For Japan’s biggest rock star, Yoshiki, philanthropy goes deep. He has a personal stake in the causes he supports through the Yoshiki Foundation America 501(c)(3) and MusiCares. Yoshiki has donated $100,000 to MusiCares in support of mental health as part of his fight against cyberbullying. It was an issue he became increasingly aware of during a meeting with the U.S. Surgeon General. He could empathize with people who are attacked online because he has experienced it himself.
He first teamed up with the Recording Academy and its charitable affiliates in 2014 for a private dinner that raised significant funds for the GRAMMY Foundation. That introduction also marked the beginning of his relationship with MusiCares. In the years since, he has remained a committed supporter, championing efforts that serve the evolving needs of music professionals.
“I think just any artist or anyone in social media has to deal with it,” Yoshiki explains. “How much that affects you or not [varies], but it's there. Some people take it very seriously, and then some people have taken their own life. It's very sad to hear that.” Such a tragedy hits hard for someone whose own father committed suicide when he was young.
The pianist, drummer, and composer does not want other musicians to go through the mental health struggles that he has throughout his life.
Today, Yoshiki continues to channel those experiences into both his music and philanthropy. In July, he will perform two nights at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as part of “YOSHIKI CLASSICAL 2026,” a special engagement blending classical composition, cinematic arrangements, and rock intensity.
“I'm assuming a majority of people in this industry are active on social media,” Yoshiki says. “Of course, we have a choice. But usually, people do whatever social media — Instagram, Facebook, X. I do all those, too. There are a lot of positive sides. But I want people to live their life, not what people think of to create your image of life. I think that's very important. I lose myself, too, in what I'm trying to do. Am I supposed to live the life I want to? But I may be living the life that people want me to become. Especially in this social-media-heavy era, I want people to live their own lives. That's what I would like to support.”
Mental health and cyberbullying hold sway in his mind. After the tragic death of his father when he was 10, Yoshiki used music as a creative and physical outlet to cope with his sorrow. Initially a classical pianist as a child, he became a drummer after his mother bought him his first kit so he could thrash out his angst. His impassioned performances in X Japan are legendary. But his body paid a price for all of his anguished headbanging: He has been through three neck surgeries in recent years. He cautions other musicians to take care of their bodies and be cognizant of pushing themselves too far physically.
Coming from Japan, where therapy is not popular, Yoshiki kept his feelings about his late father bottled up inside as he was not comfortable talking about it growing up. He says he and his late mother never spoke about his father, as if he “never existed in my family.”
Then an unusual form of therapy emerged: the 2016 X Japan documentary We Are X, which chronicled the band’s massive popularity in their homeland. It also explored the tragic deaths of bassist Taiji and guitarist Hide, how their passing affected the band, and how vocalist Toshi was brainwashed by a cult for many years.
In the film, Yoshiki opened up about his personal history and struggles with depression and his own suicidal thoughts. “I started talking about it since the film came out,” he says. “Then I started realizing that talking about it helps people, too.”
In adulthood, the Japanese rock icon has been seeing a psychiatrist, something he never did in his homeland, where he says the suicide rate is high. As Yoshiki notes, “Being a rock star doesn't mean we are mentally strong. We are as fragile as anyone.” He says that while some groups rehearse together, he spends his time composing alone. When he hits the stage, it’s like going from one extreme to another.
“We scream on the stage in front of 50,000 or 100,000 people, but we’re going back to the dressing room and then just being alone or feeling loneliness,” he observes. “Going back and forth between those two different worlds is very strange.”
Yoshiki performing on a piano onstage | Photo: Courtesy of A List Media Entertainment
Yoshiki’s philanthropy began back in 1995 when X Japan donated a dozen pianos to schools damaged by the Kobe earthquake in Japan. In 2009, Yoshiki invited young orphans to attend two of their concerts, and the group donated money to various charities that supported them. His late bandmate, guitarist Hide, had been supportive of children with bone marrow disease through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, so Yoshiki took over that mantle after his passing. In 2010, the X Japan band leader, who splits his time between Tokyo and Los Angeles, founded the Yoshiki America Foundation to support children coping with unfortunate circumstances.
When the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, Yoshiki decided that his new nonprofit venture could also support disaster relief. In addition to the aforementioned MusiCares initiatives, the Yoshiki America Foundation has donated funds to causes as diverse as Japanese flooding, Australian wildfires, music education, childhood cancer research, and protection of the Amazon rainforest.
MusiCares is one of the most amazing things musicians can access, so that's why I'm a big supporter.
Yoshiki’s support for MusiCares has remained consistent over the years. In 2020, he donated $100,000 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund established by the Recording Academy and MusiCares, supporting music professionals affected by the pandemic. A year later, he contributed another $100,000 to advance mental health support for those navigating depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health challenges. In 2024, he donated an additional $100,000 toward disaster relief efforts for music professionals impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
In early 2025, Yoshiki supported relief efforts on the front lines of the California wildfires, donating $500,000 across MusiCares, World Central Kitchen, and other organizations aiding those affected. He also volunteered at a WCK soup kitchen, helping feed individuals displaced by the most devastating event to impact Los Angeles since the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
“I have done some volunteering in Japan as well,” says Yoshiki, who had to be evacuated during the wildfires. His home was spared. “It's good to know what people are facing, and helping people actually helps me,” he continues. “When I went to volunteer, that made me feel like I'm contributing something. We support each other, and I love that kind of energy.”
Yoshiki also thrives on the energy that comes from performing live music. He has embraced classical music and other activities as his therapeutic outlet these days. “I try to keep myself busy intentionally so I don't go into a dark corner of the world,” the musician reveals. “I spent almost one year doing rehabilitation since my third neck surgery. Now I'm ready to play drums at my upcoming shows.”
Throughout the 21st century, Yoshiki has expanded beyond music into numerous other ventures: wine making, champagne, toys, comics, a Hello Kitty doll, and even kimonos.
“I was born into a kimono-producing family,” Yoshiki says. “Usually, the oldest son in Japanese culture takes over the family business. If everything went well in my [younger] life, I would be in the fashion industry. It's in my blood.”
Augmenting the beauty of his art is the passion Yoshiki feels for his philanthropy. He has seen firsthand how MusiCares positively impacts people. “It's so amazing to have these communities and the organization to support musicians,” Yoshiki declares. “I need help, too. MusiCares can also provide psychiatrists. MusiCares is one of the most amazing things musicians can access, so that's why I'm a big supporter.”
Regarding MusiCares, access is of paramount importance to him. “I would like to keep supporting them for that,” he says, adding, “I wish that I had that organization when I was dealing with a lot of pain in Japan.”