes, there was also a period when its only members were him and Toshl.

In 1986, he established the independent record company Extasy Records in order to release X's records. X's first album, Vanishing Vision, released by the company in 1988, reached number 19 on Oricon's weekly chart, becoming the first release from an independent label to rank on Japan's major chart. The following year, X made its major-label debut with its second album, BLUE BLOOD, through CBS Sony. By the end of the year, the band had received awards including Best New Artist at the Japan Cable Awards, Best New Artist at the All Japan Cable Broadcasting Awards, and Best New Artist at the 4th Japan Gold Disc Awards. He has also served as the band's producer since X JAPAN's 1993 album ART OF LIFE.

Solo Activities (1991–1999)

On October 31, 1991, YOSHIKI held a press conference with Tetsuya Komuro of TMN and announced that they were forming a new unit, V2. On December 5, V2 held the concert V2 SPECIAL LIVE VIRGINITY at Tokyo Bay NK Hall. That year, YOSHIKI released Yoshiki Selection, a compilation album of classical music selected by himself, on December 12 as his first work under his solo name. The album received the Western Music Album Award in the Classical category at the 6th Japan Gold Disc Awards.

In 1992, V2 released the single “Haitoku no Hitomi ~Eyes of Venus~.” YOSHIKI also purchased his own recording studio and home in Los Angeles, moving his production and living base to the United States. Interested in computer-based production environments such as MIDI and Synclavier, he conceived Violet UK, a project extending beyond the framework of a band. On July 23, 1992, he announced his first solo contract with Toshiba EMI. On July 30, he held YOSHIKI TALK LIVE at Budokan at Nippon Budokan (日本武道館), where he premiered “ART OF LIFE,” a song depicting his own life that was released as an X JAPAN work in 1993, in the form of a piano concerto. He also wrote and composed “TEARS ~Daichi o Nurashite~,” a choral song performed by all participating singers at the 43rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, held at NHK Hall at the end of the year, and accompanied it on the venue’s pipe organ. “TEARS ~Daichi o Nurashite~” was also remade in 1993 as X JAPAN’s single “Tears.” Through Toshiba EMI, the album Eternal Melody and the single “Amethyst” were released in 1993 as a joint project with George Martin, known as the Beatles’ producer. Martin agreed to produce the project after watching a video of the performance of “ART OF LIFE” at Nippon Budokan. In 1993, YOSHIKI produced NOA’s single “Ima o Dakishimete,” the theme song for the TBS drama Tetteiteki ni Ai wa..., which began airing in October and received an Excellence Award at the 36th Japan Record Awards.

In 1994, he released “Foreign Sand,” a collaborative single with Queen drummer Roger Taylor. The two performed together at GME ’94: AONIYOSHI—Music Heritage for the 21st Century, held at the request of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He also participated in the Kiss tribute album Kiss My Ass with “Black Diamond,” arranged as a piano concerto. That year, he established the major label Platinum Records and gave GLAY its major-label debut. The label also released his second classical music compilation album, Yoshiki Selection II, in 1996.

On April 20, 1997, vocalist Toshl left X JAPAN. On September 22 of the same year, YOSHIKI held a press conference at Tokyo Miyako Hotel and announced X JAPAN’s disbandment. He composed and arranged Hideki Saijo’s 76th single, “moment,” released on August 6 that year. Plans to reunite X JAPAN in 2000 with a new vocalist and for YOSHIKI himself to work in earnest as a music producer in Japan and the United States were derailed when guitarist hide died suddenly on May 2, 1998, leaving him emotionally devastated. Although he produced artists including Kitanosho Iko and DIR EN GREY, he remained entirely out of the public spotlight. During this period, he was commissioned to compose a celebratory piece for the National Celebration Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Emperor’s Accession. At the ceremony held in the Imperial Palace Plaza on November 12, 1999, he performed the piano concerto “Anniversary,” which he had composed. The cheers he received on that occasion became the impetus for his return.

Solo Activities (2000–09)

In June 2000, he announced the establishment of the major label Extasy Japan. He was involved in the debuts of artists signed to the label, including Shiro, BEAST, and Revenus. He also produced albums by Abandoned Pools, Laura Dawn, and Kidneythieves, artists signed to Extasy Records International, a label he had established in Los Angeles in February 1998. He resumed production of Violet UK and used three songs, “Confusion”, “The Other Side”, and “Blind Dance”, in corporate-image commercials for Seven-Eleven Japan, in which he also appeared and for which he handled the direction. As Violet UK, he had provided the song “sane” for the 1998 film In Gods Hands. On November 1, 2000, he appeared as a guest at Yumi Matsutoya’s Brothers & Sisters concert at the Tokyo International Forum, accompanying “Kageriyuku Heya” on piano.

On September 1, 2002, he announced on stage at the a-nation avex SUMMER FESTA 2002 live event in Odaiba that he would join globe. It was announced that the name for activities including YOSHIKI would become globe extreme in 2005, but there has so far been no actual activity, and it has also been described as a Komuro-style joke. In December of that year, he held YOSHIKI Symphonic Concert 2002 with Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra featuring VIOLET UK at the Tokyo International Forum. The concert, conducted by Ikurō Fujiwara and Konstantin D. Krimets with a 16-piece orchestra emphasizing string instruments, also featured Daughter and Nicole Scherzinger of Violet UK. Scherzinger sang the English-language version of “I’ll Be Your Love”. A version of “I’ll Be Your Love” sung by Hawaii-born singer DAHLIA, whom YOSHIKI selected, was released as a single on October 29, 2003, as the official image song of the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, “Ai Chikyu Haku”. The English-language version sung by Scherzinger was included on the official Aichi Expo album “Ai Chikyu Haku” presents GLOBAL HARMONY, released on September 26 of that year.

For the ending theme of NHK’s 50th-anniversary television broadcast program Anata to Tomo ni 50-nen Kyo wa Terebi no Tanjobi, aired on February 1, 2003, he composed “Kimi dake dakara”, sung by Cho Sung-mo and Hiroko Shimabukuro, and accompanied it on piano during the program. In 2004, he composed “Sekai no Owari no Yoru ni”, sung by Sumire Haruno, for the Takarazuka Revue Flower Troupe production TAKARAZUKA Mai Mu!. He also produced “Scorpio”, the Japanese debut single by the South Korean rock band TRAX, at the request of Avex.

