Rock Icon Yoshiki Is Just Getting Started With Walt Disney Concert Hall

YOSHIKI

Courtesy of YOSHIKI

Music legend Yoshiki has truly redefined what it means to be a rock star.

When the Japanese artist first debuted in 1982 with his speed metal band, X Japan, he was merely 17 years old and ready to take on the world. As pioneers of the visual kei movement, which combined punk and glam aesthetics with heavy metal, X Japan became one of the most popular bands in Japan. As the group grew in fame and notoriety, their sound evolved, mixing heavy metal with more emotional, dynamic ballads. In 1989, Yoshiki penned his first ballad ever, “Endless Rain” (1989), which became one of X Japan’s biggest hits, eventually sung by other established musicians while on tour in Japan, including Guns N Roses and English singer Sarah Brightman.

Yoshiki, a trained classical pianist since he was four, began embracing his love for the classics and eventually composed his own solo albums – Yoshiki Selection (1991), Eternal Melody (1993), Eternal Melody II (2005), and Yoshiki Classical (2013). That is also on top of his X Japan and his many other rock albums. X Japan has released a total of five studio albums, six live albums, one remix album, 11 compilations, one OST, 23 singles, and 22 live video recordings.

Over time – and with a move to Los Angeles – Yoshiki continues to evolve as an artist and person, and to reestablish what it means to be the legend he is. He has added a long list of other successful ventures that extend outside of music, including fashion, wine, champagne, directing, film production, philanthropy, and more. He’s performed everywhere – Tokyo Dome, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Wembley Arena, Coachella, and, most recently, headlined the inaugural Global Citizen Live concert in Tokyo. Even after three neck surgeries – the most recent in 2024, due to his many years of headbanging as a drummer – he continues to travel the world to perform. He now prepares for his two-night concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles next weekend: Yoshiki Classical 2026.

After hearing all his accomplishments and accolades from his 40+ year career, Yoshiki is taken aback in disbelief.

“Well, first of all, I’m not that influential yet,” the 60-year-old musician says over the phone from his Los Angeles home. He chuckles at the even louder gasp spoken towards him as he downplays his achievements. “No, really. I’m not there yet.”

Yoshiki has been an overachiever his entire life, striving for more in life and doing whatever it takes to get there. He’s experienced tragic loss throughout his life, and to honor their lives, he is living as fully as he can with his own. He does admit that he’s a bit tired, especially with the constant traveling and the fact that he never truly recovered from his neck surgery, which has affected his nerves. But that doesn’t deter him from

“I was going to slow down, but for some reason, more and more things kept happening,” Yoshiki reveals. “Actually, I’m in the middle of a lot of things going on, and I feel very grateful.”

He had just returned from Tokyo after his appearance at the Global Citizen Live concert – their first-ever live event in Japan – which benefited the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. He confirmed that he would headline the show only a few weeks prior due to scheduling and internal issues. He couldn’t help but say yes because it was such an honor and a historic event to be a part of, especially for a good cause.

“I asked the Global Citizen [team] what kind of show they’d like because I could do Classical or Pop or Rock, and they said ‘Uplifting’,” Yoshiki recalls. “So I started asking my friends if they’d join me. They’re busy people, even busier than me.”

Yoshiki has worked with so many artists in his lifetime – all so diverse in race, looks, music genre, sound, and identity. But they all have respect for the Japanese superstar. He ended up calling a few of his rockstar friends who are based in Japan to join him, including members and former members of his Japanese rock supergroup, The Last Rockstars.

Miyavi joined Yoshiki to perform X Japan’s moving ballad, “Forever Love,” before the two revealed their new track together, “DEAD-END DRIVE” – which they created two days before the show. HYDE then joined Yoshiki to perform a powerful rendition of “Red Swan,” the theme song of the internationally acclaimed anime Attack on Titan. J-pop star Beverly and rock vocalist Kiyoharu also joined Yoshiki for the set.

His fans were thrilled to see The Last Rockstars together again, prompting many to ask whether they would ever reunite for more music. He quickly answers, “Completely possible. You know, three-quarters of The Last Rockstars’ members were there, so it’s completely possible. We talked about it a little bit after the show. We will see what we can do.”

Yoshiki is a busy man. He’s always here, there, and everywhere, and he just keeps going. But when he’s asked to do something or has an idea, he goes for it. When he’s inspired to write, compose, and produce a song, he just does it. He jokes that he needs to find time to organize his house, but opportunity is constantly knocking at his door.

