Yoshiki talks about LA, his Hello Kitty doll, and more

LA Weekly spoke in depth with X Japan drummer and cultural icon Yoshiki about living in Los Angeles, his band, and his Hello Kitty doll.

In the article, Yoshiki describes how he has been able to live in LA for years and not worry about being accosted by the media when he goes anywhere:

And for the past decade, Yoshiki has been living in L.A., anonymously. “I can go to the grocery store without thinking that someone is going to recognize me,” he says.

That’s obviously quite a far cry from when he is in Japan, where he and his band are significantly more popular.

The LA Weekly article describes how X Japan has tried to push themselves further into the American consciousness in the past year or so, and Yoshiki mentions that the band is finishing up work on their upcoming album, their first US studio record, which will come with a world tour. It is Yoshiki’s hope that X Japan will finally reach the kind of stardom over here that they have in Japan and elsewhere.

Read the rest of the article here, as it’s a great chance to read what he has to say about living in a different country and culture.

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2. Yoshiki + Fashion = …..Marilyn Manson?
3. Front man of X Japan launches star-studded Japan Relief fundraiser
4. TIME’s take on “Bye Bye Kitty” art exhibit
5. Antique Japanese “friendship” doll sells for $5000