Dyed in Red: Cultural Imperialism Between Japan and America Observed
Through Japanese Rock Act "X Japan"
Kevin Senzaki
Dr. Vallis, Writing 50 UCSB, 30 November 2005
Wednesday, December 31st, 1997.
The date of a highly anticipated rock concert, to be held inside a giant stadium located in a major city. The sheer energy is unmistakable. The emotion and sensual power of a live rock performance has thrived in Western popular culture, a whirlwind of rebellion, freedom, and sex provided to screaming fans by performers from the United States and Europe. However, this is not America, nor is this Europe. The venue is the Tokyo Dome, centerpiece of a massive entertainment complex at the heart of Japan's capital. As night begins to fall, the stadium fills to maximum capacity with energetic teenagers, men and women coming straight from work, and stay-at-home-mothers, many accompanied by young children. They have come to experience "The Last Live," the final concert and the official conclusion of Japan�fs greatest rock band.
The following year will be a turbulent one for the band and its many followers: the singer will reportedly join a cult, and one of the guitarists will die an early and unexpected death. Fan reaction across Japan will be so strong that four will attempt suicide, and two will succeed. Overtaken by pain and sorrow, the band's drummer will fall into depression, unable to compose or play.
However, despite the tragedies that will soon transpire, heartfelt memories of "The Last Live" will continue to endure. This performance will come to be known as the �gFinal Legend," a spectacular grand finale that will refuse to be overshadowed in the hearts of fans, as well as within Japanese pop culture at large. Mortal transcends into legend as the stadium awaits its cherished stars. A mellow, yet sad orchestral piece begins to play, and the crowd becomes alive with anticipation. The stage comes aglow in a magnificent aurora of lights, shaping a giant "X" that pulses along the arena's arched ceiling, wrapping the emblem across the heavens. A female voice-over rises above the thundering audience:
"Welcome, to our Tokyo Dome Show�c the Last Live.
We've been looking forward to this moment since last year.
Thank you for being here.
We'll show you the place where dreams and life become one...
Memories this night, we will spend togeth...
And keep us in your hearts."
The crowd grows ever louder as the band members begin to appear, walking onto the stage for the final time. The voice-over announces their names, and each member receives a fresh roar from the crowd. The band stands together, instruments in hand.
"Introducing� X Japan."
The band's name echoes inside the stadium, against a deafening wall of screams. After a moment of eternity, the stage erupts in columns of fire that dye the Tokyo Dome a vibrant deep red. The band explodes into their hit song "Rusty Nail," and vocalist steps forward and begins to sing.
"Kioku no kakera ni egaita bara wo mitsumete"
"Within my shattered memories, I�fm staring at a painted rose�c"
Hybridism and Cultural Imperialism
As internationalization brings an ever-growing amount of foreign pop culture into the United States, there is a growing sense of concern towards the threat of �gcultural imperialism,�h a process by which foreign popular culture will allegedly overtake and stifle that of America�fs own. Japan has been a key aggressor in this act of �ginvasion,�h hitting American shores with a pop culture bombardment ranging from Nintendo to sports cars to Dragon Ball Z. American pop culture appears to be reflecting but a mirror image of pop Japan, with films heavily influenced by �gJapanese cool�h such as The Matrix, and plentiful imitations of Japanese videogames. Amidst a slew of American TV shows that imitate the look of Japanese animation, one network has even granted Japanese pop duo �gPuffy�h their own America-exclusive cartoon series.
While this focus on such a widespread Japanese pop culture threat is relatively new in the United States, a comparable situation has existed far longer within the aggressor itself. I will specifically be examining the effects of cultural importation over an extended period of time through Japan�fs most iconic rock group, X Japan. I intend to verify and exemplify the diversification and alteration that models of popular culture undergo when removed from their native environment. As a result, I intend to challenge the notion of �gcultural imperialism,�h and will also investigate how Japan�fs localized rock culture is flowing back into the United States in a form unrecognizable to Americans.
"Japan is Unique"
"If we use it, that will make it Japanese." -Yukichi Fukuzawa (qtd. in Murphey 298)
Since the 19th century, Japan has been a focal point of the modern world as a nation uniquely able in its ability to modernize to Western standards. Out of the Meiji era modernization-Westernization programs, both Western and Japanese intellectuals have argued that, simply put, "Japan is special." While every nation is of course inherently unique, I must examine and challenge this notion held around Japan (known in Japanese as nihonjinron) to support the validity of my discussion beyond the island nation's boundaries.
The problem with a "Japanese uniqueness" theory is that the assumed circumstances of uniqueness discourage and work against any meaningful discussion. While it is vital to acknowledge what factors have contributed to Japan's development as a "cultural anomaly" with a notable capacity for absorbing the foreign, it is equally important to consider Japan as but a part of a growing international community. While any genuine investigation into the modernization of Japan would require an extensive body of work in its own right, there are several key factors that can be quickly observed and used to rationalize Japan's sudden and drastic shift into a modern nation, military superpower, and ultimately a global economic force. It must be kept in mind that prior to Japan's opening to the West, China had spent decades under Western "unfair treaties," its resources and political power slave to modern, foreign aggressors. The Japanese kept close watch over these events in China, and observed China's failures and were able to discern why China had fallen. Instead of ignoring the West, as China had done for far too long, Japan ultimately opened its doors (albeit only after push came to shove). Japan's relatively diminutive size must also be taken into account, which allowed for much more rapid modernization than would have ever been possible in its "big brother" China. In actuality, China had indeed made attempts at modernization, but the few sparks of progress were not able to overcome the massive weight of the impotent Qing Empire (Murphey).
Much of Japan's modern history can be defined as being both imitator and colonizer, from Japan's application of Western-style imperialism leading up to the Second World War, through the rise of Japan's economy, improving upon many technological products first developed in the West. With so much flowing in and out of the nation on a global scale despite the persistence of a strong Japanese national identity, it is not difficult to realize that "Japan is represented as a sponge that is constantly absorbing foreign cultures without changing its essence and entity. The act of hybridization itself is imagined as an essential aspect of Japanese nationhood" (Iwabuchi, 73). As Japan's capacity for imitation has been cast in a positive light due to the nation's economic triumphs, "many people in Japan now accept the view that the capacity for absorption and indigenization of foreign cultures is uniquely Japanese" (Iwabuchi, 75).