“I don’t know if this is the right description,” he states. “But when there is a hurricane going on, I need to sit and think straight, like, what am I doing right this moment? But then, all the doors suddenly open, and all these things start coming in. I just need to organize what I should be doing, especially what’s important for my fans.”

It’s why he decided to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall: when the opportunity came up to perform in Los Angeles, his home for the last 30 years, he thought, ‘Why not?’ After his last neck surgery, he hadn’t performed a full concert. He’s performed at many festivals and events, but they were never a full-blown concert. It was a challenge for him to prove to himself and everyone that he could do a whole show.

“I wanted to prove that, even to myself, I’m the musician,” he declares. “I’m an artist, so I decided to do the full-scale shows and tour in the middle of everything going on [with my fashion, collaborations, philanthropy, and more]. I like challenging myself. Yoshiki! Can you do it? To be honest, I’ve been preparing mentally [in case] I have to do another neck surgery. The doctor warned me, if you do this again, you may have to do another surgery. But performing on stage, composing, and music are part of my life. No, it is my life. It’s in my blood, bones, and everything. After three nights of the Tokyo concerts, I was like Wow, I did it. Now, I want to do an even bigger scale at the upcoming Walt Disney Concert Hall shows.”

Yoshiki is also excited to perform at the concert hall for its beautiful architecture and amazing acoustics, which would elevate his sound. The timing just felt right. He shares that he won’t have a setlist because no two shows are ever the same. He tries to do something different every night and plans to do that next weekend.

“It’s very challenging,” he admits. “It’s not easy, but it’s interesting. I try to make my life even harder. I don’t know what I’m doing, but that’s what makes it interesting.”

He also says he’s bringing out some special guests that would surprise everyone, which, honestly, could be anyone. Yoshiki has a large Rolodex of music friends, ranging from K-pop and J-pop groups to Gene Simmons of KISS to the Jonas Brothers to The Chainsmokers to Diana Ross to even Bono. It was eventually revealed that Jonathan Davis of KoRn and Josh Groban would be joining him at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

“My dear friends are going to show up,” he says gleefully. “I’m grateful that these amazing artists are going to join my show.”

With nonstop prepping for the upcoming events, maybe after these concerts, Yoshiki can finally take that well-deserved break. He says with hesitation, as he drops the ball on his future plans, “Well, I’m making three albums right now – one is a rock album, one is a classical album under my name Yoshiki, which will be more symphony piano concerto, and one EDM/pop album. I started actually recording six months ago.”

He says to expect more collaborations with other artists but wouldn’t name them as they’re still in the process of scheduling recording time. He is also working on a new version of AI Yoshiki, “AI Yoshiki 2.0,” He’s utilized the AI version of himself for fan meetings and Q&A, although real Yoshiki pops in from time to time. He’ll never use the program to create or produce music but to utilize it to help better his life, as Yoshiki can’t be everywhere, but now he can.

“I’m trying to protect artists and the industry – music, film, fashion, and everything,” he explains. “That’s my main goal. How can we protect each other? The AI trend will not slow down, so we need to find a way to coexist. Every single artist is using their blood, sweat, and tears to make art. They should be compensated for their effort. So, to protect us, I created the AI version once I felt comfortable with it. You can use AI in a good way.”

He also has other projects outside of music in the pipeline. He can’t wait for everything to be announced, but he does feel a bit overwhelmed and under pressure. But he’s committed to finishing what he started, even if it was just an idea.

“Once I’m committed, I’m all in,” he says. “I don’t open my door halfway. I open it entirely. At that moment, I’m enjoying it. I get that adrenaline rush x10 to achieve my goal – no matter what. Obviously, some things are last-minute, but I’ll do the best I can. Once I commit to each project, I enjoy the moment. Even when there’s no time to sleep, there’s pressure, or I’m overwhelmed, I commit to the plans, and that’s when I’m really enjoying myself.”

Throughout the interview, Yoshiki is humble despite his many years of success. After receiving praise, he appreciates it, but says he is hungry for more and still feels like he’s just getting started. When asked when he thinks he’ll feel full or satiated.

“I guess when I die,” he says bluntly. “Life is a journey to find who you are, so when you find yourself, that’s probably the end of your journey. We are hungry to know who we are, interested in doing something, and trying to know what we don’t know. That’s life. What’s the meaning of life?”

He adds, “I am working hard. I had amazing decades of concerts, recording, and creating art. I’m not going to last through the next generation. I know with the way I’m living I may not last that long, but I want the next generation of artists to [be inspired by my work and] create art 100 years from now.”

Yoshiki performs his Yoshiki Classical 2026 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on July 16 and 17.