In 2005, he conducted a classical arrangement of “I’ll Be Your Love”, performed by the EXPO Super World Orchestra at the opening ceremony of the Aichi Expo. In preparation, he trained by watching videos of Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, and others. He also received formal instruction from Shelly Berg and Tsunemasa Kawamoto, as well as advice from Yutaka Sado, before conducting. That year, he released his second classical album, ETERNAL MELODY II, and a live DVD of YOSHIKI Symphonic Concert 2002 with Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra featuring VIOLET UK through Columbia Music Entertainment, with which he had signed an exclusive contract in February 2003.

In 2006, it was announced that he would compose the music for the feature-length animated film The Rose of Versailles. On August 5 of that year, he was invited as a special guest to the anime convention Otakon 2006, held in Baltimore.

In 2007, he organized the J-Rock Revolution Festival at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on May 25 and 26. He announced the formation of S.K.I.N., a rock band with GACKT, SUGIZO, and Miyavi, as well as S.K.I.N.’s first live performance at Anime Expo 2007, held in Long Beach in June that year. He also created theme songs for the 2007 American films Catacombs and Saw IV, and served as music supervisor and executive producer for the 2008 American film Repo! The Genetic Opera. The theme song for Saw IV was “I.V.” by X JAPAN, which had begun moving toward a reunion following his first reunion with Toshl in approximately eight years. On October 18, 2007, X JAPAN announced its reunion on its official website.

In 2008, he created “Aisuru Hito yo”, sung by Masafumi Akikawa, as the theme song for Nippon Television’s 55th-anniversary drama Tokyo Daikushu. He also announced that he would serve as music producer for the AK100 Project, marking the 100th anniversary of Akira Kurosawa’s birth. In 2009, he provided “BLUE SKY HEAVEN” for the weather segment of Nippon Television’s information program Zoom In!! SUPER.

In 2009, he created “Soten no Ishgard”, the commemorative theme song for the 30th anniversary of a Nippon Television network program. He also wrote “Rosa”, a Violet UK song, as the theme song for the Japanese historical fantasy film Goemon, which became available on iTunes on April 29. That year, he again collaborated with Mugen Motorsports and racing-car manufacturer Dome, following their 1995 collaboration, and competed in the Super GT series. In July 2009, he underwent surgery for a herniated disc and was instructed by doctors to refrain from intense drumming. At the time, YOSHIKI’s neck injury was severe, and his management stated that it was serious enough that a professional rugby player would have been forced to retire.

Solo Activities (2010–2019)

On February 24, 2010, YOSHIKI produced Toshl's concert, Toshl LAST CONCERT "Bushido JAPAN", at Akasaka BLITZ in Tokyo, and participated as a guest musician on piano. On July 4 of the same year, he appeared with Toshi at Japan Expo in Paris, where they performed. In October, during an X JAPAN tour, he lost consciousness in his hotel room and was subsequently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.

On January 24 and 25, 2011, he again teamed up with ToshI for their first dinner show as the project ToshI feat. YOSHIKI. The show featured an orchestra, and a live album of the performance was later released. On March 6, YOSHIKI and fashion producer Jay f.R, producer of the fashion festival Tokyo Girls Collection, held the fashion and music event “ASIA GIRLS EXPLOSION” at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Numerous special guest models walked the runway at the event, which featured YOSHIKIMONO, YOSHIKI's own kimono brand, as well as performances by both X JAPAN and Violet UK.

Beginning in May 2011, he hosted a music program titled YOSHIKI Radio on “The Boneyard,” the hard rock channel of the American satellite radio station SiriusXM. The monthly one-hour program introduced music that had influenced him as well as Japanese popular culture, including anime. Only the first broadcast, on May 27, aired at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time; from the second broadcast on June 5 through the seventh on November 6, it aired on the first Sunday of each month at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The program was commissioned after a radio station representative became interested upon seeing X JAPAN's New York concert on October 10, 2010.

At the 40th American Music Awards (2012 AMA), held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on November 18, 2012, he was invited as one of the celebrities and walked the red carpet, although he was serving as a substitute for an absent host.

Also in 2012, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association asked him to compose the official theme song for the Golden Globe Awards. The resulting piece, “Golden Globe Theme,” has been used since the 69th Golden Globe Awards ceremony. In January 2013, the song became his first solo release to be distributed through the iTunes Store in 111 countries worldwide. On August 27 of that year, he released the compilation album YOSHIKI CLASSICAL, which added “Golden Globe Theme” and the new song “Miracle,” used as the opening of X JAPAN's world tour, to tracks from Eternal Melody and ETERNAL MELODY II. To commemorate the album's release, he held a showcase titled An Evening with Yoshiki at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on August 26, which was broadcast live on Nico Nico Live and Ustream.

On February 19, 2014, he held a press conference accompanied by a solo performance at the Grammy Museum and announced his first solo world tour, the YOSHIKI CLASSICAL WORLD TOUR. Beginning in Costa Mesa, California, on April 25, the tour visited San Francisco in the United States; Mexico City, Mexico; Moscow, Russia; Berlin, Germany; Paris, France; London, United Kingdom; Shanghai and Beijing, China; Bangkok, Thailand; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. He also performed “Hero (Yoshiki Classical Version),” composed as the theme song for the animated film Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary, released that year. Beginning on the day of the press conference, the Grammy Museum displayed his favorite piano, stage costumes, and other items, making him the first Asian artist to be exhibited there.

On March 14, 2014, he appeared at the SXSW music convention in Austin, Texas. At an after-party held after the event, two pianos were installed at the venue, and he performed a piano duet with his own hologram. On July 4 of the same year, he took part in Japan Expo 2007, an annual convention in Paris introducing Japanese popular culture, and held a solo concert. During the concert, illustrator Tatsuro Iwamoto joined as a guest, and they presented an improvised collaboration of piano performance and painting. On August 15 and 16, he held his first dinner show, “EVENING WITH YOSHIKI IN TOKYO 2014,” at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. On October 29, he appeared at Hello Kitty Con 2014, a convention for Sanrio's character Hello Kitty, held at The Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. On a special stage at the venue, he gave the first performance of “HELLO HELLO” (working title), Hello Kitty's official theme song, which he composed at the request of Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi.

Regarding an episode of the variety program Nakai Masahiro no Mi ni Naru Toshokan concerning X JAPAN that aired on March 11, 2015, he stated, “I happened to see it. There were various things, such as matters that differed from the truth and the editing, that I thought about, and I was somewhat hurt.” He further expressed his determination by saying, “Right now, I am risking my life and working hard toward the world so as not to disappoint all the fans.” In April of the same year, YOSHIKI served as a guest speaker and performer at the New Economy Summit (NEST).