Hand-in-hand with this sense of national pride and strength arises the notion of normality. There is a strong acknowledgement of Japan as a homogenous people united in their national triumphs, where cultural assimilation is regarded as "an essential part of Japanese culture¡¦s if Japan has perfectly assimilated all the cultural others within" (Iwabuchi, 81). Although there is a limited degree of truth to the Japanese saying "deru kui wa utareru" (the nail that sticks up gets pounded down), as Japan continues to expand its sphere of popular cultural influence throughout Asia and beyond, there is also a growing acknowledgement of the inconsistencies within Japanese society itself. Recent influxes of laborers from the Philippines and other poorer Asian countries have drawn extensive media attention, and Iwabuchi sees "hope" in "new assertiveness of long-standing minority groups such as Koreans, Ainu, [and] Okinawans" (83). Thus, as Japan exports its products, "invading" foreign markets abroad, there is a growing awareness of the lack of homogeneity and successful "cultural imperialism" within the "aggressor nation."
Japan's presence in popular culture is well familiar to Americans, but Japan also carries an equally strong, if not stronger, presence elsewhere in the world. As Leo Ching states, "throughout Asia, Japan is vogue" (170). Focusing on Taiwan, Ching's research into Japan¡Çs thorough popular culture penetration shares more than a few passing similarities to the United States, where "Japan acts as an important economic agent" and "Japanese cultural goods appear to be exerting a discernable influence on the cultural side of [the nation]" (173). However, in sharp contrast to Japan's wartime imperialism, Ching casts serious doubts onto the "threat" of Japanese cultural products. Without inhibition of native language or forced destruction of native customs, Ching believes that those who support a "Japan dominates Taiwan" formulation "[reduce] the complexity of today¡Çs global capitalism into a simple good and evil... Even if the significance of an economic domination is to be taken for granted, however, in what sense they are a cultural domination is not so clear" (176, 179). It must be kept in mind that locals in Taiwan, as well as other nations abroad, purchase Japanese goods as an expression of personal choice. Hiroshi Aoyagi attempts to describe the allure of Japanese goods, explaining, "these cultural 'products' of Japan offer models of a modern, urban lifestyle that students and young working people in Asia's upward-moving economies find attractive and relevant to their own changing lives" (310). Similarly, Japanese products continue to enjoy positive sales in Mainland China, despite recent protests regarding Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi¡Çs visits to Yasukuni shrine. (footnote: Yasukuni honors the Japanese who have died in war, but also honors Class-A war criminals from World War Two - an extremely sensitive subject throughout Asia.) As a Peiking University student described the popularity of Japanese novels amongst her friends despite political tensions, '"Sino-Japanese relations are bad, but politics and literature are different things'" (qtd. in Watanabe). While the basic concern of whether cultural importation damages or perverts native culture is a matter of opinion, what is evident that nations are able to maintain their own unique identities and independent lines of development despite whatever foreign goods may be present.
The Importance of X Japan
My particular interest in X Japan stems from a lack of readily available English-language academic discussion concerning their cultural impact, despite their close relations to other well-documented cultural movements and their own unique impact on Japanese and American pop culture today. Aside from being "big in Japan," arguably enough reason for an essay given America¡Çs current craze over Japanese culture, X Japan enjoyed popularity through several important events both within Japan and the international community. X Japan brought a new genre of music to the Japanese mainstream, grew in popularity during the pop of the Japanese economic bubble, performed during the time of increased cultural sharing between the United States and Japan, and enjoyed a long performing career, demonstrating individual longevity and evolution beyond their Western musical influences.
X JAPAN'S CULTURAL CONTEMPORARIES
Idols
"Idols" are arguably the most ubiquitous image of Asian pop culture today. With smiling faces and countless products for sale, idols have dominated Japanese popular culture since the late 1960's. Japanese idols and their products have since spread throughout Asia, and have acted as a primary vessel for cultural "colonization."
Although the term "idol" is an English-language loan word, its use in Japanese implies a youthful, energetic, and cute personality (either male or female) that has been elevated to star status, and is a celebrity without necessarily having any sort of outstanding talent. The career of the Japanese idol often entails, but is not necessarily bound to, a career as a pop singer. (footnote:Many idols are known for acting or modeling instead of performing as recording artists. Crossover between various media is typical. A general "celebrity status" and the image of being an approachable 'Surrogate friend' are the usual defining features of an idol. This is debatably "image over product," an approach which is reflected to a certain extent in the structure of the visual kei rock genre (and is exemplified first-hand with some performers¡¦transgression from "rock star" to "rock idol").) As noted by musicologist Judith Herd on the contrast between Japanese idols and Western pop singers:
Most stars in Western countries are popular because of their outstanding physical or personal attributes. Japanese idols, on the other hand, typically depict images that are 'fairly standard.' Their appearance and ability are above average, yet not so much as to alienate or offend the audience. (qtd. in Aoyagi 311)
It was against this domestic backdrop of idol culture that X Japan made their debut, and their shocking appearance and aggressive music served as a sharp contrast to the idol image of "approachable normality."
Metal Music
Metal first began to appear in the latter half of the 1960's, an extension of hard rock that would later diversify into its own genre. (footnote:In concise discrimination from rock, metal can be described as rock music that has been elevated to a higher level of drama: metal takes the hallmarks of rock music (such as thick guitars, dramatic lyrics, and elaborate stage performances) and magnifies their energy and power. Singing loudly in falsetto is also a common feature of metal music.) The pioneers of the genre rose out of this timeframe, including Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, both officially formed in 1969. As American pop culture had already enjoyed years of steady importation into post-war Japan, it was not long before metal music began circling among Japanese youth.
