On January 9, a ceremony was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to unveil the completed handprint and footprint of X JAPAN leader and musician “YOSHIKI.” It is highly unusual for a living artist to unveil such engravings.
The ceremony was open to the public, and many fans came to celebrate. Some had arrived in LA at 4 AM from London, lining up in front of the theater before sunrise.
In his opening remarks, YOSHIKI first thanked the gathered fans.
He then reflected on the three months since September’s imprint ceremony, including successful December classical concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall, and Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. He dedicated those shows to his late parents and former X JAPAN bandmates HIDE and TAIJI. Soon after the world tour, YOSHIKI was told of member HEATH’s passing – a pain he said he still struggles to overcome.
YOSHIKI also addressed January 1st’s Noto Peninsula earthquake. He already announced a donation of 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross and he announced auctioning his crystal piano, donating the proceeds toward reconstruction efforts.
YOSHIKI’s handprints, footprints, and drumsticks are placed on the left side of the theater entrance, surrounded by those of Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner, Johnny Depp, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino.
YOSHIKI’s comments at the ceremony
“To be honest, it’s really hard to make it day by day. You may feel it in my handprints.
Sometimes my hands feel very fragile, sometimes my hands feel very strong. So as my
heart.
“I have been going through some kind of mental upheaval, but my fans have been
supporting me and bringing me back to a positive place, so I’m still making it through
every day.
“Let me talk one more time about my film YOSHIKI: Under the Sky. The title of the film
means…even though the people closest to my heart went up to the sky, I am still
here…we are still here…still living here, under the sky.
“I’m telling myself, we should live as much as we can. We should live for them.
“When you come here, place your hands on my handprints. You may notice they may
not be that big. But small hands can do big things, make somebody’s dreams come
true, and help to lift up people’s spirits in need.
“I hope that anyone who comes here can look down at these prints of all these amazing
stars – and then look up to the sky – to find hope and inspiration, and your loved ones
watching you from the sky.
Thank you for this beautiful moment. I love you all.”
YOSHIKI is a composer, pianist, rock drummer, and the leader of Japanese rock bands X JAPAN and THE LAST ROCKSTARS. Consequence calls YOSHIKI “one of the most influential musicians and composers in Japanese history,” and Billboard says he is “a musical innovator.”
His worldwide projects include the dedication song for the tenth anniversary of the Emperor of Japan’s reign, the official theme song for the World Expo, the soundtracks for Hollywood films, and the official theme song for one of the world’s most prestigious award ceremonies, the Golden Globe Awards.
In addition to his musical activities, he is a fashion icon who is the first Japanese male to appear on the cover of “VOGUE JAPAN”. YOSHIKI also produces his own kimono line, “YOSHIKIMONO.” He is also the founder of Yoshiki Foundation America, a non-profit public benefit organization, and has been dedicated to charitable activities for many years.
YOSHIKI Official Website：https://www.yoshiki.net/
YOSHIKI YouTube Channel：https://www.youtube.com/yoshikiofficial
YOSHIKI Official Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/yoshikiofficial/
YOSHIKI Official Twitter：https://twitter.com/YoshikiOfficial
