Japan was well represented at a recent Los Angeles Dodgers game, at which Yoshiki performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” on “Hello Kitty Night.” On top of that, the X Japan leader was presented with autographed jerseys by the team’s Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The game took place last Tuesday (April 16th) but Yoshiki just shared official video of his performance on Sunday (April 21st). He performed the national anthem on his crystal clear grand piano (twice due to technical issues), and he also played the X Japan song “Endless Rain.”
“It was an honor to talk with Ohtani and Yamamoto, who also live in L.A.,” stated Yoshiki. “I received signed uniforms from the two of them. In addition, I was surprised to receive a uniform with my own name on it from the Dodgers. After meeting athletes Ohtani and Yamamoto, I feel grateful and inspired to take on the world.”
He continued, “I’m happy that in addition to Hello Kitty, [Yoshiki’s Sanrio character] yoshikitty also came to Dodger Stadium. It was an amazing day. I didn’t expect that I would perform the American National Anthem twice due to sound issues. As soon as I heard the loud applause after my performance, I was glad that I did my best, including the improvisation. It was worth it to come back to L.A. despite the extremely demanding schedule. Thank you to everyone.”
In addition to being presented with signed jerseys from Ohtani and Yamamoto, Yoshiki was given his own custom Dodgers jersey with the number 44.
Watch Yoshiki perform the National Anthem and “Endless Rain” at Dodgers Stadium in the videos below.