X Japan, not unlike many other bands, openly displayed their influences. Their earliest shows, held at high schools and small city clubs, were full of covers of bands like Iron Maiden and Deep Purple, as well as Japanese metal bands such as Loudness. (footnote
espite arguably having less impact on the overall shape of the Japanese music scene, Loudness has enjoyed considerable success in the United States, something that X Japan never achieved. Loudness remains the only Japanese rock band to chart on the Billboard top 100, and has toured with well-known Western bands including Motley Crue and AC/DC. Their exclusive use of the English language for American releases likely contributed to their success, and eventually included a partnership with an American singer. This 'need' for a Western vocalist to succeed in the American market was joked about in the film Tokyo Pop, which is addressed later in this essay.) X Japan was not the first Japanese metal band, and not the first Japanese rock band by any definition. The band's early years rather were fueled with the energy of a larger growing Japanese metal movement.
With many of the Japanese youth, as evidenced by the case study of X Japan, the edgy and aggressive sound of metal music was to make an impression. However, the visual side of the genre, notably the affixation with leather, skulls, and an overarching death and "bad boy" themes, did not enjoy the same level of influence and popularity. While there is plenty of room for speculation as to why the dress code of metal music was not as openly adopted in Japan, there is a clear indication and reason to why it was replaced.
VISUAL KEI and X JAPAN
What X Japan is arguably best remembered for was bringing visual kei performance (lit. 'visual type', also known in English as 'Visual Rock') to the Japanese mainstream. A unique approach to rock music that was (at the time) unseen anywhere else in the world, visual kei is widely considered to be Japan's most distinctive contribution to rock music. What distinguishes visual kei from other types of rock is that rather being defined by a musical style, visual kei bands are identified by their highly elaborate and dramatic style of dress, which is oftentimes both fantastical and androgynous. As a result of this atypical genre convention, the majority visual kei bands that have followed in X Japan's footsteps possess similar themes in their style of dress, but their music is often drastically different. Visual kei's exotic appearances and cultural appeal roots itself in Japanese teenage girls¡¦pop culture from the 1960's, and it was girls of this generation that would become a large part of the genre's initial target demographic.
A Rose from Versailles
A seemingly universal image across current Japanese pop culture is that of the highly effeminate man, and is one that has sometimes been regarded as overly foreign and alienating to many American consumers. However, this character archetype appears to be gaining popularity and acceptance as the onslaught of imported Japanese videogames, comics, and animation continue to make ever-growing waves in the United States. This character is typically blessed with a highly delicate jaw line, large, beautiful eyes, gracefully flowing hair, and highly stylized clothing cut to emphasize his long, trim body.
Tracing the history of this character leads to Japanese shoujo manga (girls' comics) of the 1960's and 1970's, of which Riyoko Ikeda's The Rose of Versailles (berusaiyu no bara) is of particular interest. The comic, which was serialized in 1973 and instantly became a smash hit, tells the story of a young woman named Oscar Fran¡¦is Jarjayes during the time of the French Revolution. The sixth daughter of a French general in need of a male heir, Oscar is raised in the world of men, wearing men's clothing and learning to fight. Oscar appears a stunning fusion of masculine and feminine qualities, and lives in a world of exotic and elaborate historical European costumes. Aside from crediting The Rose of Versailles for greatly popularizing this beauty ideal, Laura Miller notes in her article Media Typifications and Hip Bijin a subsequent rise in the popularity of "the bishoujo (beautiful young maiden), a perky, well-mannered, and well-dressed young woman" (179). This soft, yet proper and subtly masculine figure was also quickly adopted into characters that were genuinely male. This "Rose of Versailles aesthetic" captivated the imaginations of many girls, and this was something of which X Japan took full advantage.
The Band
With music and elaborate costumes inspired by this "Rose of Versailles aesthetic," X Japan was quick to make an impression on the indie rock scene. Their distinctive identity was furthered by their fusing of this girls' fantasy style with that of metal music. (footnote:Though X Japan¡Çs guitar-oriented musical influence comes largely from the "metal" genre, they are almost universally referred to as a "rock" band. I will therefore refer to X Japan as a rock band, for simplicity¡Çs sake. In addition to their later music being classifiable as "rock ballad" or "alternative rock," the term "rock band" is also more relevant to their role in the Japanese music scene, where they were largely seen as a new movement in the genre of rock music.) As context is key to interpretation, the removal of decadent gowns from the era of Louis XIV and metal elements including shred guitar solos from their native cultural environments resulted in the nurturing of a new hybrid identity. As the spectacle of rock is oftentimes as much theatrics as it is music, and it can be said that much of what gave X Japan their distinctive aura was a sense of liberal evolution on of both these fronts. This is X Japan, performing on the stage of popular culture. With an eccentric and captivating dramatis personae, X Japan stood poised to play out a living story of internationalism and popular culture. (footnote: The band founded by Yoshiki Hayashi and Toshimitsu Deyama in the 1970¡Çs gained popularity under then name "X," not "X Japan." The band was known as "X" up through the release of their second professional album, Jealousy, in 1991. As a part of a shift in direction towards the international market, the band changed its name to "X Japan" in the following year (both Australia and America have indigenous bands called "X"). From that point forth, the group officially went by the name "X Japan." As the band is currently called "X Japan" by both fans and record companies that continue to market the group¡Çs recordings, I always refer to them by this name for consistency and brevity. However, it should be kept in mind that this is an instance of retroactive continuity.)
I will approach the evolution and growing influence of the band by tracing highlights of its history through its members, roughly in the order that they entered the group. As visual kei's biggest cultural contribution is its attention to unique visual flavor, this section draws its focus on the contributions made by each band member to this aesthetic. The band¡Çs musical contributions will be addressed in greater depth in the subsequent section.
