Original subtitles

I thought um the music or art should be

more free. There's no rural. I wanted to

disrupt everything [music] I could think

of.

>> What planet is this band from? Japan.

Planet Japan. But but it was [music] so

extreme.

>> We didn't want PE to people to define

what who who we are.

>> This was something completely different.

>> More critics hated [music] us. I enjoyed

it. Most of the credit goes to your band

for starting this style.

Yoshiki, thank you for being on my show.

Nice to see you.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> We've known each other for how long?

>> Quite a long time. I think it's been a

while now.

>> 20 years, maybe a little less, something

like that.

>> Mhm.

So, uh, I did not know this until I was

going to interview you, but, uh, you

made the 100 most influential people in

the world list 2025 for Time magazine.

>> Was that a surprise or

>> Mhm. I think so.

>> I mean, I mean, it doesn't surprise me

because I know how successful you are,

but still, that's an incredible list to

end up on when you think of eight plus

billion people on the planet.

>> It's um, yeah, it's a surprise. Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Uh did they did they warn you before or

did you just one day you read that

you're on this list?

>> One day I just heard from

>> Oh, really? [laughter]

>> Did anyone call you and uh offer you

anything like

>> And I've done I've showed up in Time

magazine a few times before. Oh,

>> okay.

>> So, it's not like completely not

familiar with, you know,

>> that vibe. But

>> yeah. So, um I wanted to start here uh

because I I never knew that there was a

a term for it, but it's the idea of

visual

>> K,

>> which uh your band X Japan is seen as

kind of the originator. Obviously,

there's other people, but most of the

credit goes to your band for starting

the style, uh Visual K. So, uh, one

small story before I I ask you a

question, but, uh, when Pumpkins first

went to Japan around '92, '93,

ex Japan, your band is everywhere, but

with this massive hair and this style,

and to us, it was so alien. We'd never

seen anything like it. Um, so can you

maybe explain a little bit the origin of

the visual K style and and what you the

band was thinking?

>> Okay. So I do have a classical music

background. Um, started playing piano

when I was four years old. So then like

at 10 years old when I was 10 years old

I started playing drums. Um, like a

classical to more like a punk rock

drums. I mean music. Um I'm influenced

by kiss and like that. Uh the the moment

I lost my father

>> um actually he took his own life. That's

a very sad moment. Anyway then fast

forwarding

then um I met a band called X. Uh then

eventually uh I mean uh later uh so we

well eventually changed the band name to

X Japan.

>> Yes.

>> Because there's a band called X. Amazing

band called

>> famous famous band from America. Yeah.

>> Yes. So

um anyway so uh my background is

classical music and rock music.

Then um

at that time I was very influenced by

more like a heavy

flash metal.

>> Yeah.

>> As well as punk rock.

>> Yeah. I was listening to some of your

early your early music and I hear a lot

of Lars Olrich, [laughter]

you know,

>> mostly uh something like that.

>> Yes. [gasps]

>> So, yeah.

>> So, Dave Lombardo and and and Lars were

[laughter] were influences on this style

for you.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Of course. So then but at

the same time I was very into like a

David Boy or that kind of like there's

also band called Japan

>> like uh

>> uh that kind of like um glam rock kind

of like um so then we just combined all

those things. So

>> but other but other people had combined

glam and rock before but never like

>> very extreme. I mean the extreme. So

again to us coming from America, this is

early 90s. We would see posters or your

band would be on television. We would

think like

>> what planet is this band from? Japan.

Planet Japan. But but it was so extreme.

So how do you go from hey let's dress up

and be kind of cool glam to this the the

massive wigs. And whose whose idea was

that first?

>> So so because we playing a very heavy

music.

There a lot of critics came and said you

know you if you want to how do you say

uh sign to major label you may want to

do the right look.

>> Yeah.

>> So look like um you know heavy metal

band.

>> I see

>> that's like your typical jean jackets.

>> I I respect that as well but I was so

rebel against everything. I hated life

that because I think that my father's

suicide just had a lot of influence

towards me. I was like uh so I did

completely opposite I

>> was this was this born of anger or or

born of rebellion?

>> Um combination of a lot of things

sadness

and then anger. Yeah. Um, also

Japanese culture was not in a bad way,

but very very conservative, you know,

>> still in many ways very conservative.

>> So when I was um high school uh or

junior high, I dyed my hair red or blue.

Then I don't think it's allowed right

this moment, but I mean this time, but

my teacher grabbed me and shaved my

head.

[laughter]

Yeah. So the you know I knew I was doing

not right thing because the school rule

but so anyway a lot of things just made

me like that kind of like a rock and

roll anger and everything

>> even though I was playing classical

music.

>> Yeah.

>> That moment. But uh I guess what I'm

after is it seems particularly Japanese

that you would take one element that

other people had focused on let's say

the glamour and in rock and then push it

to an absolute extreme.

I mean did was it there a progression?

Did you guys have meetings? Did you talk

about it? I mean, how do you cuz, you

know, again, to us coming from America,

it was like, what is happening? Because

it was so different than anything we'd

ever seen before because obviously we'd

seen when Lou Reed

>> was sort of, you know, being androgynous

with Transformer and

>> Bow's different guises and even New York

Dolls.

>> Mhm.

>> And Kiss was obviously very influenced

by New York Dolls and that scene that

they all grew up in, but this was

something completely different.

Can you at least walk me a bit through

how you got there? [sighs]

>> Maybe to you it doesn't seem shocking,

but to us it was very shocking.

>> I mean, or yanically happened, but um my

family used to run kimono, Japanese

kimono business, producing kimono. Then

I uh when I was young, my parents just

you know uh me to put the kimono or

something like that. Then sometime

there's a some festival or something.

They put my makeup on me and then some

um neighbor thought I was a girl

something like that. Then

um anyway, so you know also there's a

Kabuki kind of culture in Japan or also

anime culture in Japan.

>> Yeah.

>> So then but mostly like influenced by

David Boy something like that. So I

decided to put the makeup then play

heavy music and then

um more critics hated us I enjoyed it.

>> I see. [laughter] So the more the more

of the critics hated you, the more

extreme.

>> So I didn't want to belong.

>> Yeah.

>> Um not only me, the the I somehow I met

those uh amazing friends/ artist. We

didn't want to belong to we didn't want

people to people to define

what who who we are because

you know um

there's basically no rule in terms of

art. So but especially

uh Japan around that time

maybe our culture I really respect that

at the same time you wanted you want

they wanted to define who you are. you

are like this, you should be.

>> I didn't like it.

>> Uh I thought um the music or art should

be more free. There's a no rule. I

wanted to disrupt everything I could

think of.

>> Well, you definitely disrupted

everything. Um,

this is a question I would maybe only

ask you because we know each other a bit

and we're friendly and I know you're a

very generous person. So, I'm asking you

in a way to kind of explain something to

me about Japanese culture that I've

always found interesting.

Um, of course, historically, [ __ ] Japan

was a closed island up until about the

1850s.

>> Mhm. and and there are still the

remnants of that closed society in the

way Japan views other cultures. It's

changing a bit now, but um

>> and we've even talked about some of

those changes that are going on in

Japanese culture now. But I guess what

I'm saying is for example

on a certain level to as to an American

it makes sense that that a Japanese band

in rebellion would pick elements of that

they like from rock and roll history and

say okay we want to cuz we did the same

thing but it seems very particular to

Japanese culture that those elements

would be different than the ones the

Americans would focus on and then it

would be taken to this extreme. Of

course, Japanese culture is very

prevalent in in the world now,

>> but 30 years ago, less so,

>> right?