On the second day of GLAY's Tokyo Dome concerts, 20th Anniversary Final GLAY in TOKYO DOME 2015 Miracle Music Hunt Forever, held on May 30 and 31, 2015, he appeared as a special guest and performed with the group on “RAIN,” GLAY's major-label debut song, which he had produced in 1994. In July, he performed with ToshI at the HYPER JAPAN Festival in London. On August 14 and 15, he held his second annual dinner show, “EVENING WITH YOSHIKI IN TOKYO JAPAN 2015,” at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. Including the additional performance, “BREAKFAST (LUNCH) WITH YOSHIKI IN TOKYO JAPAN 2015,” a total of three shows were held over two days.

He appeared at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and performed with a string quartet. The documentary film We Are X, which followed X JAPAN and YOSHIKI, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was selected for the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

On August 30 and 31, 2016, at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka, and on September 2 and 3 at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, he held his third annual dinner show, “EVENING WITH YOSHIKI 2016 IN OSAKA & TOKYO JAPAN.” A total of five performances were held, including breakfast shows. It was the first time the event was held in Osaka.

On October 12 of the same year, he attended “KISS EXPO TOKYO 2016: Jigoku no Hakurankai,” the world's first official exhibition for KISS. YOSHIKI visited on the day before its public opening and was personally escorted by Gene Simmons.

In November 2016, he received the Asian Icon Award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards in Tokyo. During the same year, he performed in Tokyo and Osaka before embarking on another world tour.

YOSHIKI's second solo classical tour began at Osaka-jō Hall on December 5, 2016. Performances were scheduled for December 6, 7, and 8 at Tokyo International Forum; December 29 at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong; and January 12 and 13, 2017, at Carnegie Hall in New York. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra participated in the Carnegie Hall performances. The December concerts in Tokyo were well received, but the Hong Kong concert on December 29 was canceled two hours before it was due to begin. The cancellation resulted from the promoter's oversight when applying for the entertainment license required to stage the show. On December 30, YOSHIKI gave a free performance, and ticket holders were refunded. He became the first major artist to take such an acclaimed action in Hong Kong. The Carnegie Hall concerts on January 12 and 13 sold out and were highly successful. After delivering a heartfelt speech about pursuing the American dream, YOSHIKI gave a surprise performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

In March 2017, he performed with a string quartet at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. In April, he released “YoshiKiss,” a collaborative T-shirt with KISS.

On May 10 of the same year, he announced on his website that he would undergo emergency surgery to replace an artificial disc in his cervical spine due to cervical foraminal stenosis. The emergency surgery was performed successfully at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 16. In July, YOSHIKI performed six shows with X JAPAN in Osaka and Yokohama.

Beginning with performances at the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel on August 26 and 27, followed by performances at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka on August 29 and 30 and at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on September 1 and 2, he held his fourth annual dinner show, “EVENING WITH YOSHIKI 2017 IN NAGOYA & OSAKA & TOKYO JAPAN.” A total of seven performances, including breakfast shows, were held. It was the first time the event was held in Nagoya.

Solo Activities (2020–present)

On January 22, 2020, he wrote, composed, and arranged SixTONES' debut song, "Imitation Rain."

Influence on the Japanese Rock Scene

YOSHIKI has been described as the “godfather of the visual kei movement.” Singer-songwriter KAMIJO and his band Versailles have stated that YOSHIKI and X JAPAN had a tremendous influence on musicians, saying, “I do not think there is anyone in the Japanese music industry who has not been influenced by X JAPAN.” Metal guitarist HIZAKI has also said that he was inspired by YOSHIKI. Kyo, vocalist of DIR EN GREY, stated, “Because of the influence of bands like X JAPAN, I wanted to be in a band too. Therefore, YOSHIKI was a great inspiration.” Kaoru, guitarist of DIR EN GREY, said, “YOSHIKI taught us how to evaluate what we create, and to have passion for what we are doing.” HYDE, vocalist of the band L'Arc-en-Ciel, called YOSHIKI “one of Japan’s representative artists.”

Influence on K-Pop

YOSHIKI is recognized as having had a major influence on Korean pop music. As the leader of X Japan, YOSHIKI became a pioneer of the visual kei scene, incorporating and popularizing the visual flair and glamorous aesthetic that later became symbols of K-pop. X Japan's songs "Endless Rain" and "Say Anything," both written and composed by YOSHIKI, became hits in South Korea, resulting in many Korean lyricists and singers imitating their musical style.

YOSHIKI and X Japan have been cited as important figures in Japanese and South Korean youth and pop culture of the 1990s, and as influences on figures including Seo Taiji, a pioneer of Korean pop music and pop star. Similarities and commonalities were perceived between X Japan's feminine appearance and shoujo manga, which was popular among South Korean middle- and high-school girls at the time, leading to the creation of more than 100 fan clubs in South Korea by 1998.

Singer-songwriter Jonghyun of Shinee cited X Japan as the reason he became interested in making music. Kim Jaejoong of JYJ also called YOSHIKI and X Japan “legends” and expressed his admiration. Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, is a fan of X Japan and, during promotional activities for Shinhwa's 1999 album T.O.P., instructed member Kim Dong-wan to wear X Japan-style makeup. Kim later performed "Say Anything" at his first solo concert in 2008.

On November 28, 2023, YOSHIKI received the Favorite International Artist award at the MAMA Awards and performed "Endless Rain" with Taehyun and Huening Kai of Tomorrow x Together, Jaehyun of Boynextdoor, Anton of Riize, and Han Yujin of Zerobaseone.

Lyric Writing

He has stated, “I devote as much time, or even more time, to writing lyrics as I do to composing,” and has said of his own lyrics, “I like lyrics that ‘seem to use very abstract expressions but actually strike at the core,’ and ‘lyrics with no conclusion or destination,’ and I try to make such expression possible,” and, “I think many of my lyrics speak about death.”

On the other hand, regarding the pessimism and self-deprecation in his lyrics, he has explained that it is a paradoxical approach intended to highlight positive energy, stating, “I think positive energy is enhanced by negativity,” and, “When sadness or poison is expressed continuously and beauty suddenly appears, it feels extremely positive.” He first wrote lyrics while in high school, for X's “I'LL KILL YOU.” Depending on the style of the work, he has also used pen names in lyric-writing credits, including Miyuki Igarashi (五十嵐美由姫), Tomomi Tachibana (橘朋実), Hitomi Shiratori (白鳥瞳), and Ryu Shiratori (白鳥龍).