Yoshiki Hayashi / Yoshiki - Drums and Piano
The story of X Japan begins and ends with Yoshiki Hayashi, obsessive perfectionist and the primary creative force behind the band. Growing up east of Tokyo in neighboring Chiba prefecture, Yoshiki began plans for a band with childhood friend Toshimitsu Deyama (Toshi) during the mid-70's. Though not even teenagers at the time, they were able to draw attention to their heavy metal-influenced music, playing at local shows. Having been brought up with classical piano instruction, it was only natural for Yoshiki to attempt to integrate his pianist talent into the fledging band's metal-based sound. He also doubled as the band's drummer, and in a sharp departure from most Western bands, maintained the position of band leader despite his lack of singing or playing the guitar. Yoshiki cycled through nearly a dozen guitarists during the band's first few years alone, likely due to his demanding nature. Yoshiki has often described himself in interview as an intolerable personality, obsessing over his music compositions and personal feelings. Music critic Tetsushi Ichikawa has described Yoshiki's tendency to overwork in the pursuit of perfection as "narcissism as masochism." This persistent dedication is evident in much of the band's music, with classical-sounding passages that seem as if to wander just as a perfectionist seeks his ideal, with recurring themes throughout different pieces.
The band's overall image was intimately linked to Yoshiki's personal tastes, and from the very beginning, distinct and elaborate dress was a crucial part of the band's identity. As a member of the growing visual kei subculture, Yoshiki's personality was expressed as much by his wardrobe as by his actual music. As the composer of the majority of the band's music and lyrics, Yoshiki's image reflected that of the band at large, his fashion and music one and the same. He appeared a living image of The Rose of Versailles, performing on a beautiful grand piano in elegant white or blood-red European dresses, accompanied by his long flowing hair, dyed an amber brown.
The cultural distance between visual kei and their Western inspiration and contemporaries is the most evident with Yoshiki, as he stands as the only member of X Japan that not only appeared effeminate, but genuinely appeared as a woman. The fancy dresses were not a drag statement, but a literal return to the Rose of Versailles image of a masculine-feminine hybrid. He would sometimes appear an effeminate man, and at other times would be cast in a stage theatrics role of a female, even once appearing as Cinderella, complete with magical carriage and glass slippers. This ambiguous sexuality was furthered by his tendency to be photographed nearly nude, and although his masculinity was evident, he was photographed like a woman, with lighting and posing meant to emphasize softness and elegance. One should keep in mind that Japanese consumers never questioned Yoshiki's sexual orientation, and throughout the band's career he dated several women. Yoshiki appears to be a foil to the hypo-masculine ideal seen throughout much of Western metal music, and American media at large. In contrast, Judas Priest front man Rob Halford, who is openly homosexual, has long stood as an icon of masculinity and toughness, appearing in black leathers, metal studs, stylish sunglasses, often atop a powerful motorcycle. Halford'ss hypo-masculine appearance in contrast with Yoshiki'ss hypo-feminine serves to highlight cultural standards that are truly different. (footnote:I do not mean to question the roles of Rob Halford and Yoshiki Hayashi's sexual orientation in the formation of their public identities. Rather, I simply intend to indicate a distinct difference in cultural standards: Yoshiki would likely be presumed by many Americans to be homosexual, and these same consumers have considered Halford very "manly." Their respective styles of dress were meant to appeal to and satisfy different consumer markets, and it is for that reason I compare these two figures.
Amid several small indie record releases in the mid-'80s, Yoshiki and his band (which at this point had still not arrived at any of its final members, aside from founders Yoshiki and Toshi) were unable to secure a record deal, likely due to their appearance and aggressive style of music. Though Yoshiki's piano was always a staple of the band's compositions, most small clubs could not accommodate for a piano or keyboard, and thus the metal aspects of the band were emphasized to a greater degree. Metal, as a relatively new and edgy style of music, in combination with the band's rebellious dress (a drastic contrast to the suit-and-briefcase salary man ideal of the time) was unsettling to conservative perspectives, as well as to record companies.
In spite of these difficulties, Yoshiki was not to be stopped. Although the band had already successfully released a single entitled "I'll Kill You," a pounding and thrashing metal piece, the band's future was dependent on a stable relationship with a record label. Dream became reality when Yoshiki's mother ultimately decided to sell the family business, and put the money towards setting up an independent label, which Yoshiki named Extasy Records. With the ability to self-publish, the band quickly released a second single in 1986, the equally aggressive "Orgasm." (footnote:The titles of many of X Japan's early songs can come across as outrageously blunt to the English-speaking world, often very violent and sexual in nature. This was a trend that the band departed from as their style of music matured.) This was followed in 1988 with a full-length album, Vanishing Vision. It was this full-length release in combination with a studio audition that finally landed them a contract with Sony Records. By the spring of 1989, X Japan had arrived on the mainstream music scene with a second album, Blue Blood.
Toshimitsu Deyama / Toshi - Vocals
With a voice walking the knife between shrill and beautiful, and hair as dynamic as his jaw line aggressive, Toshi was key in literally putting a distinctive face on the band. With Yoshiki composing around his unusually high voice, Toshi was a vital component of X Japan's sound. Toshi's voice underwent a shocking amount of evolution during the band's career, gaining a heavy grit and texture as he entered puberty, and becoming even raspier as time went on. As Yoshiki began to compose new material that distanced his band's sound from its original metal influences, Toshi's voice continued to change as well, becoming stronger, smoother, and ultimately a booming voice best suited for lengthy, difficult high-note ballads.
Toshi's contributions to the band's looks were not frequently in line with The Rose of Versailles aesthetic, and Toshi made habit of donning the heavy jackets and tight-fitting leather pants typically associated with metal in the West. However, Toshi's grooming was much more in tune with that of the rest of the band, and he is easily distinguished from Western metal performers by his menacing column of hair that chronically switched between bright gold and screaming shades of magenta. A follicular colossus poised atop his head, his defined and iconic jaw line was enveloped in the shadow of the mighty, radiant beast.
Toshi's ever-changing voice was celebrated by fans for capturing the anguish in Yoshiki's lyrics. Perhaps all the songs of pain and loneliness struck too close to Toshi's heart, and it was ultimately because of his decision to leave the group for "emotional reasons" that X Japan formally disbanded.