>> Um, and it it does feed into the story

of your band about how what became so

popular and you guys became the biggest

band in Japan didn't necessarily

translate to other places cuz, like I

said, to us, it was so strange what you

guys were doing. So, can you at least

explain to me maybe some of the elements

that are particular to Japanese culture

that maybe aren't the same as to Western

culture? Does that make sense? Like,

like for example, when you said people

would say, "Well, you're playing in a

thrash band. You should look like

Metallica would look or Mega Death or

something like that." But, but to a

Japanese sensibility, that doesn't make

sense. Can you explain that a little

bit?

So um

first of all like let's see 30 40 years

ago I mean

um as far as I know all the musicians

are respected I mean still but are

respecting all the western artists

>> I see.

>> So more like a rock is like um culture

of western not more like eastern right

that's

>> that's a vibe. So when I told my mother

first time I'm gonna do rock band, she's

like but anyway she end up uh taking me

to kiss concert. I was 11 years old but

um but um yeah there's no such word rock

kind of like exist in Japanese culture

more like there's a there's a Japanese

pop music um something like that. Uh why

why do you think there isn't a I mean

there is more so now maybe than ever

before but certainly 30 years ago there

was very small Japanese rock culture

>> very

>> like we knew shownen knife

>> oh yeah yeah

>> you know because we played shows with

shonen knife we knew the the ladies in

shonen knife but

>> Japanese rock was not even considered as

its own

>> uh form of expression because it was

always so western

>> exactly

>> influenced

>> very small yeah

>> in terms of the the record sales too at

that time.

>> Sure.

>> Yeah.

>> So, but what

I think I'm guess what I'm trying to do

is link two ideas.

Your focus as Japanese artist was was

very much in its own way very Japanese.

I don't know how else to explain it.

Only a Japanese band would have made the

choices that you made musically,

melodically.

Um, obviously there's western

influences, but what what makes X Japan

so unique and such a famous band

>> is you made choices that only ex Japan

would have made. Very synonymous with

Japanese culture to us as westerners.

>> But um,

were you were you on some way

celebrating Japanese culture or was it

innate to you to celebrate the things

that you wanted to celebrate about

Western music and it just ended up being

its own thing? Does it make sense?

>> It does. Um,

>> it did. Sorry. And also, did the

Japanese fans rally because they

thought, "Okay, here's a band making

Japanese rock for Japanese fans." Was

that part of the success?

>> We didn't think that much. [laughter]

>> Well, most fans don't.

>> We just thought something. We are We

were very enjoying the every single

past.

>> Yeah.

>> It's like um So, let's see. I used to

have a spike here.

>> Yeah. Like this.

>> Yeah. Actually, I used to have entire

hair like spike. Then one time before

the show, I run out of time. So, I only

have half done that like, "Oh, oh god."

So, I got to be on stage. So, I just

showed up. They might as well put the

left side like put the white uh

foundation or something. [laughter]

People liked it. I was like, "Oh, that's

like um anything um not uh how to say

conventional." Yes. I liked it. Then

then then the beginning of X Japan you

know concert we are just playing very

heavy music. Then one time there's a

piano the club

they they couldn't move that piano.

>> So it was just on stage.

>> Yeah. So kind of side of stage but just

just really like a center of stage

almost isish. So I was like you know

what just leave it. I play back or or

shopan middle of the set, middle of the

slash metal concert. I played

the people liked it like huh this may

work. So [laughter]

>> yeah.

>> So we didn't think that much. It was

just happen organically.

>> Yeah. What do you think are some of the

elements looking back now um that makes

uh X Japan different than most bands of

of of the last rock bands of the last 30

years? Like can you can you for people

who don't know X Japan's music? Can you

explain a little bit like what you think

makes the band different?

>> Um okay. So even though we are we were

doing this kind of we still but heavy

music I wrote every single note even

guitar solo to the music music score.

So

>> would you would you actually chart out

the guitar solos? Oh I didn't know that.

>> So I I mean there are also you know

amazing uh guitar player or bass player.

So they wrote a song as well. Tai Hide

he's uh now Sugizo Toshi but um I wrote

probably 80 90% of the song that the

beginning I was because of my classical

music background I wrote even double

bass everything I wrote music score they

gave it to my members they're like what

the

>> yeah [laughter]

>> what is this oh I see so I need to maybe

I play the piano and then this a guitar

like this And then so even though we are

doing the heavy music that how we

construct us you know construct the

music was build the music was very

different way.

>> So I care about every single voicing. So

this guitar is not going to crash with

this bass and then guitar could be city

guitar can be played this and something

like that orchestral way of creating the

music. So I I think I did it the same

way but I did it all in my head because

I have no I think I told you before I

can't read music you know

>> but you have like naturally you know

talented and you

>> I appreciate but I'm saying is I had to

I couldn't write so I had to compose all

in my head

>> basically the same thing we doing the

same thing.

>> Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting.

[laughter]

Um

so that was already you know strange way

to start.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Because to to western ears,

Japanese rock metal always sounds a bit

strange

and you've lived in America so long, I

think you understand why it probably

sounds strange to to Western ears.

>> Maybe it's the J the the use of Japanese

melody on top of conventional rock.

You know what I'm saying?

>> Yeah.

>> And certainly your band was very

influential. Like every time I go to

Japan now, I mean, I hear so many bands

that are still doing what you guys were

doing 30 years ago. I don't know what

you would call that style of music. It's

a almost like a very I don't want to

call it pop metal cuz that's the wrong

way to put it. Like almost like Japanese

pop melody over the over very heavy

aggressive music that seems very akin to

Japanese culture,

>> right? you you maybe you hear more

influence now in America from that but

that goes back to Japanese culture which

goes back to your band. Do you hear that

that those influences?

>> Yeah, I'm very grateful a lot a lot of

artists mention my band or even even uh

K-pop. So

>> Wow.

>> Yeah. So

>> that's a cool compliment.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Um

there's one thing I wanted to ask you

about because I think and you've seen it

where uh western bands come to Japan and

it's almost like u

they almost infantilize the audience

like oh the Japanese audience is so

quiet there was you know what I'm

saying? Can you can you tell us because

you have such a special relationship

with Japanese fans, can you tell us like

what the what the true what's the best

understanding of the Japanese audience

because I think the western bands often

times get the wrong impression of a

Japanese audience.

>> Well, Japanese audience could be

extremely like loud and passionate. So,

so it's like in between set when I start

talking Yeah.

>> they become very quiet, right? When I

say scram, they just became louder than

the the anything. So it's very I don't

know somehow not in a bad way contained

but explosive.

>> Oh okay. Do you is do but do western

artists misunderstand the Japanese

crowd? Do you do you see where sometimes

western artists misjudge the crowd?

>> I think you know also I've been

traveling all over the world. I mean,

they're playing the concert. So, it's

not not different than any other I know

the audience audience just

>> But may maybe now, but but but you

remember the early '9s, the Japanese

crowds were very quiet. [laughter]

>> At least to a rock band.

>> Yeah.

>> I remember going to see Nirvana play

Tokyo Sun Palace.