In terms of methods of expression, he was influenced by Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, Ryu Murakami, and Colin Wilson. In particular, regarding Wilson's A Casebook of Murder, which deals with psychopathology, he stated, “In expressing emotions as in this work, I want to create melodies that touch upon my own themes, joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, and human emotions.”

Composition

From the time X was formed, he gradually moved from copying existing songs to writing original compositions.

At first, even when the guitarist came up with a riff, YOSHIKI could not play guitar, so he created the guitar parts on piano instead. However, after being told, “There are difficult chords, so I do not understand it,” and, “People do not normally do that,” he thought, “I should make the guitar riffs myself,” and began practicing guitar. From then on, he began writing songs on both piano and guitar.

If a song consists of 300 bars, he may devise the 16-bar chorus and initially think, “I have made a wonderful song,” but soon afterward think each time, “I have made a different song.” Even when he tries to avoid this by looking over the composition as a whole, he always becomes absorbed in one or two bars. Even when his record label points out production costs and schedules and tells him to do something as soon as possible, he cannot view it objectively. Fundamentally, he composes not by asking, “What kind of song would please fans and generate sales?” but by first asking what kind of melody would please and attract himself and the other members. At the promotion stage, he approaches matters with the attitude of preparing himself to argue down those around him by declaring, “The songs on this album will follow this theme,” no matter how incoherent or contradictory the concept may be.

Regardless of genre, including classical music, rock, and pop, when composing he does not use instruments, but writes every part directly on sheet music, separating the bass, strings, drums, piano, and guitar. Since his activities with Tetsuya Komuro in V2 in 1991, he has said that “electric sounds” also began to be heard in his music.

His basic approach is to wait. He shuts himself in a room where he does not open the entrance door, keeps the curtains closed, and cannot tell what the weather is like outside, placing sheet music on a desk and sitting absent-mindedly with a pen in hand. He has explained this by saying, “When turning an image in my head into sound, sound can sometimes get in the way. By pushing myself to the limit, I like the sound that comes from a state of mind in which I feel that I am creating,” and, “When writing only on sheet music, there are no constraints. When composing on piano, constraints arise, such as habitual finger movements. It is the same with guitar, but with sheet music, those do not exist. Therefore, sheet music actually allows me to work more freely.” Having studied solfege for university entrance examinations, he possesses absolute pitch and can compose with only a pen and sheet music; he sometimes composes aboard aeroplanes while traveling.

After writing sheet music with priority given to intuition, he sometimes writes phrases so difficult that even YOSHIKI himself thinks they may be impossible to play. He therefore revises them so that he can eventually play them himself only with difficulty. He then creates demo tapes himself through programming, in order to communicate his intentions clearly to engineers, such as where each part should enter and to punch in two bars before the vocals begin. Because band members often cannot read sheet music and are unable to play the parts, he explains them by playing them in front of them on piano or guitar. Even during his solo activities, he has at times been told, “That is different from the fingering,” and has had to relearn fingerings from scratch.

Even after completing songs, he feels, “It is embarrassing to let people hear this song,” and discards eight out of every ten songs he writes.

During the independent era, he played classical music on piano between songs at a live house as a joke, but the unexpected contrast was received better than anticipated. This prompted him to compose intentionally by combining piano with guitar, drums, and other instruments. The first incorporation of piano into an X JAPAN song was “ALIVE,” included on the first album Vanishing Vision, which uses a phrase from Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.” The method of incorporating piano into heavy sounds became one of the characteristics of X JAPAN’s music.

From 1992, he began studying jazz piano and orchestration, receiving instruction from Dick Marx and Shelly Berg. He also attempted violin in order to deepen his understanding of strings. During the production of Eternal Melody, an album released in 1993 as a joint project with George Martin, he felt frustrated because he did not understand orchestration in sufficient detail to explain his own opinions. However, he said that he “learned a great deal about orchestration from a true legend,” and that working with George Martin had a major influence on him. For the piano concerto arrangement of “Black Diamond,” included on Kiss’s 1994 tribute album Kiss My Ass, he handled all of the orchestration by himself for the first time. He has said that, “Since beginning to work with orchestras, I have come to compose even for rock bands such as X JAPAN from the perspective of a ‘small-scale orchestra.’”

His ideal is for “a good chorus to be completed, then fleshed out, with the sections before and after it taking shape,” for “fast songs to emerge from riffs,” or for “lyrics to be completed first, with the song developing from their imagery.”

He has sounded a warning about music made using generative AI. He has viewed as excessive a situation in which songs can be created merely by giving instructions to AI, and has questioned people claiming such works as their own original creations. He has stated that AI weakens “the incentive to create hit songs” and that “legal frameworks have not progressed,” and called for the creation of an environment in which high-quality works can be produced.

Arrangement

Rather than necessarily insisting on the completed form he has in mind, he respects the images and ideas of the other members, creating seven or eight drum-part patterns alone before asking which is best. He considers tone color as important as phrasing and timing, but because it is difficult to convey in words, he sometimes specifies it by drawing pictures. However, he does not consider in advance such matters as “Who will play this?” or “What is the image of that person’s song?” with regard to the essential qualities of the members assigned to each instrument. After creating a melody, he instead selects something that he would like to take on himself if possible. Consequently, sometimes the melody is completed first, while at other times an arranged sound emerges first, and there have often been cases in which the finished result was “composed entirely of strings” or something for which he “had not even been conscious of doing it with X Japan.”

He sometimes combines melodies originally created for separate songs. Depending on the song, he may record it straight through and re-record unsatisfactory sections by punching in. According to him, it was “extremely rare” for a recording to be acceptable in a single take, and even when it happened, it accounted for only 10 percent.

He regards “the time when drum recording begins” as the point at which the arrangement is complete, but if he thinks, “I wanted to do more like this...,” he starts again from scratch. He also sometimes makes edits during mixing.

Recording

Regarding drum sounds, he has stated, "You can alter the tone as much as you like during the mixing stage, but the original sound is a living thing, so if it is not good, there is no room for flexibility. I am particularly careful in selecting the snare and kick."

Influence

In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun, when asked which albums had influenced him the most, YOSHIKI named Kiss's Kiss Alive!, Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV, and Iron Maiden's Killers. Regarding Iron Maiden, he said that he had been influenced by the punk quality of their early work, which led him to become so immersed in punk rock that he could not return to the music he had originally listened to. In 1984, after moving to Tokyo and while looking for members for the band X, he was devoted to British and Japanese punk bands including The Exploited, Chaos UK, Discharge, G.I.S.M., and Gauze. Among the drummers who influenced him, he named Kiss's Peter Criss, stating that he aspired to become a drummer after seeing Criss perform at Kiss's concert at Nippon Budokan when he was 11 years old. Other drummers he has named as favorites include Shuichi Murakami, Jun Aoyama, PILL, Masafumi Minato, Munetaka Higuchi, John Bonham, Cozy Powell, Lars Ulrich, Neil Peart, Simon Phillips, Jay Weinberg, The Rev, Paul Cook, and Nicko McBrain.