Hideto Matsumoto / hide - Guitar
A certified beautician and technically superb guitarist, hide was one of three new members who joined X Japan between 1986 and 1987, and it was this trio that would take their place in the band's debut professional lineup. Always spelled lower-case, hide (pronounced "hee-day") was born south of Tokyo in Yokosuka, an American naval port city. hide had already formed his own band when he met Yoshiki, and was an accomplished songwriter is his own right. During his time with X Japan, hide never ceased songwriting, and contributed material to all of X Japan's albums. He also kept busy by continuing to form other bands (the shockingly-named "Spread Beaver," and an American band, "Zilch"), and on top of that fostered a highly successful solo career. If there was any band member who had a shot at overshadowing Yoshiki, it was hide. However, hide's relationship with the band was always harmonious, and there was considerable open crossover between hide's work within and without the band. Several of hide's compositions received two releases, an X Japan version and a hide solo version. Additionally, X Japan's concerts would often include a hide solo song, in response to his growing popularity as a stand-alone singer-guitarist.
It is debatable as to whether Yoshiki or hide had a greater influence on the fashions of visual kei. Yoshiki abided very closely to The Rose of Versailles motif in both fashion and music, and effectively established the central image of visual kei. In contrast, hide would often openly branch away from this core, musically and visually. Taking full advantage of his beautician capabilities, hide displayed a shockingly wide range of fashions, and widened the public's perception of what visual kei could be. A vast number of X Japan's spiritual successors owe their look to hide; if it can be worn, painted on, or dyed, hide probably did it first. Aside from the exaggerated classical French aesthetic to which Yoshiki was so tightly bound, hide would just as often be seen dressed in robes that evoked kabuki theater, glow-in-the-dark suits, and assortments of other eccentric clothing in bright pinks, yellows, and greens. He was also a fan of Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger, famous for designing the title creature in Ridley Scott's Alien. Giger's artwork graced the cover of hide's first solo album, and its good sales likely helped popularize Giger's work in Japan.
Tomoaki Ishizuka / Pata - Guitar
Pata remains an anomaly amidst X Japan and the visual kei movement at large, as he stands out as the only member of the band not to have an overpowering visual theme. Although he possessed a massive pink Mohawk when he debuted with the band, the hairstyle was soon abandoned, in preference of a natural hanging mop of wavy hair, somewhat reminiscent of Yoko Ono. Although a very talented guitarist and a backbone of the band's musical capability, Pata is typically remembered by fans for his "dreamy-eyed" expression and for often wearing Jack Daniel's shirts, or being seen with the whiskey itself: arguably his only defining visual trademark.
Pata's laid-back appearance stood out as a counter-point to the other band members, and served as a sort of reminder that the musical half of the band was also critical, a fact that could conceivably be misplaced amongst the band¡Çs layers and layers of the most fashionable of fashions. Somewhat ironically, Pata's long flowing hair, technical guitar playing talent, and affixation for Tennessee whiskey would have likely made him the most distinctive member of a band were he not in a visual kei act.
Taiji Sawada / Taiji - Bass
X Japan's debut bassist, Taiji joined the band around the same time as hide and Pata. Taiji served to help diversify the band's image, bringing with him a powerful performance personality, and strong bass playing talent. X Japan's recordings with Taiji are noteworthy for their distinctly audible and intricate bass work, and Taiji additionally composed pieces for the band's first three albums.
Not unlike his fellow band members, Taiji took several years to develop his unique clothing outfit, and ultimately settled on the appearance of a cowboy. With an open sleeveless jacket exposing his tattoos, Taiji would be seen on stage hanging over his bass with a cowboy hat pulled low over his face and jeans covered by black leather chaps. Taiji brought an element of subdued charm to the group, and would often dance while performing, and display his playing ability in spotlight bass solos.
His distinct playing style was known to cause conflict with Yoshiki's plans for the group's musical direction, and after an extended disagreement, Yoshiki asked Taiji to leave the band during the middle of their 1992 tour. Taiji agreed to depart at the tour's conclusion, feeling it to be best for the welfare of the band. His sudden departure at the height of the group's popularity left a large gap that needed to be filled immediately: Taiji's departure occurred during the Yoshiki's writing of what would become X Japan's most ambitious work, an ever-growing epic entitled "Art of Life," leaving the band in desperate need of a replacement bassist.
Hiroshi Morie / Heath - Bass
The final member to join X Japan, Heath was quickly introduced into the band to fill the position of bass player. Heath's addition to the band is somewhat of a confusing matter. The band underwent a considerable image change during the same period, embracing a more ballad-oriented style of music, and overall toned down their clothing and other visual accessories. Though it's difficult to ascertain how much impact Heath's introduction had on the band, his joining stands out as the key marker of the group's transitioning point. Having established themselves as the leading rock group within Japan, X Japan's music had begun to spread throughout mainland Asia, and to some parts of Europe. It was during this time that the band changed their name from "X" to "X Japan," and their music was no longer clearly identifiable as "metal" -- All of X Japan's releases featuring Heath, with the possible exception of "Art of Life," are generally regarded as alternative rock or rock ballads.
Heath is largely regarded as having the least distinct personality out of X Japan's members. In addition to his late joining, Heath entered the band as the rest of the members (with the exception of the ever-eccentric hide) began to tone down their costumes, in a sort of symbolic passing of the torch to newer, younger bands that possessed the same visual energy that X Japan had expressed upon their debut. Heath was a fashionable dresser, but appeared to have a wardrobe made exclusively of store-bought clothing, a far cry from the outlandish "make-it-yourself" sensibility that had possessed X Japan for much of their career. His musical capabilities has also been called into question by some fans, and despite his able performance in the grueling "Art of Life," Heath's other bass work is not typically acknowledged as noteworthy, and his concert bass solos failed to display the speed, complexity, and overall technical competence seen in Taiji's performances; Heath's solo performed on the New Year's Eve of 1995 displayed a questionable comprehension of both tone and rhythm. However, in spite of these factors, Heath successfully stayed with the band until the very end, and ensured his place in Japanese rock history by performing to the colossal crowd at "The Last Live."
MUSIC
The Japanese music scene had been paying attention to American tastes long before metal became popular in the United States. Japan is highly regarded for its jazz, adopted from American Navy sailors almost immediately after its rise to popularity in the United States. Localization of "America¡Çs music" was also well-established before X Japan, such as the Japanese psychedelic rock movement, which in sharp contrast to the West tended to be drug-free, and on some occasions was anti-drug. X Japan's incorporation of metal was not a revolution, but rather the next step in a long-standing cultural exchange.