>> Okay.

>> 92.

>> Wow.

>> And it was This is the height of Never

Mind. I mean, it was so quiet.

>> You know what I mean? in between songs

it was like there was not one person

talking.

>> Okay.

>> I mean you would never find a grunge

concert in 1992 anywhere in the world

where it would be quiet between songs.

>> That's true actually.

>> So that's what I'm saying that

>> that sort of uh but but when I see the

amount of love that the Japanese

audience has had for your band, you guys

have sold out the the sun the Tokyo uh

dome like 18 times. I mean there's a

passionate connection there.

>> Mhm. So, I guess what I'm trying to say

is, is there a secret to that

understanding of that audience that

maybe most western rock bands

misunderstand?

Um, I think what we did was

it's okay to scream.

>> So, yeah, I think they had the same kind

of like amount of emotion. It's, you

know, the my fans or every single like

Rockman's fan. So, but they didn't know

it's okay to scream or not. So you just

push that bottom.

>> So then the then Japanese fans very

sweet and then but also again it's very

emotional as well. So if you just say

it's okay to scream and if you you know

then they can be louder than anyone in

the world.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Yeah. Um, I didn't know this about you,

but I was doing my research about sort

of the DIY roots of the band, you know,

because again, my first uh connection to

your band was you were this massive

people at the time were saying this band

is as big as the Beatles. They're like

they would call you the the Japanese

Beatles or something,

>> you know what I mean? This massive band.

So, um, but I didn't know there was a

DIY route that you formed your own

record label to put out the music. Um

can you talk about that experience

because like you said there really

wasn't a Japanese rock business when you

started

>> right so I was very influenced by punk

rock world so um at that time some rock

band um I mean there are such amazing

rock bands there they are all trying to

be signed by major label so then of

course the the the the crit politics are

very important for at that time. I mean

still but then

>> less so

>> it depends how you look at it but um so

then I was told for so many you know

critics even like my uh guitar player he

did he's he passed away um but he was

like kind of like a co-leader of the

Japan so you know if we be if we can be

good friend with these critics you know

he's he'll um open the door for us to be

signed by major label. [gasps]

I respect that everything but I was like

I just want to do something crazy or

just you know um I had some kind of

vision

just I didn't want to fall into this the

the again the same thing the one

category I was like if you know I don't

want to follow the rule so why don't I

just create the um um new label so this

um those punk rock band had their own

small label very small

>> but that was kind of like a trend.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah. You know,

>> how did you get the money to start your

own label?

>> Um, well, so I asked my mother.

[laughter]

>> Was she was she supportive of you of you

playing rock?

>> Um,

so it's kind of a little deep. Um,

because my father took his own life. She

apologized to me. She said um

um I chose the partner who abandoned

you. M

>> so I was like it's not your fault

anything but she said she felt like she

owes me something like mom I'm okay but

let me do what I want to do but at the

same time

uh you know she say

stopped doing rock band sometime you

know so um when when I was like a 20 21

like because I was supposed to go to

music college then classical.

>> Mhm. Classical. Yeah. So that was how do

you say scholarship got scholarship

>> but I said mom I want to do rock. So

anyway she said maybe I'm going to do a

few years and I'm going to give up or

something like that.

>> Then they we are talking then I want to

create a label. Then can you can I

borrow money?

How much? Like maybe 100k

like she said okay.

>> Oh wow. [laughter]

So there I said I'll return probably

within um year or something like that.

[snorts]

Then she didn't believe me but I

made 10 times more. They returned it to

her. So anyway, so we decided to make

our own album. So [snorts] then um the

album sold a lot.

So then they eventually we had Sony

record.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> At what point

uh

because you talked about having a vision

and I think this is a very ahead of its

time. It's almost like you didn't just

build a successful music band and brand.

You built almost like your own world.

And like you said, I you know, some of

it was just accidental. I played the

piano when I on stage. The fans loved

it. So it becomes part of what you do.

But but but by the mid 90s, I mean, X

Japan was this massive business. I mean,

you're selling like crazy amounts of

records in Japan. I mean, even if you

Google right now and you say who's the

biggest rock band in Japanese history,

it's ex Japan. They say there's some

other band I don't know, but they said

maybe you could argue this other band is

bigger, but at the end of the day, the

real influence is X Japan. So even now

it's you're still considered the biggest

band rock band ever in Japan and and you

know because you grew up there but I

know because I know my history like

bands like Deep Purple were massive

>> in in Japan,

>> right?

>> I mean they weren't just successful

bands that went to Japan. I mean they

were massive in Japan in a way that was

even shocking to the bands.

>> So to be a bigger band than those bands

in your home country is is an incredible

accomplishment. But at what point was

this your vision that you sort of almost

built like X Japan World because it

seemed that you were ahead of the curve

with that the band could be bigger than

just a music band.

So um the new year New Year's Eve um in

Tokyo

>> what year now?

>> Um

long time ago. [laughter]

So the all those um let's see um like um

somebody like Michael Jackson or or like

u uh Bonjobi or those people Jackson

they are doing their New Year's Eve

concert in Tokyo Dome that was like a um

like big amazing western artist you know

two nights of so then eventually we took

over first Japanese artist at that

moment like we might have made it in

Japan.

>> Who was your Was it Mr. Udo your

promoter at that time?

>> At that time he was a promoter. Um now

we work with Udo but

could be could be. Yeah.

>> I'm just curious cuz we always work with

Mr. Udo in the 90s.

>> Oh yeah. Yeah. They're amazing. So they

are my one of my promoters.

>> Yeah. Mhm. So we did not know like um so

like what's exactly success mean?

>> Yeah. Um but where's the vision for like

making the brand as part you know

because you were ahead of the curve of

understanding that you could do other

things with the band's success not just

sell records.

>> When I tried similar things in the 90s

in America I was told no.

>> No. I was told no. I was told no by

people in LA. When I tried to make my

band bigger than just a music band that

sold records, I was told no.

>> Okay.

>> Now it's understood that that's what you

do,

>> right?

>> I mean, now you have Yoshiki credit

cards. I mean, you you expanded your

brand and the solo members of the of X

Japan went on to also have their own

individual success.

>> So, you guys were ahead of that curve

more so than Western artists. M

>> but I'm saying who was the vision on

this idea that the band could be a

brand?

>> Does that make sense the way I'm asking

it?

>> Yes. Yes.

>> Okay. Um

>> because

um again I look at the big picture uh

sometime way too way too big. Uh even a

lot of my people say just focus on

something. Um I'm focusing but

>> there's basically no rule. Um we are

just living or in the world of somebody

like even music industry

>> like you know so even uh entertainment

business record industry business why do

we why don't we sign to the label why do

we make uh some music like you know

album like u once a year twice uh once

in two years then do tour or I just have

you know I the system when I look at

It's because I also love classical music

like you know let's see 200 years ago

what beethto was doing or what Mozart

was thinking or like let's see 100 years

from now what's going to be happening so

there's no

rule I mean these are very

small to me so you don't have to follow

you know again you can be musician or

slash fashion designer or you you know,

I'm also creative by and [snorts]

there's no rule to me. So,

>> but but you understand you're you were

way ahead of this idea

now. Every pop star thinks this way

>> and in many cases rock bands do too now.