He said that the album containing Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished”, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, “Fate”, which was the first record he purchased, influenced him as much as rock groups did. His song “ART OF LIFE”, which depicts his own life, uses a phrase from Schubert's “Unfinished” Symphony.

Among the composers who influenced him, he named Bach, stating that he deliberately incorporates works suggesting Bach's influence and cites techniques such as counterpoint. In “ROSE OF PAIN”, included on X JAPAN's 1989 album BLUE BLOOD, phrases from Bach's “Little Fugue” are used throughout. In a 1997 interview, he said that he had recently been influenced by modern and contemporary composers such as Schoenberg. Yoshiki Selection II (1996), a classical music compilation album whose selections centered on works that had greatly influenced his life, also includes Berg's Lyric Suite; Berg was a student of Schoenberg. He has named Tchaikovsky and Mozart as his favorite classical composers; Beethoven and Schubert for symphonies; Rachmaninoff for piano concertos; and Chopin for solo piano works. Among his favorite pianists, he has named George Winston, Keith Jarrett, Horowitz, and Ryo Mishiba. He was influenced by Keith Jarrett's 1975 live album The Köln Concert, which prompted him to begin studying jazz theory and improvisation.

The dance music genre that influenced him most was trip hop, which he said prompted a stronger incorporation of dance music elements in Violet UK. The trip hop artists who particularly influenced him include Massive Attack, Tricky, and Portishead.

Philanthropy

Having lost his father at an early age, YOSHIKI has been particularly active in efforts to support orphans. At X JAPAN's Hong Kong concert, X JAPAN WORLD TOUR LIVE IN HONG KONG, on January 16, 2009, he invited 200 orphans to the concert and donated part of the concert proceeds to the local nonprofit organization Yan Oi Tong. For three days beginning on March 29, 2009, at the request of the Chinese government, he visited areas affected by the Sichuan earthquake and orphanages, built a music room on the grounds of a temporary school building, and donated various instruments including pianos, organs, and xylophones. In 1995, he donated ten pianos to elementary and junior high schools in areas affected by the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

On July 1, 2010, he established the Yoshiki Foundation America. Its objectives included protecting orphans and supporting children with serious illnesses, with the aim of providing more sustained assistance. Upon establishing the foundation, he made donations to the Grammy Foundation, St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, and Make-A-Wish America. Together with the Grammy Foundation, which is operated by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, he planned support activities through music, including assistance with purchasing instruments, providing music lessons, and helping people participate in music-related events. Yoshiki Foundation America is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, he listed the Kawai crystal piano “CR-40A” used at X JAPAN concerts, along with personal belongings, in a Yahoo! JAPAN charity auction, donating the entire winning bid to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The piano was sold for ¥11,001,000 on April 28 of that year. He also called on prominent Hollywood figures with whom he had connections to contribute relief funds for the disaster area, and Marilyn Manson, Anthony Kiedis, Stan Lee, Robert Pattinson, James Franco, Reese Witherspoon, and others offered donations.

On September 7, 2012, he attended an event organized by the Points of Light Foundation, the largest volunteer-support organization in the United States, at the invitation of Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States. He offered a “private dinner entitlement,” allowing the successful bidder to have dinner with him privately, in a charity auction held to raise funds for charitable organizations, and announced that he would donate the winning bid. The auction ended two weeks later, on September 21, and the item sold for US$37,100. On October 26 of the same year, through Yoshiki Foundation America, he offered the right to sing an X JAPAN song accompanied by YOSHIKI on piano in a Yahoo! JAPAN charity auction marking the 20th anniversary of Make-A-Wish of Japan, and announced that he would donate the winning bid. It sold for ¥3,005,000 and was carried out in Los Angeles in April 2014.

In January 2013, he announced that all proceeds from “Golden Globe Theme,” the official theme song of the Golden Globe Awards released that month, would be donated to charitable organizations and others through the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organizer of the awards.

On November 20, 2014, he offered a “private dinner entitlement” on the auction website Charitybuzz through Yoshiki Foundation America and Grammy Foundation MusiCares, announcing that the winning bid would be donated to MusiCares. The auction ended on December 10, and the top two bidders won. The combined winning bids totaled US$62,000.

As relief funds for victims of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, he donated ¥10 million through Yoshiki Foundation America to the Japanese Red Cross Society's 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund. Recalling his experience of the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake in the United States, when deterioration of public safety in disaster-stricken areas had become an issue, he stated: “As with the Great East Japan Earthquake, I am deeply moved by the people in the affected areas who are maintaining order and acting calmly this time as well. I would like to convey this Japanese spirit, which is praised around the world, to the world in the future.”

To support Texas, United States, which suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, he donated US$25,000 through Yoshiki Foundation America to the American Red Cross, equivalent to approximately ¥2,825,000 at the 2017 annual average exchange rate of ¥113 to the dollar. YOSHIKI sent the following message to hurricane victims: “For me, living in America, this was by no means someone else's problem. I hope that I can be of even a little help to the many people in Texas who are currently facing difficult circumstances.”

In 2018, he announced that he had donated ¥10 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society by July 11 through Yoshiki Foundation America to support areas affected by the July 2018 Japan floods. He stated: “There may be mixed opinions in Japan about publicly disclosing donations, but in Europe and the United States, there is a movement for celebrities to take the initiative in speaking out. I think it is a good thing if my activities can expand the circle of donations,” and promised, “If it helps various people, that is enough. I want to continue making donations openly.”

On August 26, 2018, he made his first appearance on 24-Hour Television, performing “Kurenai” and “Endless Rain” on the Nippon Budokan stage with an 11-year-old blind boy. YOSHIKI appeared without compensation in support of the program's purpose, and presented a ¥5 million donation certificate on stage that day. After appearing on the program, YOSHIKI spoke of his feelings about performing with the boy, stating: “I came here today hoping to give courage, but before I knew it, I was the one who had received courage and hope.”

Following the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake of September 6, 2018, he donated ¥10 million through Yoshiki Foundation America on September 12 to the Japanese Red Cross Society's 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund. Regarding Typhoon Jebi, which made landfall in Japan with extremely strong intensity on September 4, and the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, YOSHIKI posted a message with a video on his social media: “I just learned about this typhoon and earthquake from the news in America. I pray for everyone's safety and for the swiftest possible recovery.”