The Sound
A clear stylistic progression can be observed through the band¡Çs four full-length albums. Their self-published Vanishing Vision from 1988 is an energetic metal release, relatively straightforward but still presents Yoshiki¡Çs trademark classical touches. Their 1989 follow-up, Blue Blood, features their breakthrough ballad hit "Endless Rain." 1991¡Çs Jealousy features several ballads, and growing complexity in their metal-style songs, with a larger, more orchestral sound. 1995 saw the release of Dahlia, their final album, entirely dominated by ballads, and a softer sound on the guitar-driven tracks.
Yoshiki's classical-oriented sound is the core almost all their music, and it is this sound that has lent X Japan much of their musical identity. It evokes much of the same drama as seen in the band's costumes, and was the band's main sonic vehicle for differentiating themselves from the bulk of other bands. Yoshiki's musical themes and melodies were appropriately the driving factor for the Rose of Versailles-themed band. When fans refer to the "X Japan style," they are referring to Yoshiki's extensive and epic form of composition.
Yoshiki's talent and understanding of classical styles also led to several noteworthy collaborations with well-known Western musicians. He composed two songs with Roger Taylor, drummer of Queen, and performed a piano arrangement of the Kiss song "Black Diamond" for a tribute compilation album (x-japan.de). Most noteworthy was a collaboration with the "fifth Beatle," George Martin, in the creation of a full-length album called Eternal Melody, featuring a dozen orchestral arrangements of X Japan's music.
The Lyrics
Yoshiki also wrote the lyrics to the majority of X Japan's works, and of the band's five most popular songs, four feature roses in their lyrics. (footnote: I refer to the track listing found on the compilation album X Japan Best: Fan's Selection, in which the content was determined by public a vote held in 2001 by Japan Music Agency and Universal Polydor. Songs were ranked in descending order according to number of votes out of a total 201,434 submissions.) The exception is their most popular song, "Kurenai," for which the title can be translated as "blood red" or "crimson," and carries much of the same imagery associated with roses as in their other songs. This is the most literal of the band's references to The Rose of Versailles, evoking an imagined classical Europe.
"In the castle with the silent roses
I ask again and again,
Why are you sad?
What pain are you feeling?"
-X Japan, "Rose of Pain"
Yoshiki's music often has a lingering, wandering quality, and his compositions remain memorable without possessing the repetitive infectiousness so common in pop music. This is reflected in his lyrics as well, oftentimes inconclusive and circular in thought. Yoshiki's music offers a glimpse into the mind of a perfectionist, forever searching for flawlessness, and for the answers to his questions.
The band's earlier works were typically marked by violent, sexual imagery more reminiscent of Western metal music. Earlier songs by the band include such as "Sadistic Desire," "Give Me the Pleasure," and "Stab Me in the Back." As Yoshiki's distinctive musical style became more pronounced, the band's lyrics also fell more in line with his Rose of Versailles obsession. It is this X Japan that is to be found on their professional album releases, and is remembered most by fans.
Yoshiki's romanticized style of lyric writing is a key breakaway from much of Western metal, focusing on personal emotions of longing and misery in a distinctly poetic fashion.
"Sleep was the blissful ignorance that eroded my heart in silence
Soaring free, my love rises up
My shivering body engulfed in a rose of memories
I keep my love for you to myself..."
-X Japan, "Endless Rain"
"Forever Love, Forever Dream
In the midst of my tears,
After the glistening seasons of eternity change,
Forever Love..."
-X Japan, "Forever Love"
"Desert rose, why do you live alone
If you are sad, I¡Çll make you leave this life
Are you white, blue, or bloody red?
All I can see is drowning in cold, gray sand..."
-X Japan, "Art of Life"
hide's Voice
Outside of Yoshiki and his formidable body of compositions, hide was the only other member to consistently compose material throughout the band's career. Much like his ever-changing fashion sensibilities, hide's music fit several styles, largely into upbeat '80s rock numbers, and later into '90s industrial rock. Unlike his often alienating and exotic clothing choices, hide's songs were largely "standard" genre pieces, upbeat and catchy, but lacking the distinctiveness of Yoshiki's sprawling compositional style. However, this served to the band's advantage, and allowed them room to "loosen up" and release material a step away from the poetic depression that possessed Yoshiki's work.
Fans
X Japan has enjoyed a surprisingly diverse fan base. While their media presence and fashion practically guaranteed their popularity amongst teenagers, X Japan was also popular among adults. X Japan grew in popularity with the success of the Japanese "economic miracle," a situation that "intensified some old problems for working people, such as long hours and unpaid overtime" (Gordon 193). It is perhaps no surprise to find that working men and women flocked to X Japan concerts, seeking an escape from the pressures of the work environment. Long days at work were reflected in Japanese television dramas, where "communication between husband and wife [was] lacking" (Gössmann 215), and the band's themes of frustration and explosions of buried emotion likely connected with both office workers and stay-at-home wives. The subsequent pop of the economic bubble continued to see this audience in attendance at X Japan concerts. As the world seemed to be turning upside down with institutions such as the Japanese "lifelong employment" beginning to crumble, adults continued to follow X Japan through these years of economic strain. To this audience, X Japan’s music allowed for both release of stressing emotions through their lyrics, and pure escapism through their exotic appearances.
X Japan has also enjoyed the role of being used as a popularity-raising device for a politician. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has described himself as an enthusiastic fan of the band, helping him establish a reputation of being "in touch" with the Japanese people.