But you were thinking like this in the

'9s. I mean, we were over here in the

grunge

>> moment where it was very much about

authenticity

>> and, you know, the critics deciding who

was cool, not cool. I love it though.

>> Yes. [laughter] But it's but if you

think about it, it's not good in many

ways. It wasn't good for business.

>> I I love the like kind of like a hair

medal was destroyed by [laughter]

>> Well, that's true. There's truth to it.

>> I was I was that was so exciting. The

new machine pump.

>> Were you Were you Were you guys paying

attention to what was going on in

America in the '90s? at that time

probably uh we I I came to America

around that time.

>> Yeah. That's when you kind of started

living here, right?

>> Yeah. Yeah. That was a transition. I was

like, "Wow, it's amazing." Like, you

know, I respect the hair metal band too,

but these things are like, you know,

kind of revolutionizing.

>> That's exciting.

>> It was It was a very exciting time.

>> Mhm.

>> Um I didn't hear a ton of grunge

influence in your band's music. You guys

seem to not

>> uh

>> We do. We do.

>> You think so? Yeah. You'd have to tell

me which songs. I didn't I didn't find

them. No, because I think you have a

distinctive style.

>> So, I'm saying that's a good thing that

you weren't necessarily influenced by

what was going on in America at the

time.

>> To me, like a grand style is more like

um how do you say

>> is it more an attitude?

>> Attitude and then artistic way of you

know more like you are in your heart

like uh

>> authenticity.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean of course it's know

there's some certain type style of music

as well.

>> Yeah.

>> But

>> we do have that kind of influence.

>> Okay. Yeah. Because I I went looking for

it because because often times bands are

are you know they they they are

influenced by the things that are going

on because part of your story is you

know ex Japan became a phenomenon in

Japan but the phenomena didn't

necessarily translate outside of Japan.

That's part of the story of the band

now. That's grown over time. That's

different. That's a different story. But

um [clears throat]

did the success affect the uh members

relationships because you had so much

success?

>> I mean more success than I ever had. You

know what I'm saying? So it's hard for

me to understand what that must feel

like especially in a country like

>> because really if you think about it

there's only two countries in the world

where that sort of success translates

into a cultural phenomenon. the UK and

Japan.

>> Okay.

>> America, of course, it has it, but it's

so big that by the time it gets there,

it takes a long time, where in Japan and

and the UK, it can happen very fast.

>> And for you guys, it seemed to happen

fast. Did it feel like it happened fast?

>> Yes, very fast.

>> So, did that affect the internal

relationships with the with the band

members?

>> Did.

>> Yeah. Can you tell me just tell me how?

>> Yes. Uh, probably we can somehow relate

to because you know um I been the leader

of the group.

>> Yeah. Well, you get all the you get all

the blame. [laughter]

[gasps]

>> Yeah. Um I tried very hard uh but

you know the um

um

it's hard to explain but um suddenly

a lot of money come came to you know

band also the lifestyle changing when we

used to tour sometime we were sleeping

um in the car or you know um some

parking lot or even park or something

like that. I used to enjoy that. Then

now everyone has their own sweet room

and blah blah blah. Um

I um yeah then when I realized so then I

wanted to go to America or you know or

western musical uh industry to try right

because I was kind of fearless. Um,

>> were you thinking, sorry, were you

thinking that I need to figure out how

to take my band into the world now?

Okay.

>> Yeah, exactly. Thank you. So, yeah,

because we went to from let's see club

to Tokyo Dome at like at the speed of

light or something like that. Just very

fast.

>> Crazy. So, like um whatever I said I'm

going to do budok um six months from

now. Like you're still playing club like

no, I'll do it. Then when I set the

goal, I was like I just made it like

okay. Then

>> we played brok

like okay when 6 months from now like

then then Sony said no you can't. Okay

no I will. So

>> then then we did it. Then six months

later I'm going to play three nights.

Then the label said no you can't. No we

will. that we did then I said now we

going to America then blah blah blah so

the curve from club playing club to

Tokyo was so fast like that's so steep

then from there I came here in America

then like wow it's a complete different

world so first of all at that time I

didn't I spoke zero English zero. So uh

early 20 or no mid 20 [snorts]

so wow I need to speak English you know

um so I started studying anyway then all

the band members came then we had to

start from the get-go pretty much

everything we built in Japan but that

didn't apply anything here.

>> Oh I see. So then you know the everybody

lived first one year here but we never

have we have holiday

what I mean by went back to Japan

because in Japan we are treated like

rockstar then here we are nobody I kind

of loved it but so the gap in between

those two world

uh kind of like um I don't know slowly

start separating us like what you want

to do or what you feel accomplished or

you want to be you know go more higher

place or so then to me I try to

I I don't know um the organized the band

let's try to you know if we can we can

do it we can do in uh how do you say uh

do something in in western music

industry

>> but um

it was not Easy. So we started slowly

like falling apart.

>> Oh.

>> Mhm.

>> The world is a vampire

to dra

[music]

hold you up to the flame.

[music]

>> [music]

>> They trade desire

and the piece of the game.

[music]

Now I know

[music]

the show

[music]

[singing]

I

Just a ride it all.

[music]

>> That must been difficult.

>> Very difficult.

>> Yeah. Because looking back now, because

we see of course the success of BTS

>> and other international artists where

>> they don't even have to sing in English.

>> Mhm. like if you had had those same

opportunities,

maybe most people in the West would know

your band

>> the way that the Japanese audiences knew

your band.

>> But at the Yeah. So yeah, I kind of know

them a little bit. BTS and those people,

they also worked the K-pop music been

also working for a long time, little by

little. Um they didn't make it like the

success overnight. So I really respect

their K-pop world as well.

So yeah,

>> but but sorry, but you but you

understand because you you dealt with

America, you came here and you're like,

"Okay, wow, this is a big difference."

>> Yes.

>> If we're going to solve this, if it's a

problem

30 years ago, the idea that that a band

could come, especially from Asia,

>> sing in their native language, and be

successful in America, that's there was

the chance of that happening was zero 30

years ago.

>> Pretty much. Yeah.

>> I mean [snorts]

>> I mean loudness had had some success but

>> you know for for the metal fans you know

what I mean but but always the

compromise that the artist must sing in

in English.

>> You know now it's totally understood

that you can be successful singing in

your native language.

Right. There was even a huge controversy

with Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl this

year because he was singing in Spanish.

>> Right. Right. But if you really think

about it, he's singing in the language

that he's most comfortable in and he's

just it's just music.

>> Right.

>> Right. So what I'm saying is is I'm

trying to at least explain to people

that the idea of a of a Japanese band

coming to America in the '9s at the

height of grunge,

>> right,

>> and try to figure out how to

>> be part of the Western music culture.

>> It's actually a lot more distant than it

would seem today.

>> Right. Right. Okay. Do you you agree

with that? Yeah.

>> Yes. So I kind of put the same format. I

uh respect the culture. So I start

learning at the same time. I we don't

have to belong here. That kind of same

>> so stance.

>> Yeah.

>> So

>> I get it.

>> We are who we are. So

again with respect. So that's how I was

like you know I tried we came here not

to become western music band as a still

still have the identity of Japanese

group so that's I've tried to

convin talk to label or members we don't

have to change we can be who we are then

we can still make it about that moment

that three decades ago

>> was hard to con uh convince

>> yes mhm Mhm. Yes. Um would you meet with

music executives in America and try to

say this is my vision and they agreed

with you or they told you you were

crazy?