In June 2019, YOSHIKI donated US$150,000 on the day he visited the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He also held a special lecture for enrolled students, advising future musicians: “Please perform every concert as if it were your last.”

On August 1, 2019, in response to the Kyoto Animation arson and murder incident, he donated ¥10 million to the account established by the company exclusively to hold support funds.

Following extensive damage in Chiba Prefecture caused by the Reiwa 1 Boso Peninsula Typhoon (Typhoon Faxai), which approached the Boso Peninsula in the early hours of September 9, 2019, he revealed on his Twitter account on September 18 that his previously undisclosed hometown was Tateyama, and announced that he had donated ¥10 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society through Yoshiki Foundation America. He also traveled to Kyonan with the staff of Professional: Shigoto no Ryugi, who were then following him for a documentary, and volunteered at recovery sites.

In December 2019, Forbes Asia selected him as one of 30 “Heroes of Philanthropy,” described as great philanthropists in the Asia-Pacific region.

In July 2020, ten years after its establishment, Yoshiki Foundation America had provided a total of US$2 million in aid, including both dollar and yen amounts. YOSHIKI has publicly announced each donation he has made because doing so “expands the circle of support.” Ayumi Hamasaki is known as a person who supports him. During the state of emergency caused by the spread of COVID-19 around this time, Yoshiki Foundation America donated a total of US$24,000 to Meals on Wheels in March 2020, US$100,000 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, ¥10 million to the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in April, and US$100,000 to MusiCares in March 2021.

He sent out this phrase, apparently from Chapter 10, Verse 13 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament, among other messages during the state of emergency.

His first film as director, YOSHIKI: UNDER THE SKY, was also part of his support activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview for the film, he said that saving someone through philanthropy was also a form of salvation for himself. In the past, he had desired many cars out of material desire, but said that this did not fill the heart.

On February 27, 2021, he was awarded the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon for donating a large amount of personal assets for the public good, as announced in the Official Gazette dated March 9 of that year.

By March 2022, he had donated ¥10 million to Rakuten's “Emergency Humanitarian Aid Fund for Ukraine.” Yoshiki Foundation America also donated ¥10 million to the International Organization for Migration in November, ¥10 million in December, and ¥10 million in August 2023 for evacuees from Ukraine and neighboring countries. In YOSHIKI: UNDER THE SKY, he collaborated with Scorpions to perform an anti-war message song concerning the invasion of Ukraine.

To support areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake of January 1, 2024, Yoshiki Foundation America donated ¥10 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society. He also decided to offer his personally used crystal piano in a charity auction and donate all proceeds. It was ultimately sold for ¥40 million.

During the Los Angeles wildfires in February 2025, he donated a combined US$500,000, approximately ¥77 million, through Yoshiki Foundation America to seven organizations, including the American Red Cross and charitable organizations of the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, to support victims.

On April 29, 2025, at a charity auction organized by the Dodgers Foundation, handwritten sheet music by YOSHIKI for the national anthems of Japan and the United States, which he performed for the Dodgers–Cubs game on March 18 of that year, bearing the signatures of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, was sold for a total of US$41,000. Following a major fire that occurred in late November in the high-rise housing complex at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, Yoshiki Foundation America donated US$100,000 to the Hong Kong Red Cross. In response to flood damage caused by heavy rains that struck Southeast Asia, US$50,000 each was donated through Yoshiki Foundation America to the Thai Red Cross Society and Indonesian Red Cross Society to support victims in Thailand and Indonesia.

In May 2026, he made a further US$100,000 donation through Yoshiki Foundation America to MusiCares, the charitable organization of the Recording Academy. On June 1 local time, in May 2026, YOSHIKI became the first Japanese artist to receive the Medal of Honor award presented by the American charitable organization Entertainment Community Fund.

In June 2026, he headlined Global Citizen LIVE: Tokyo, held in Japan for the first time, promoting the connection between music and charity worldwide.

In July 2026, in response to the Kumamoto earthquakes that occurred that month and wildfires in Europe, he donated ¥10 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society and a combined €100,000, approximately ¥18 million, to France and Spain.

Approach

At Extasy Records, all members handled mail-order packing, and for a period their days were largely devoted to packaging and answering telephone calls. The primary reason X made its major-label debut with Sony was that self-production had become burdensome, and staff working at Extasy were hired accordingly at that time. Even afterward, when Sony managers informed him of the amount allocated for promotional expenses, YOSHIKI frequently intervened in such matters, saying things such as, “We spent that much on Vanishing Vision.”

As a record company executive, he has stated, “I do not want the bands and artists under my management to experience the failures and frustrations that I experienced as an artist,” and, “It is an artist-centered approach, but I want to continue a label that can be proud of itself, taking everything into account, including ability and image.”

Because most of its income is allocated to promotional expenses, its profit margin is low. At times, it budgets more than ten times as much for artists’ promotional expenses as other companies do.

When he first signed with Sony, he was told that he would “automatically be contracted with a Sony Group music publisher.” After consulting his own lawyer, who told him that “authors have the right to choose their music publisher,” he studied copyright law and, despite opposition from the record company, began to think that “perhaps I could establish my own music publishing company.”

When YOSHIKI is involved in writing lyrics and composing music, he receives 75% of the royalties out of a total of 100%, even by simple calculation. For X JAPAN songs, 50% of the royalties were divided among all members, while the remainder went to the composer. The master rights were arranged so that all members could jointly hold them.

When X expanded internationally, it changed its name to X JAPAN because a Los Angeles band of the same name, X, already existed. Since then, the names of units involving YOSHIKI have been trademarked worldwide. Violet UK was also unable to obtain approval under the name “Violet” in some countries, so YOSHIKI personally negotiated for more than two years to secure trademark registrations for “Violet Underground Kingdom” and “Violet.”

Music Labels and Recording Studios

In 1986, at the age of 20, he established the independent record company Extasy Records in order to release X records. Extasy Records later became a major independent label that produced artists including LUNA SEA, GLAY, and ZI:KILL. In response to an incident in which the head of a production company he knew had made enormous profits through unauthorized use of Extasy Records recordings, he established the music publishing company Extasy Music Publishing in 1988 to protect the rights to his songs, and registered it with the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC). In 1992, he established Japan Music Agency to manage his own career and the publishing rights to his songs. In 1994, he entered into a producer contract with the PolyGram Group and established the major label Platinum Records. He established the Los Angeles-based label Extasy Records International in February 1998 and the Japan-based label Extasy Japan in August 1999. Extasy Records International entered into a distribution agreement with Warner Bros. Records, while Extasy Japan entered into one with EastWest Japan, both of which were part of Warner Music Group. Media Factory also took an equity stake in Extasy Japan. In 2008, he established Extasy A Music upon the simultaneous worldwide release of X JAPAN's single “I.V.”