Art of Life
Considered by many to be X Japan's greatest contribution to rock music, the real-life development process of "Art of Life" contains as much drama as any of X Japan¡Çs songs. At twenty-nine minutes in length (and five minutes longer live), "Art of Life" is the ultimate expression of Yoshiki¡Çs life through music. Collapsing onstage during their 1989 tour, Yoshiki was hospitalized for "neurocirculatory asthenia caused by overworking." Music critic Hideaki Utsumi (footnote: Writer for the magazine FOOL'S MATE, Utsumi produced an article that is featured in the liner notes to the DVD X Japan: Art of Life: 1993.12.31 Tokyo Dome, investigating the origins of the song.) recounts the frustration Yoshiki felt when recovering from his condition, and his feeling that he had failed in his task as a performing artist. '"I truly regret that I could not beat the drums unto death, and I¡Çm ashamed of myself for having collapsed without completing the tour, and successfully returning to a normal life'" (qtd. in Utsumi). However, this rest period was to give birth to his greatest composition, and as he "looked back on his own life with regret, anger, and sadness, Yoshiki began playing the piano, and inadvertently created one phrase, which would become the melody of 'Art of Life'" (Utsumi).
Once he had recovered enough to return to normal activity, Yoshiki produced several synthesizer demo tracks exceeding twenty minutes in duration, blocking out the song's structure. These early renditions feature a powerful ballad-like intro, flowing into ten minutes of surging metal and orchestral arrangements, concluding with an eight minute piano duet. The final version of the song would add yet another lengthy metal segment to the song's end. Although originally intended for the band's 1991 album Jealousy, the song proved to be too ambitious, and was not completed on time. Yoshiki hired a doctor and health advisor to assure his body could sustain the pressure needed to perform the song's drum segments. Difficulties continued to plague the song's development, as Yoshiki could no longer tolerate Taiji's assertive and sometimes argumentative personality, and asked him to the band in 1992. Taiji's departure meant that replacement bassist Heath would have to master the entire piece in a matter of months. A large part of the song's delay can also be attributed to Yoshiki's perfectionism: as his magnum opus, every aspect of the song had to be flawless, with Toshi¡Çs vocals alone taking over ten months to record. Music critic Tetsushi Ichikawa (footnote: Tetsushi Ichikawa also submitted an article to the X Japan: Art of Life: 1993.12.31 Tokyo Dome¡Çs liner notes, and I am referring to this document.) examined the song¡Çs grueling studio sessions:
"X Japan and Yoshiki and everything surrounding them can simply be described as being 'too much.' Why did Yoshiki have to compose a thirty-minute song? Why did he need to express all of his personal turmoil and chaos as 'entertainment?' Why did he need to create his elaborate stage personality, always so attracted to destruction? Why did he force Toshi to sing in English, even though he struggled with the pronunciation? Why did he have to beat the drums until his body collapsed? Why, why? I know the answers to all these questions, and I also know that the best answer makes all these questions trivial, and that is simply, their music is trustworthy because it is 'too much.'"
After three years in the making, "Art of Life" was finally released as a stand-alone disc in July of 1993. The song was performed live on only two occasions, at the end of 1993 on December 30th and 31st at the Tokyo Dome. Looking back on the song, Yoshiki describes "Art of Life" as an endless journey, "a journey to identify who I am, and it will never end" (qtd. in Utsumi).
X JAPAN IN AMERICA
X Japan had spent several years tentatively exploring the American market, but was ultimately unable to find success. This has largely been attributed to their strange appearance, and an overall consensus that Americans would not be interested in visual kei. Their image worked against them in the United States, and was seen as being "too different." Their relative lack of English-language material was likely disadvantageous as well.
X Japan appeared in the 1988 film Tokyo Pop, a romantic comedy starring the late Carrie Hamilton. Hamilton stars as New Yorker rock Wendy, who goes to Japan to try to make it big in a Japanese rock band. Tokyo Pop is an English-language film, and was thus meant to promote X Japan in the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States, during their brief cameo. X Japan appears in a short sequence where Wendy approaches the band, seated casually around a small coffee table, and asks them if they need a singer. Yoshiki responds by saying, "we need a foreigner," perhaps joking about Japanese metal band Loudness, which was able to succeed in the United States by acquiring an American vocalist. However, the band is not going to let Wendy help them so easily. Taiji offers up a tambourine, and explains, "backup."
The band's eventual reduction of their visual kei looks and an increase in English-language lyrics were perhaps attempts to please the American market, but this still did not lead to any success. These changes in the band's style followed their 1992 name change from X to X Japan, likely done to avoid confusion with the Los Angeles-based rock group also known as X (had they been put side-by-side in American record stores).
However, in spite of the band¡Çs failures to cross over, individual members of the band were able to enjoy moderate success in the United States. hide formed a group called Zilch with an all-American roster, and produced some smaller-scale releases. Yoshiki would eventually set up office in Los Angeles, and produce artists from both the United States and Asia. X Japan has also recently seen one official American release through a branch of Sony Records. While the set (which includes one CD and one DVD) is rich in content, it is largely material from their early years and is not particularly representative of the band's overall achievements.
THE LONG ROAD
In April of 1997, Toshi formally announced his intentions to leave the band. He cited personal reasons, explaining that he could only perform X Japan's emotional songs when he was feeling pain within himself, and that he could no longer carry on under so much stress. He also has more recently expressed that he was unhappy, and felt insecure by always being less popular than Yoshiki and hide. As he writes on his official web site, "No matter how much I did to gain popularity, social status, and prestige, I never could find happiness in myself... I was tired, tired of hiding my real feelings, tired of feigning happiness..." (
www.naturallyart.net). It became known that Toshi had taken interest in a composer called Masaya, who focused on creating "healing music." Masaya had refused to befriend Toshi because of his celebrity status, and many fans feel that Masaya manipulated Toshi, and some go as far to claim brainwashing.
The band officially dissolved on September 22nd, 1997. Yoshiki had composed his songs specifically for Toshi's voice, and felt that the group could not go on without him. Although the band had officially come to an end, they were not yet finished. The band recorded a final ballad, known simply as "The Last Song," and word began to circulate about a final "Last Live" of unparalleled proportion, to be held on December 31st, 1997, at the Tokyo Dome.
"In endless rain I've been walking,
Like a poet feeling pain
Trying to find the answers,
Trying to hide the tears
But it was a circle, that never ends
When the rain stops, I'll turn the page,
The page of the first chapter..."
-X Japan, "The Last Song"
"Where can we go, now that we've parted ways
A lingering question, pulled away in the passing time
On a never-ending night, I dreamt of a journey
Staring at the foreign skies, and embracing the loneliness
Tears flowing in the winds of time
It's not yet over, I can still feel you sigh..."