>> I first I was crazy.

>> Yeah. Pretty much hands down like

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. You have to do this. Yeah. They

then I listen to I respected that but

>> that my vision was different.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> So,

I'm not interested in why the band broke

up. I mean, bands break up stories.

There's the real story and there's the

public story. So, I'm not asking you for

the real story,

>> but um it strikes me that that the band

breaking up was particularly painful for

you that it wasn't that it came at a a

bad time or not. I maybe it's never a

good time, but how do you look at it

now? because obviously the band has

endured, the band has reformed many

times and played concerts and the band

is loved and revered, you know, for what

it's accomplished. But at the time, how

did you feel with with with

uh extremely painful? I mean,

I'm like what really you went through?

So,

um

our band is still here. It's Yeah. broke

up and then came back and then so uh the

most painful moment

still very painful was the death

>> of

um my guitar player Hide

then the Taii I fired him but then then

but before he killed himself I brought

him back to the stage again we brought

back to stage and [gasps]

they we're going to do something

together. But then also at the bass

player the he so there those members

death um it's hard to bear.

>> Yeah. Still um I really thought

why why

that was not me. I I was telling Hide

that that you know the guitar player

um for some reason we talked about death

kind of strange but um because I don't

know I keep talking about death then

like I'm going to die first something

like this

>> um not in a like more like like a dark

way but

>> so that the word death was always in me

for some reason. Well, obviously because

my father took his life. So,

[sighs and gasps]

so at the same time I try to use that

thoughts more positive way because

um worse comes I die tomorrow. So why

don't I do

as much as we can today to you know so

um I had some uh still have like u not

depression but like um if I start

thinking too much I go to the darkest

corner of the night or something like

this.

>> So I I try to shift that

>> energy into something positive. Yeah.

>> But the to face the death of band

members, I was like, what did I do? So

if I didn't ask them to join because I

pretty much

headhanded every single band members uh

they are also leader of the band. So to

for me to create the the biggest band, I

I had to head hunt like a the band

leaders anyway. So if they didn't

join my band, maybe they are still alive

or something like this. I like just that

really.

>> Yeah. Well, you know, in in in psych

western psychology, they call it

survivor guilt. Do you know this?

>> Yes.

>> Where the survivor feels somehow guilty

that it should be them. And

>> I have it. Yeah. Still.

>> Yeah. I saw this thing in in this uh

documentary where your mother was

talking about that she thought you were

not going to make it to be an adult.

>> Mhm.

>> Was it was it a psychic that told her

that or

>> who?

>> No. Uh physically I was so weak. I had a

asthma asthma attack like

>> So it was a doctor had said that you

weren't going to survive

>> constantly. So I was pretty much like

living in the hospital when I was kid.

M.

>> So yeah, physically very weak. So then

yeah, doctor was telling my mother

he's not going to survive.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah.

>> Um

I didn't know this about you, but I saw

where you work with George Martin. You

classical album 90 93

>> something like that.

>> Yeah. You're not so good with the date.

[laughter]

>> Yeah. Amazing.

No, I have to do my research. But but um

that must have been a big thrill to work

with George Martin.

>> Mhm.

So I learned orchestration uh after I

worked with George Martin.

>> Yeah.

>> Oh, so you studied it after you worked.

>> Oh, okay.

>> Yes. So like English like when I came

here, I spoke English. Yeah.

>> I see. So he did the orchestration for

your your your classical This was your

first classical album. Yeah.

>> My first original classical album. I

made like a Yoshiki selection or

something like this, you know. Um uh

before I just picked like a picked like

a uh this song from Beethoven or this

song from Chaikovski or I see

>> they made album selection. I made two

albums. So became pretty big sales. So

>> then I was like might as well make my

own classical album. So then

uh end up working George Martin.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah. So these were all original

compositions that he

>> So he translated like let's see 70 80%

music I I which I composed from extrapan

song into classical music.

>> Ah and then he

>> Yeah.

>> I also wrote 20 30% music to just

classical song.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Wow.

>> Can you tell us could because not that

many people in their life work with

George Martin. Could you could you

understand having worked with him could

you understand why he was such a

successful producer?

>> Yeah, he listened to the artist. So even

though that time my English was very

limited. [laughter]

So he must have had hard time

understanding what I'm trying to say.

But [laughter]

but so I play the piano this I want to

do this then I so this place I don't

like stacato I legato or like well you

know I try to

uh give him as much as input as possible

but then he absorbed all those you know

the what I want then he made something

even better something like that.

>> Yeah. Well that's what a brilliant

person does right? Yeah,

>> they almost make it better than you can

imagine.

>> Um,

how old were you when the when when ex

Japan broke up?

>> Still pretty young.

>> Um, 30

to early 30s.

>> So early 30s. Yeah.

>> Yeah. First time when I broke up. When

we broke Yeah.

>> Yeah. Could you en could you have

envisioned then that you would go on to

all this other success in life?

[clears throat]

>> You know, like you said, I mean there's,

you know, in English we say Polymath

or Autodact, you know, you you went on

fashion design.

Um, you have your own wine label. You

work with some of the biggest brands in

the world.

Um, in many ways you're more famous than

you were in ex Japan as your own person,

which is very hard to do as you know. M

I was very confident at that time uh uh

regardless.

But uh also Hide and I were thinking

well the reason we broke up was the um

my dear friend uh Toshi the vocalist he

was brainwashed.

>> Yeah. He was in a cult or something.

Yeah. Can you talk about that a little

bit because I saw that and I thought

this is so crazy.

>> Yeah. So to make a long story short, um

he was um doing some musical

uh that he was

um the how do you say he met the uh

musical hearing the partner eventually

he end up marrying the lady.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah. that she was in the I don't know

if I can say that but yeah I think so

she was in the cult

so then she dragged him into the cult

>> wow

>> so then I think what they do is they

make enemy right so then I was the enemy

>> that's but that's typical to cults

>> we're the good team they're the bad team

>> we know the right way they know the bad

way

>> and they isolate hit the person.

>> Exactly. So exact. Yeah. He was

isolated.

>> Yeah.

>> Then I didn't know how deep he was in.

But anyway, so then one day he came to

for some reason around that time a lot

of people a lot of members living in

Japan. Then I was living in Los Angeles

then came here and then say I want to

leave the band.

It's like I actually grew uh grew up

with him like I met him when I was four

or five years old when same elementary

school and everything. So when I saw his

eyes, I was like, "Okay, I think that's

what you want." So I didn't really say

try to stop him or anything like I kind

of understood

then but he did like the other member

was very angry and then no he can't blah

blah blah. Anyway, so I was very calm

then then you know he and I talked about

maybe we can do Japan you know se few

years from now again. So when things

said one more timing is right blah blah

blah then I was doing my own thing the H

was doing its own thing then Toshi

joined the cult. Uh for some reason I

was not angry or anything very calm like

like um then several months later hide

passed away. M

>> that moment I was like everything like

shattered like um I became

very depressed. Um

then

I decide not to do anything actually. I

just didn't want to even leave my house.

Just uh

>> I didn't want to open the window.

>> Just just just stay in the darkness. Did

it bring up a lot of feelings too

because of your father's passing?

>> Yeah, somehow those two, you know, I

mean few decades apart, but

was kind of like hit me really hard.