In 1993, he purchased the complex-style One on One Recording studio in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood, making Studio A available for outside rental and using Studio B as his own pre-production room. It was renamed Extasy Recording Studios in 2000. From 2003, he stopped renting it out entirely and used it as a fully private studio, but sold it to 17 Hertz LLC in 2012. He newly purchased Cahuenga Pass Studios in Cahuenga in the same city, and has used it as his private studio since 2012 for recordings by his solo project, X JAPAN, Violet UK, and others. The North Hollywood studio that he sold is now a rental studio called 17 Hertz Studio. In 1998, he purchased Brooklyn Recording Studios on Beverly Boulevard and used it after renaming it Extasy Recording Studios South, but relinquished it in 2003, when he withdrew from producing American bands. In 2001, he established Extasy Recording Studios Japan on the 11th floor of Ebisu Prime Square Tower in Hiroo, Shibuya, as a base for producing master recordings for Extasy Japan and Extasy Records, but it was closed following the end of Extasy Japan's activities in 2003.

Collaboration Products

On October 25, 1992, Takara released “STARLIGHT YOSHIKI,” a doll conceived as Licca-chan’s admired rock star, in a limited edition of 10,000 units. It was available in three versions—rose, silver, and purple—and was the first Licca-chan series product to be modeled on a real person.

On October 18, 1993, he announced the private-brand line “Larme” and released perfume developed with Kose and women’s lingerie developed with Wacoal.

On July 31, 2002, “YOSHIKI ARTS—Three Silkscreen Works with Handwritten Signatures” was released in editions limited to 450 copies each. The three works were “Endless Rain,” “Tears,” and “Forever Love.”

In 2004, as one of the “X JAPAN 15th Anniversary Memorial Project” products, he released the retort-pouch curry “YOSHIKI Legend: YOSHIKI Curry <Kirekara>,” based on an episode in which he became angry because the curry he had eaten in the dressing room before an X JAPAN Tokyo Dome concert was too spicy, refused to participate in rehearsals, and went home. An indoor lamp with his photograph printed on the shade was also released.

From October 1, 2008, he announced “YOSHIKI Jewelry,” a jewelry brand created in collaboration with the jewelry manufacturer Kuwayama.

From December 24, 2008, Sumitomo Mitsui Card has issued the “UNDERGROUND KINGDOM VISA Card,” a credit card featuring his photograph and offering members-only benefits.

In May 2009, he announced “yoshikitty,” a collaboration character with Hello Kitty.

On July 21, 2011, at a press conference at Comic-Con International, an anime convention held in San Diego, he announced the American comic book Blood Red Dragon, whose protagonist is a hero modeled after himself. The work’s creators, Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane, attended the press conference. The work consisted of four volumes, with the first volume released on October 5, 2011.

On January 20, 2012, two silkscreen works by Conrad Leach, “YOSHIKI PORTRAIT” and “YOSHIKI DRUMS,” said to express his “stillness” and “movement,” were released in a limited edition of 100 copies.

In 2013, he produced the collaboration model “SL150 YOSHIKI special edition” with the headphone brand SOUL. Based on SOUL’s existing SL150 model, it featured changes to its color scheme and design and was released in limited quantities.

In October 2021, the French luxury crystal manufacturer Baccarat unveiled an 180th-anniversary version of the Harcourt glass designed by YOSHIKI at Paris Fashion Week 2022. That same month, YOSHIKI performed “Miracle” on a virtual piano at BMW Japan’s 40th-anniversary event.

Y by YOSHIKI

On October 26, 2009, YOSHIKI released “Y by YOSHIKI,” a California wine produced in collaboration with the Mondavi family, a California winemaker in the United States. The red wine was Cabernet Sauvignon, while the white wine was Chardonnay, which received a score of 88 Parker Points.

That same year, he launched the joint wine brand “Y by YOSHIKI” with Michael Mondavi. The brand offers varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and rosé. Served at luxury hotels and restaurants, the brand has continued to sell out throughout Japan and, due to its rarity, has been called a “phantom wine.”

Other

In 2000, he filed a patent application concerning technology for playing compressed music data. In 2008, he served as executive producer of the energy drink Rockstar; in 2009, as team producer of the SUPER GT racing team ROCK ST☆R Dome NSX; and as executive adviser to the American video-sharing service Ustream. He is also listed as a co-founder of ALEX, a venture company established in November 2010 and headed by Koichiro Tsujino. Together with film directors Kazuaki Kiriya and Shunji Iwai, he operates FREEWORLD, a social networking service for creators. It launched as a beta version in November 2011, and its official version was released in February 2012. In September 2012, he became an investor in Green Lord Motors, a Kyoto University-affiliated venture company developing an electric version of the Tommykaira ZZ sports car. He was appointed an adviser when it was announced that Japan House, a Japanese public-relations base in Los Angeles, would be opened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Hollywood & Highland in the summer of 2017.

Prompted by treatment for insomnia, which has troubled him since around the age of 10, he has also pursued research into music therapy as a lifelong undertaking with Tomoaki Kato, a Doctor of Medicine. He is currently one of the Grammy Awards voting members.

On June 20, 2025, the girl vocal group Bi-ray (美麗-Bi-ray-) made its debut with a globally distributed single for which YOSHIKI wrote the lyrics, composed, arranged, and produced. The four members were selected following their appearances on the television program Kasho-Oh. YOSHIKI served as a special judge on the program and has produced them since the debut project began in 2023.

Yoshikimono

On March 6, 2011, Yoshiki jointly planned the fashion show “ASIA GIRLS EXPLOSION,” a collaboration with Tokyo Girls Collection held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, with fashion producer Jay f.R. He unveiled YOSHIKIMONO, a kimono brand rooted in rock music, and also made his debut as a fashion designer. Yoshiki launched the fashion brand in tribute to his parents, who operated a kimono shop during his childhood.

