X JAPAN leader YOSHIKI (YOSHIKI) has donated 10 million yen (roughly $68,000) to Chiba Prefecture, his hometown, to support victims of the record rainfall that struck the region on August 13 and 14. The donation was made through his U.S.-based nonprofit, YOSHIKI Foundation America, and channeled into Chiba’s official disaster relief fund, which distributes condolence payments to affected households in hard-hit municipalities.
YOSHIKI has been based in Los Angeles for more than three decades, but said the damage to Chiba was personally painful. “Chiba will always be my precious hometown,” he said in a statement. “My heart aches to see it suffer such serious damage. I wanted to do what I could for my hometown, and that is why I made this donation.” He also offered condolences to those who lost their lives in the flooding and their families, and expressed hope for a swift recovery for the region.
This is not the first time YOSHIKI has stepped in for Chiba. He donated the same amount, 10 million yen, in 2019 after Typhoon Faxai devastated the prefecture, and personally visited the affected areas to volunteer. Since founding YOSHIKI Foundation America in 2010, he has repeatedly donated to disaster relief efforts around the world, including this past July for Kumamoto earthquake victims, as well as past donations tied to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the Taiwan earthquake, wildfires in Los Angeles, France and Spain, and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
YOSHIKI is also known for publicizing his donations every time he makes one, a practice he has defended repeatedly over the years. “People in positions like mine should be open about their donations,” he has said in the past, arguing that visibility raises awareness of disasters and encourages others to give. Of this latest gift, he acknowledged the backlash that can come with going public: “Announcing a donation can invite some criticism. Even so, I believe it helps the circle of support grow wider.”
Who is YOSHIKI?
YOSHIKI is the drummer, pianist and leader of the pioneering rock band X JAPAN, and also plays in the supergroup THE LAST ROCKSTARS alongside HYDE, SUGIZO and MIYAVI, which toured Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles in 2023. In October 2023, his classical tour “YOSHIKI CLASSICAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY” made him the first Japanese artist to headline three of the most storied concert halls in the U.S. and U.K.: London’s Royal Albert Hall, Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Beyond music, YOSHIKI has built a business empire spanning the fashion label MAISON YOSHIKI PARIS (which includes his kimono line YOSHIKIMONO), a wine and champagne brand called Y by YOSHIKI, and a line of soft drinks developed with Coca-Cola Japan. He has run YOSHIKI Foundation America since 2010, using it to fund disaster relief, refugee support and aid for orphaned children around the world.
Author’s Comment
Every single time YOSHIKI opens his wallet, he also opens a press release about it, and every single time, a chorus of Japanese Twitter users grumbles about "self-promotion." I have zero patience for that take. The man has been transparently telling people for over a decade that publicity is the point — visible giving nudges other rich and famous people to do the same, and shames the ones who quietly do nothing. In a culture where modesty is often prized over impact, that’s actually a radical stance dressed up in a kimono brand and a wine label. Chiba is lucky he still calls it home.