Yeah.

>> Yeah. So,

>> pretty much I didn't Well, I decided at

that moment I decided to be on stage and

not be on stage

>> and not be on stage.

>> Not be on stage. I I quit basically. I I

I I I tried to become a composer.

>> Oh, you were just going to go behind the

scenes.

>> Behind the scenes every day. Not the uh

you know performer.

So then I told my mother I'll never I'm

not going to perform anymore. I'll just

become composer and then just composing

songs. Then maybe producing artist

something like that. But that's too

painful to face this anymore.

>> Wow.

Then about a year later, I was asked to

compose the uh uh piano conerto for

emperor of Japan. Um the 10th

uh anniversary of his reign.

I was like what? [laughter]

I feel very honored and then at the same

time I was not confident at that because

I was like in the darkest corner of the

world. They asked my mother what should

I do? She said you should do it. Then I

end up composing like seven eight

minutes comp uh I actually composed 20

minutes long but I condensed it to 7

minutes because the ceremony some length

issue something like that. Then I end up

performing the imperial par with

orchestra.

>> Then I heard the like I don't know

10,000 20,000 50,000 I don't remember

but the the audience screaming voice at

the emperor emperor par palace

it's like wow I should come back to the

stage.

>> Yeah.

>> Mhm.

>> Wow. Very powerful.

I'm curious because you've lived um

you've had such tremendous success in

Japan, but you've been in the US for

three decades and you know, of course,

you know, many musical artists, US

musical artists. What have you learned

about American culture that

you could only have learned by living

here for so long now?

Are you fascinated by the culture? I

mean, you know, obviously Americans have

very diverse opinions about American

culture,

>> right?

>> But you coming from an intense culture

and Japanese culture, American culture,

what have you learn to uh understand

about American culture?

>> American culture is well, especially I

live in Los Angeles. So

>> that's a to as you know, that's a whole

another planet.

It's um you know of course I you know I

go to Chicago sometime or New York a lot

um it's very how do you say um

mixed right melting pot so we learn a

lot of different uh countries culture

being here

>> so uh which is I think which is amazing

being Japan like um I'm not saying it's

bad or good more less dimensional.

>> Okay.

>> Right. So in being America, it's like a

multi-dimensional things just Yeah.

There I still learn a lot.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> You could see cuz when you have success

as an American artist in America, it's

such an intense experience because you

have to draw from so many sources.

>> Mhm.

>> In order for it to work, you know, like

take the Grunge Revolution, you know,

it has Black Sabbath in it. It has Cheap

Trick in it. It has Kiss in it. It has,

you know, uh, Husker Doo. I mean, that

culture, that alternative culture, The

Cure, Suzie and the Banshees, it drew

from so many sources that when it

finally kind of came together, it was

like, it was so intense for everybody

involved. And then there's like, wow,

this is really working. And, you know,

for 300 million people, what is the

Japanese population like 80 80 million

maybe? Does that sound right?

>> Yeah. Something like that.

>> Yeah.

>> Oh, Japan now.

>> Yeah. What is it?

>> 100.

>> 100. Okay. Yeah. More. Yeah.

>> I think maybe it was 80 before. That's

why.

>> Mhm.

>> Um

I was thinking about this because you've

you've had success in so many different

ways and you've become worldrenowned,

not just as a musician, which is again

an interesting thing to pull off because

you know, usually when you're a

musician, that's all anybody sees you

as. You're just a musician. Mhm.

>> And like you said, you had the

experience of being successful in the

classical side of the thing. Like as

we're about to tape, you're about to

play these um shows at the Walt Disney

uh uh venue. I don't know what to call

it. Concert Hall.

>> Walt Disney concert hall.

>> Concert Hall. Yeah. That means beautiful

venue.

>> Mhm.

>> Um and you're playing two nights, right?

That that that

thing. Um where am I trying to go with

this? I'm lost in the idea, but I guess

is there somebody behind the scenes that

helped you build this kind of Yoshiki

empire? You know what I mean?

>> Cuz like when my wife first met you,

it's like it's hard to explain

[laughter] who you are to my wife. Like

I know who you are and we're we have the

some of the same friends.

>> Mhm.

>> So we all know who you are, but like to

someone like my wife, it's like where do

you start to explain who Yoshiki is in

2026? I could say, "Well, he used to be

in this big Japanese band and sometimes

they still play, but he's does all this

other stuff." Like the day you told me

you had your own credit card. [laughter]

I was so impressed. How do you get your

own credit card? Is there somebody

behind the scenes who helped you build

this kind of empire that you have? Is

there is there a secret business

associate partner that we don't know

about or is it really just all going

through you?

>> Um, first of all, you know, it didn't

happen overnight. Also uh there are so

many not success story as well. So you

know um

>> okay give me one give me one big

failure. [sighs and gasps]

>> Um good question [laughter] actually.

Well some somehow all those fail failure

moment I made it to success eventually.

Oh I see.

>> So once you say I gave up then you fail.

>> I see.

>> So if you don't give up may take another

decade or two. Yeah.

>> So if you say no, I'm this still in the

process of doing this.

>> Is it a positive mental attitude or is

it is it something born of of

>> um

>> strength because of your your the

hardships in your life?

>> It's like um it's like uh

how you take like a embarrassing moment.

>> Ah

>> right. So I take it like

I blame myself. So

pretty much 99% this my fault. So this

is my decision. So I don't blame anyone

else. So I decide to I decide to do this

then. Okay. That means I can improve it

from here. So

then I

say I failed this one as of now. But

it's not the end. I see.

>> So that's kind of mentality. So I guess

then

Yeah. So once you stamped it's it's done

then oh okay that project was failed

something like this.

>> Um yeah all those like again it's kind

of strange but I didn't really plan uh

like my wine or something like this. Um

I happen to have friends like drinking

like um have collection of amazing wine.

They then somehow start drinking wine a

little by little not like heavily but

then someday uh the Mundabi family robot

Mundabi family they may want to

collaborate like okay so

>> but it took long time it's like first

five years was very hard uh I didn't

want to quit so they took off like you

know six seven years later now I've been

doing 15 years um

>> okay

>> yeah You make it look easy. That's kind

That's what [laughter] I'm trying to

say.

>> Even the in fashion, you know, the it's

like a I've been doing all those things

a decade.

>> Yeah. House House of Yoshiki. Yeah. Is

it Maison? Maison Yoshiki. Yeah. There

was like a new one. I launched a few

years ago in Paris in the process of

>> Yeah. It's um it's not easy actually.

Work really hard.

>> Yeah.

>> Well, I know you work hard. Yeah. So, I

don't mean to make it seem like, but

[clears throat] I just wondered if there

was somebody behind the scenes that

helped you put all these things together

because

>> I think I have a a lot amazing staff.

Yeah. Um, amazing business partners, I

guess.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah. Mhm.

>> Cuz it's it's unusual. I mean, I can't

think of very many other people in rock

that have transitioned into this wider

brand

business portfolio.

I don't know if I'm doing right.

[laughter]

Um, I don't

>> Well, I I I I I almost use the word

envy, but you're a friend of mine, so I

don't think of you in an envious way.

I'm proud and happy for you.

>> Thank you. But I envy that you've been

able to take your success and expand it

into other things. It's it's impressive

to me because I I know it's not easy.