YOSHIKIMONO made its Tokyo Fashion Week debut at the finale of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo in 2015, and was invited to open Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo 2017. At the opening of Tokyo Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020, the brand presented its third collection. The collection featured kimono inspired by characters from the anime series Attack on Titan and the comic series Blood Red Dragon, co-created by Stan Lee. In February 2020, YOSHIKIMONO announced its participation in “Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk” at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. In June 2020, it participated in the National Museum of Tokyo’s historical retrospective exhibition “Kimono.” In November 2022, it participated in the touring exhibition of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), held at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS

On July 4, 2023, YOSHIKI announced the establishment of his high-fashion brand, MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS (メゾン・ヨシキ・パリ). The brand also plans to offer wine glasses and champagne glasses created in collaboration with Baccarat.

On February 20, 2024, he debuted MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS at Milan Fashion Week. The brand made its first appearance on the official calendar with its Fall/Winter 2024/25 collection, held at Bocconi University. The runway show featured YOSHIKI’s onstage musical performances, including new songs and collaborations with Hiroshi Fujiwara. The production team included fashion stylist Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, casting director Maida Gregori Boina, hairstylist Odile Gilbert, and makeup artist Kabuki.

In September 2024, during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025, the brand presented its second collection at the Palais de Chaillot, with Paris Jackson participating as a runway model.

In April 2025, YOSHIKI discussed the evolution of Japanese avant-garde fashion and MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS in The New York Times Style Magazine, stating: “MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS could not have existed in a country so free from preconceived notions that, in order to create something truly original, there must be something to resist.”

Episodes

YOSHIKI, who has been described in books, the media, and elsewhere as a musical “genius,” was unable to control his genius-like madness in his younger years, and many accounts of his violent outbursts have been shared among fans. Several of these episodes are widely known.

The Spicy Curry Incident

On August 22, 1991, the day before a Tokyo Dome concert, YOSHIKI became enraged during rehearsals because the curry he had ordered was excessively spicy, overturned the table, and went home. ToshI, who tasted it as a witness, reportedly broke out in a profuse sweat because of its extreme spiciness. The episode was first revealed on the January 9, 1995 broadcast of Hey! Hey! Hey!, on which X JAPAN made its first appearance. Later, on the August 30, 2015 broadcast of Kanjam: Complete Burnout SHOW (関ジャム 完全燃SHOW), he explained that he had gone home because the spiciness had caused him to become anemic.

Before the rehearsal that day, a game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp had been held, and another incident occurred when PATA, a Giants fan, became furious at a staff member who blurted out that the equipment load-in had been completed in time because the Giants had lost the game. In 2004, the curry from that time was recreated and sold by FamilyMart through made-to-order production as “‘YOSHIKI Densetsu’ YOSHIKI Curry <Kire-kara>.” In March 2016, it was re-released at Lawson under YOSHIKI’s supervision. He has said that, because the episode became well known, even when he orders curry at unrelated restaurants, staff members become intimidated.

The Hot Shower Incident

During a photo shoot by Kishin Shinoyama, YOSHIKI became enraged when the shower he attempted to use beforehand was hot and returned home. He explained that the shower was broken and only produced scalding water, leaving him in a condition resembling a minor burn.

“Hotei, Come Out!”

In 1994, The Great Music Experience, an international music event organized by UNESCO, was held at Todaiji (東大寺). It was a major event broadcast live to dozens of countries around the world. Distinguished artists including Bob Dylan, Jon Bon Jovi, and Roger Taylor of Queen performed, while Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰) and X JAPAN represented Japan. As each artist was conducting final rehearsal checks, YOSHIKI arrived conspicuously late. Hotei was angered that YOSHIKI, the youngest performer, had arrived with an arrogant attitude and without apologizing.

Against this background, when YOSHIKI came to greet him at the post-concert after-party, Hotei said, “What the hell is X!?” and glared at YOSHIKI from close range. The 28-year-old YOSHIKI was hot-blooded, and having consumed alcohol at the party, fought back against his senior Hotei and attempted to punch him. Staff hurriedly intervened and the situation was brought under control, but YOSHIKI remained angry. YOSHIKI reportedly went to Hotei’s lodging to confront him, shouting, “Hey, Hotei! Come out!” and rampaging there, although Hotei did not come out.

In later years, when Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature, YOSHIKI mentioned Hotei as a fellow performer at The Great Music Experience in 1994. Many people in the music industry were surprised that he named Hotei, who had been rumored to be estranged from him. In 2022, a decisive moment demonstrating the good relationship between YOSHIKI and Hotei was reported when they exchanged messages on X, formerly Twitter: “I’m back in Japan!” from YOSHIKI and “Welcome Home” from Hotei. Hotei had also developed a friendship with X JAPAN’s hide.

RED SWAN Incident

At Anime Expo 2018, held in Los Angeles from July 5 to 8, 2018, it was announced that YOSHIKI would be responsible for the opening theme of the television anime Attack on Titan Season 3, and that hyde of L'Arc-en-Ciel would participate under the name “X JAPAN feat. HYDE.”

Various speculation and concerns regarding this billing circulated among fans, and “Toshl” trended daily on Twitter (now X) despite not singing on the song.

On July 16, 2018, Toshl responded to questions from fans on the Toshl CRYSTAL ROCK Channel (Nico Live), stating frankly that, while respecting that it was YOSHIKI's project, he felt disappointed. He apologized to fans that this was all he could say.

On July 20, YOSHIKI announced on YOSHIKI CHANNEL (Nico Live) that RED SWAN would be released under the name “YOSHIKI feat. HYDE.” On the same day, YOSHIKI stated, “There is no way I would not ask Toshl,” and, “I asked Toshl, but during a period when it was difficult to receive a response, I met HYDE, and he readily agreed.” However, in a July 25 interview with J-GENERATION, HYDE stated that the recordings had been made separately.

YOSHIKI has never commented on why Toshl was not recorded separately, which would not have required coordinating schedules, even if he had waited for Toshl's response.

Around the autumn of 2018, “Red Swan” was released as a single by Pony Canyon under the name “YOSHIKI feat. HYDE.”

Twitter Renaming Controversy

In July 2023, following Elon Musk's move to rebrand Twitter as “X”, it was reported that Twitter's Japanese subsidiary, then named “Twitter Japan”, would be rebranded as “X JAPAN”. In response, YOSHIKI commented on Twitter, “I think it has already been trademarked.” Since X JAPAN holds the trademark for “X JAPAN”, the media again reported that “Twitter Japan” might be rebranded as “X Nippon”.

Sources

• Wikidata entity Q311193.
• en.wikipedia, Yoshiki (musician) (revision 1368852405), CC BY-SA 4.0.
• ja.wikipedia, YOSHIKI (revision 110496827), CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Photograph: Yoshiki at Hollywood TCL Theatre on January 9, 2024.png on Wikimedia Commons, CC0, by Jimmy Pepe.

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