Kalai Chik Famous rock star, YOSHIKI, has revealed his signature permanent location in front of Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theater. As the first Japanese artist to be honored by the theater since the tradition began in 1927, he shared that he was grateful to be a part of this prestigious moment. The 58-year-old has been extremely busy this past year, making his directorial debut with YOSHIKI: Under the Sky. While an international streaming date has not been announced, it will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video sometime in May 2024. Kalai Chik Previously, the leader of X Japan celebrated the first handprint and footprint ceremony in September 2023 and gave the world a first look as they dried. Now, fans and curious onlookers alike can view his handprints and drumsticks right next to Kobe Bryant’s handprints at the TCL entrance. Guest speaker Matt Pinfield, host of KLOS-FM, applauded the musician’s achievements and offered a personal anecdote about YOSHIKI’s philanthropy. Wearing a sleek black suit, YOSHIKI gives a summary of the journey that brought him here. “After going through every part of the process, I respect more than ever everyone involved in making the film and the incredible sacrifices that go into it.” As a composer—and now director—he humbly admits that he never expected his name to be etched alongside the likes of Tom Hanks and Al Pacino. Despite his incredible career progress, he revealed some personal struggles—such as the death of his parents—as well as the departure of his former bandmates X Japan: Taiji Sawada, Hideto Matsumoto and more recently Heath. Kalai Chik “Honestly, it’s hard to do it day by day,” he confesses. “You can feel it in my fingerprints. Sometimes my hands feel very fragile, sometimes my hands feel very strong. Just like my heart. I went through some mental turmoil. But my fans have supported me and brought me back to a positive state, so I’m getting through each day.” Acknowledging the recent earthquake in the Noto Peninsula, he dedicated the ceremony to the victims affected by the tragedy and announced that he would donate all proceeds from the auction of the Kawai piano yours for them. Emphasizing the title of his documentary, he encourages all those who exist under the sky to live their lives to the fullest on behalf of those who have passed away.
“We should live as much as possible, we should live for them. When you come here and put your hand on my handprints, you may notice they’re not that big. But small hands can do big things. Make someone’s dreams come true and lift their spirits when they are struggling.”
Kalai Chik After the ceremony, the pianist performed two songs before an intimate crowd of special guests, friends, and fans—possibly the last people to see YOSHIKI play the Kawai Crystal Grand Piano his iconic items before being auctioned. Dedicating these songs to the victims of the Noto earthquake, his fans, band members and his mother, YOSHIKI performed an emotional rendition of “Forever Love,” followed by is “Endless Rain”.