Well, thank you for saying that. So, I

want to be an artist. So, you know, um

eventually like eventually like we die,

right? I die. So then then let's see

somebody describes somebody's going to

describe me after my death who was

shiki.

>> Yeah.

>> Then I was I would like to be known as

an artist not uh not the um so then okay

then explain this to me. What is it

about business that attracts you when

you certainly have enough success and

wealth that if you just wanted to be an

artist 24 hours a day, you could do

that? What is it about business that

that that still attracts you?

>> Great question. So, um I don't think I

feel I don't feel like I'm doing a

business. I'm still creating the art.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah. So, more like a

some business could be artistic as well.

It's

>> all business can really. Yeah.

>> Right. So how we are reinventing the

culture or like uh you know especially

these days like you know AI world and

then

>> I have my own AI as well AI I'm

inventing I mean

>> so

you know artistic way. So I mean

[laughter]

I mean there doesn't know right or wrong

as of you know eventually people want to

find out that was right that was wrong.

>> Yeah. So

>> yeah.

>> Have you noticed at least I see some

movement that maybe in the last 5 to 10

years more business people want to talk

to artists because they want to

understand the way they think and use

that for business.

>> Mhm. Because artists get used to having

to kind of make stuff up and and change

direction where business often times is

like here's the plan and we must and I

think maybe the world is getting so

dynamic that business people are almost

having to think more like artists now

anyway. Do you do you see that

>> completely a lot of entrepreneur

they are like more like a rockstar state

of mind I think.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Very disruptive. Yeah.

>> Right. Yeah. I I I'm glad that you put

that. Do you do you because your success

is so unique not not just in Japanese

culture but also internationally. Do you

sometimes wonder like why you were sort

of put in this position [snorts]

because you're very unusual in the arts?

You know what I mean? I think that's a

fair thing to say. Well, thank you for

saying that. Um, I'm still I'm very

lost. [laughter]

>> Are you?

>> Yeah, I'm very lost. Um, it's I can't

figure that out. I'm very confident and

fragile.

I'm very

secure and insecure.

>> Okay.

>> There's a Yeah, it's just I can't figure

it out.

>> So, yeah. So when I have certain goal,

I'm very strong. No matter what, I'll

get there. But I just like uh [gasps]

get depressed and cry and then I don't

want to see anyone or then once I go

out, I became very social when I come

home.

>> Okay.

>> Because that's I don't know.

>> That's interesting.

>> Yeah.

So I talk to psychiatrist sometimes and

then my doctor can't figure it out

either. Huh.

>> That's interesting. Do you do you have

any spiritual perspective about it? Does

it make sense the way I put it? I just

believe um somehow like uh well not

believe like I just feel like uh doing

good deed like um like um um yeah I do

charity a lot. So when I help people I

just feel good just like okay I'm okay

to be existing in this world. Mhm.

>> So that's kind of like um so in general

um I'm very positive

even though my mind goes dark sometimes

but positive and then try to do

something

good to the world.

>> Yeah.

>> In general. So

>> yeah. Um

what what musical dream is still there?

Because I know you have one. So, what is

what is the thing that's still over the

rainbow for you as a musical dream?

>> A lot. Um,

I have a question about the music

industry system as well. I want to

disrupt.

>> Now, there's a surprise. [laughter]

Um um I you know can I ask you a

question like when you are going through

that the grunge taking over that moment

>> what you are feeling like uh you we

going to be the going to change

everything or like

>> well I felt we I I felt collectively

inspired that we were going to change

the world and I did an interview maybe

around 1998 so not that long after the

grunge peak.

>> Mhm.

>> And they said, "How do you view the time

now?" And I said, "A failure."

>> What?

>> Yeah.

Because Gen X, if we're just lumping the

>> the the the people together, Gen X

didn't accomplish everything that it

could have accomplished.

Uh Curt's suicide was part of that uh

that loss.

>> I see.

>> Like we lost momentum,

>> right? Um, a lot of fake bands came into

the system.

>> Okay.

>> That really didn't have the same values.

It was just a commercial opportunity to

now

>> I see.

>> You know, they went from hair metal to

grunge and now it's the same, you know.

So, they sound like the bands, but they

don't have the same heart.

>> That's exactly what I was said. Like,

except has that in it. Doesn't have to

be the sound format, more mentality or

>> Yeah. in my integrity of like that.

>> So once that was lost,

>> that pure momentum was lost. It felt

like to me failure.

But

I think now is the time in 2026 and the

time we're taping this that I think Gen

X is finally having like almost like a

comeback. So I feel like maybe there's

one more opportunity for our generation

to finish what we started 30 years

later.

So,

so when you you are top of the world

then there are there are upside ups and

downs in between.

>> Yeah.

>> So you had very hard time.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Because because you know it goes

back to Leonardo da Vinci. When you

combine pure art and money, there's

always going to be tension

>> and at some point a corruption of the

purity of the idea.

>> The internet affords us the opportunity

to reach the entire world without the

compromise of the music business.

>> Right?

>> The music business on some level is

terrified of this,

>> right? Because if you don't need the

music business, if you and I can just

make a song in a basement and the whole

world will listen, right?

>> Well, you don't really need the music

business,

>> right?

>> So, the music business is still not

really sure and already the music

business is hedging its bets with AI.

>> Mhm. So instead of hedging its bets with

human beings, it's hedging its bets with

AI that somehow AI is going to make them

be safer in the market.

>> Right?

>> Gen X, I think, ultimately is about

human capital,

>> the spirit of the human being.

>> Mhm.

>> So [clears throat]

the most democratic music society in the

world is we're all musicians. We all

speak the same language even if we don't

speak the same tongue.

>> But I can listen to your music and you

can listen to mine and we can understand

the emotions and the culture and the

world that we're coming from.

>> The ultimate promise of music is that

everybody has the same opportunity.

>> Right. Right.

>> And and but you know commercial interest

is always going to be like

what about us? So they have to try to

control the message or they have to try

to control the flow of the information.

>> Right?

>> So the ultimate fulfillment of the Gen X

promise would be that that there's a

balance there between human capital and

business.

>> Mhm.

>> Because business is not negative. We

need people to create the systems by

which we reach people. Even if it's

streaming services, right?

>> We still want to be in communion, but we

want holistic communion. We want people

to be able to make a living. We want

people to have every opportunity to to

sing their song,

>> right?

>> Am I Am I sort of answering what you

were asking?

>> Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. I mean that so that

moment was like a you know CD

that when you picked Yeah.

>> Yeah. Right.

>> So the music business kind of went

streaming to download into streaming.

>> Yes. Then now AI is coming to then

destroy everything.

>> Yes.

So then you've been

you know going through all those. So

what's going to be happen for the future

from your pro? I

>> want to ask you first. [laughter]

>> That's right.

>> You're a guest on my show.

>> That's right. I forgot.

>> It's okay. [laughter] So what what's

your prediction if you have a general

prediction?

>> General prediction.

>> Mhm.

um um AI is not going to go anywhere.

So, so I'm trying to figure out in a

positive way to coexist.

So, there's a great side of AI. I

personally I don't use AI for creative

process more like a research something

like this as of now.

But um

like when internet came um some people

are just opposed to all those like oh

iPhone or

>> Sure.

