Japanese rock star Yoshiki honored in Hollywood ceremony

LOS ANGELES – The handprints and footprints of the rock star Yoshiki were unveiled this week in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame, nearly four months after he became the first Japanese artist to put them in cement.

“Sometimes, my hands feel very fragile. Sometimes, my hands feel very strong. So does my heart. I’ve been going through some kind of mental upheaval, but my fans bring me back to a positive place,” Yoshiki said at the 11 a.m. ceremony.

Born Yoshiki Hayashi on Nov. 20, 1965, in Tateyama on Japan’s largest island Honshu, Yoshiki is a rock drummer, composer and classically trained pianist.

The handprints and footprints of the rock star Yoshiki were unveiled this week in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame | Image: yoshikiofficial/IG

Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi, a friend since their childhood, formed the rock band X in 1982, which has sold more than 30 million albums, singles and videos and sold out the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times, according to its website.

The group changed its name to X Japan in 1992, broke up in 1997, reunited in 2007 and performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2018. X Japan released its first single in eight years in July, “Angel.”

Yoshiki formed the supergroup The Last Rockstars in 2022 with X Japan lead guitarist Sugizo, Hyde, the lead vocalist of the rock band L’Arc-en-Ciel and duo Vamps, and the guitarist Miyavi. The group is scheduled to perform at YouTube Theater at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 29.

Yoshiki’s projects have included a song dedicated to the 10th anniversary of former Japanese Emperor Akihito’s reign in 1999 and the official theme song for the Expo 2005, which was in Nagoya, Japan.

Yoshiki performed with an orchestra at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood in October, the same month he also performed at the Garden Theater in Tokyo, Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Yoshiki is the designer of the high-fashion kimono brand Yoshikimono. He joined Napa Valley-based winemaker Michael Mondavi in launching the Y by Yoshiki wine brand in 2009.

He directed the documentary film, “Yoshiki: Under The Sky,” which premiered Sept. 5 in Tokyo and features live performances by The Chainsmokers, St. Vincent, Sarah Brightman, Scorpions, Hyde, Sugizo, the Japanese boy band SixTones, Jane Zhang, Lindsey Stirling and Nicole Scherzinger. It will be streamed on Prime Video beginning in May. (CNS)