-X Japan, "Tears"
The band held hands and jumped together before the cheering crowd. As they walked off stage together, the story of X Japan came to a close.
The Tokyo Dome's giant screens showed a montage of footage of X Japan throughout their entire career, from their earliest visual kei origins up through footage shot that evening during the final concert. Accompanied by a pre-recorded tape of their ballad "Tears," it proved to be a fitting epilogue. As the song and footage reel came to an end, the screens displayed one final message:
"The road has been long, and you have always given your support�E
With gratitude from our hearts, X Japan"
The stadium lights abruptly flickered to life, and a voice over the PA system pronounced the show to be over, instructing people to proceed to the exits. A strong, profound silence filled the stadium, as people slowly began rising from their seats and filing out of the stadium, in an unspoken recognition of the powerful experience they had just shared. Many remained in their seats and wept.
It is evident that by the end of the "Final Legend", the peculiar Japanese band that drew its first influences from Western metal music had truly developed its own identity, concluding their musical career with a deeply touching moment of triumph and regret, of hope and sadness.
AFTER X JAPAN
Saturday, May 2nd, 1998. 7:30am.
The nation is stunned as hide is discovered in his Tokyo residence nearly dead from strangulation. He is immediately rushed to a hospital, and is pronounced dead an hour and twenty-two minutes later. Police investigators declare the death to be a suicide. hide was 33.
"Without You"
"I still can't believe it. His beautiful face is sleeping now. I've tried to wake him again and again, but still he sleeps..." -Yoshiki, at hide�fs funeral (qtd. in Wikipedia, "hide")
A massive amount of controversy continues to surround hide's death. A bone marrow and blood donor known for his good-natured, joking personality, many have found it hard to believe that hide�fs death was an intentional suicide. Personal friends, fans, and band mates have challenged the suicide statement from the police, claiming that hide would not have taken his own life. What is known as fact is that hide had played a show the night before, and had then gone out to drink and relax. When he was discovered the next morning, he had a towel around his neck with the other end caught around a doorknob. Ex-band mate Taiji explained in his book X no Sei to Shi ("The Life and Death of X Japan") that after performing concerts he and the other band members would often suffer from sore necks, and would tie towels from around their shoulders to relieve the tension. This information, in combination with the known facts about his night of drinking, has led many to deem his death an alcohol-related accident. Having been known as a prankster, others suggest a joke gone wrong, and others yet a fatal case of autoerotic asphyxiation. Although there was no suicide note, many fans have refused to see his death as having gone "without meaning," and have attributed his final music video, "Pink Spider," to being his parting message. In the video, a naked woman is shown with blood dripping from her lips, and at the conclusion, jumps from a building to her death. It was at this time just after hide's death that four young fans attempted to kill themselves, and two succeeded.
hide's funeral was held five days after his passing at a Buddhist temple in Tsukiji district, Tokyo. Over 25,000 people attended. Local streets had to be closed off, and 270 police were needed at the temple to control the crowds, in addition to helicopters and boats that were deployed in the surrounding area. The fans who attended were highly emotional, and by the day's conclusion, 26 were hospitalized for injuries.
The remaining members of X Japan came together at the funeral, and performed an alternative arrangement of their ballad "Forever Love," without hide's moving guitar solo.
Through hide's passing and the tragic deaths of the two young fans, Yoshiki was overtaken by grief. As Yoshiki later described in interview, "I was confused and lost for almost two years, but I realized that, all I can do is music�Eand the music has always been my life," (youtube.com). After months of depression, Yoshiki would at last return with a 17-minute piano and orchestra piece composed in hide's memory, titled "Without You."
In 2000, the hide Museum was opened in his home town of Yokosuka, a tribute to his legacy and influence in the realm of Japanese popular culture. The museum kept its doors open for five years, welcoming fans from all over Japan and beyond. The building itself was shaped after one of hide's guitars, and inside featured a large collection of his personal belongings, including a room full of guitars, handwritten drafts of his famous songs, costumes from concerts and music videos, as well as interior decor in the style of H.R. Giger. The facility also included a shop that dealt exclusively in hide-related products, including costume reproductions, and a large cafe that often held live concerts by X Japan members and other visual kei acts. On a visit during its final month of operation (the museum closed on September 25th, 2005), I found the museum swarming with fans, including several Japanese teenagers dressed in hide-inspired fashions, and even foreigners from Europe. hide's legacy is as alive as ever in Japan, and is accompanied by tribute albums and unreleased recordings that continue to receive high-profile releases, filling record stores across the nation. The fact that hide is survived by popular culture over seven years after his passing, an eternity in the consumerist world of momentary trends and fads, is in itself an indicator of his influence.
Yoshiki and the Violet UK
Yoshiki has continued to make headlines into the new millennium. Beginning in 1999, Yoshiki took over as producer for popular visual kei act Dir en grey. On November 12th of the same year, he performed a piano concerto called "Anniversary" outside the Imperial Palace, honoring Emperor Akihito's tenth year of enthronement. In 2002 Yoshiki joined the pop/dance group Globe, headed by one of Japan's leading producers, Tetsuya Komuro (x-japan.de). In 2004 Yoshiki began producing Korean rock band The TRAX, and in 2005 composed the theme for the Aichi World Expo.
In 2000, he began a project by the name of Violet UK, and has continued to nurture it through 2006. With a fluctuating roster of musicians and singers from both Japan and America, Violet UK's performers change depending on the needs of individual compositions. Despite releasing songs for over a course of six years, the project has yet to produce an album. All Violet UK songs have been performed in English, and Yoshiki hopes to use it as his vessel to truly break into the global music market, and the United States in particular.
Death and a Rainbow: Visual Kei
The ongoing trends of visual kei artists today are as varied as ever. Although perhaps permanently linked to the genre archetype borne from X Japan, the modern visual kei takes many surprising forms. I will focus on two popular bands and one solo artist that all share visual kei roots, and have enjoyed successful careers into the new millennium, each going in a different creative direction.
Credits to: sushidroid , from xjapan.de forum