>> So um AI is not going to go anywhere. So

yeah just trying to find the best way to

coexist and then

>> I think that makes sense. I feel the

same uh cuz you asked me. I feel that AI

is here, technology is here, young

people are going to use it because why

wouldn't they? If they're 15 years old

and they're living in a poor situation,

they're going to try to find everything

that they can do to get their message

and their music out. So, if they have to

use technology, they're going to use it.

No different than the than the the DJs

in in in New York that were using

scratch scratching,

>> right?

>> They used the technology that was

available and they made music and no one

can say it's not music,

>> right? So the question I think is is

>> is there going to be a sort of moral

center to the argument about AI or is

the music business going to do what it

usually does which is sell the artists

out to maintain its position.

I believe there's going to be sort of a

rebellion. It's not going to be 100% of

the people listening or 100% of the

artists, but there's going to be enough

artists, at least for the next 20 or 30

years, they're going to say, "We still

believe in organic music. We still

believe in organic voices

>> completely. I think so. Um, I guess the

the question would or the answer would

be what's the percentage going to be? Is

it 5%, 10%, 15%, 25%."

I think um

organic music should exist more than

50%.

>> Okay, great. If if you're right,

everything is fine. If I'm right, I

think it's going to be more like 25 30%.

>> That's going to be very difficult,

>> right?

>> Because the consumer,

>> the fan will have to make a decision to

support artists for being imperfect. I

think it's exactly so we are in a

critical time like artists like us or

you know those artists needs to create

something amazing. Um um

basically it kind of sounds strange but

we are maybe competing against AI but um

yeah

>> so exactly imperfect is is great

>> you know um also AI's other large

language model they are basically the

past

information correcting the past.

>> Oh yes

>> so so that's our past. So we are you

know present and future future.

>> Yes.

>> So artists can create. So our crazy like

a destructive mind even I think I think

we I respect you as like um kind of we

are kind of same artist like um

>> because you know Billy you have been

always constantly renovating the you

know even you had amazing success they

are still keep doing it. I really

respect that. Then um I'm also you know

always reinventing

that's the we have the future as an

artist like artists like

>> that there are also a lot amazing

artists we need to keep creating.

>> Yes.

>> Not like um looking at the past all all

the time.

>> Yeah.

>> So past is important but future could be

more more interesting. So, here's a

here's a way to end, I think, because I

think this will give people the image

that I would want to leave them with.

What's a what's a solo piano piece that

you would love to play on stage? Just

pick one.

>> Yes.

Solo.

>> Yeah, solo. Just you.

>> Can I be with the orchestra?

>> Solo. No, there's a reason I'm saying

this. [laughter and gasps]

>> Um,

>> just pick one. It could be even your own

composition.

>> Okay. Um,

as of now,

um,

>> okay, perfect. Right. So, you and I know

that we could have a computer play a

real piano on stage. Perfect. Never miss

a note. Right.

So, we have to believe that people are

still going to want to see you sit in a

concert hall like Disney

and play that piece because what you can

do in the moment is something that a

computer can never do. That's what

people need to understand about AI.

You have access to perfect. We literally

could put a Yoshiki piano on the stage,

press a button, it would play it

perfect. But people will travel all over

the world to see you play it because

they want to hear what you're going to

do. Not just to play it perfect, but

play it in that moment.

>> Yeah. Also when you know maybe too just

when I perform

I resonate with the connect with the

audience. So sometime

>> Yes.

>> Sometime I even stop

it. Yeah. Well, like uh I had the show u

few few weeks ago in Tokyo uh three

nights of uh took place like 7,000

people something like that. Three nights

then there's a one moment I was like

playing with orchestra there like oh my

fingers not doing right. I like start

smashing piano like that. It's like is

that then people say is that

improvisation or some something like you

angry or like no it's a combination of

everything. So it's very I'm very

unpredictable. So, you know, um we had a

show sometime I was like uh I told the

members uh one person um uh the other

members we're going to start speeding up

just then don't tell a guitar player

just to just have fun right sometime I

stopped and then left the stage and then

I don't know what was that like I just

didn't feel right [laughter]

just those all those crazy thing.

>> Yes,

>> it's I think it's valuable. I'm not

trying to justify what I so I need to

approach that a lot of staff and you

know people I made like a lot of drama

in the past but that's um rock and roll

on then

>> yeah okay last question because I'm sure

you've seen what they've done with ABBA

in UK with the ABBA virtual show Kiss

has signed a deal with the same people.

Are we going to see at some point X

Japan virtual show? It must have crossed

your mind.

>> When we did reunion concert um um decade

ago, no 10 years ago or so. Um at Tokyo,

we play three nights. Um I wanted to

have Hide and also we play Coachella. Uh

I brought bass player Tai and Hide

hologram.

So but there's combination of you know

me and Toshi and alive or arrive member

and hologram that's combination but if

it's entirely hologram

h I don't know I don't know if I

I don't know but what do you think the

entire member of hologram smashing

pumpkin

[sighs and gasps]

I'm not there yet but I can see where I

I could see where it would happen.

>> Do I I want to be happy?

>> H

>> Are you going to be happy if you do

smashing pumpkins entire?

>> I would I would I would be interested in

it as an artistic idea.

For example, uh I'm 59 years old,

so I understand and we're very

successful. We have very young audience,

but still this young audience is seeing

me not at 25 but 59. I don't look like

them. I don't act like them. I'm not

them anymore. You know what I mean? I'm

not in my 20s. There's something about

young artists playing music, connecting

with a young audience that's always the

most powerful. It was that way for the

Beatles and the Stones. It's always the

most powerful experience. Something

about we're all coming to the same

moment together.

>> I still want to go see Smashing Pumpkins

and that um Yeah, like real, you know, I

want to see you on the stage. Well,

we're we're three quarters intact.

>> So, we have three of the original

members. But my point is is

>> would it be intriguing to me or you to

say, "Right, you can't go back in a time

machine and see X Japan 1994."

But what you can do is we can create an

almost incredible unique experience like

a Disneyland ride.

>> So, it's the ultimate X Japan

>> from 94. Mhm.

>> And maybe it's the Ultimate X Japan from

2004. You know, you you might be able to

create a unique experience that's not

trying to pretend it isn't it it's the

same. It's kind of what Jean Simmons

talks about with what they're talking

about with the people who are doing the

ABA show, which is the idea they're

going to create a new type of KISS

experience. Mhm.

>> So, it seems like your band might be

perfect for that to create a new type of

concert experience that is obviously

virtual, but at the same time, maybe you

can experience something that you can't

experience in reality. That's all.

>> Yeah. I mean, um I don't hate it. Maybe

I I I may love it, you know? So, yeah. I

think um I'm very open-minded. So, as

long as like um entertain people.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. But I still care about

the

uh you know people die right? So if you

make because I also made a Yoshiki Aoski

will survive forever. So that's kind of

like

cool and lame [laughter]

because the value of life uh because we

are we only live certain amount of time.

Yeah,

>> that's we kind of variable that's kind

of fascinating. So if we if we live

thousand years, you know, it's not

interesting.

>> Yeah.

>> So I I think like um I'm not like

fascinated by death or anything but

that's the the amount of time that how

you know same era we met like this and

our audience this is important to me.

>> Yeah. So the you know then again I'm

making my own AI shiki so I'm not

denying that what's going happening but

challenge is how we can make that more

fascinating more exciting

>> than actual human being doing something

crazy.

>> I see.

Thank you. Thank you.