On January 4th, YOSHIKI donated 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Yoshiki Foundation America to support areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
YOSHIKI said, “I was back in Japan at the end of the year for several TV appearances, and through the news reports I saw the damages caused by the earthquake. It is very painful as I think about the feelings of the many people who are suffering so much in the disaster areas. I thought about what I could do and made a donation. The reason I announce these donations each time is to attempt to expand the circle of support even a little. I sincerely hope that everyone in the affected areas can return to their normal lives as soon as possible.”
YOSHIKI’s donation continues the acclaimed musician’s humanitarian work, which includes charitable support for numerous international emergencies, such as $100,000 in disaster relief for Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas in 2017 and $100,000 to combat wildfires in the Amazon rainforest in 2019. In 2020, he donated $100,000 to the Australian Red Cross and the Rainforest Trust’s Conservation Action Fund to aid bushfire victims.
YOSHIKI has provided support to areas affected by earthquakes and other disasters many times, and in 1995, after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, he donated pianos to elementary and junior high schools in the affected areas. In 2009, he donated musical instruments and a music room to the area affected by the Sichuan earthquake in China and invited children orphaned by the earthquake to a concert held by X Japan.
He provided continuous support after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake. Immediately after the disaster, he donated a total of more than 13 million yen, including the proceeds from the auction of his crystal piano. In 2015, he donated more than 28 million yen in proceeds from X JAPAN’s recovery-from-earthquake concert, and in 2016, he donated more than 6 million yen in proceeds from the auction of his drum set. In addition, a donation of 10 million yen was also made after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, the 2018 Hokkaido Iburi East earthquake, and the 2019 Typhoons number 15 and number 19 respectively. In 2020, he donated 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, nine years after the disaster.
Most recently, between 2022 and 2023, he donated a total of 30 million yen to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the growing number of displaced persons in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
In 2021, YOSHIKI established an annual grant of $100,000 for MusiCares®, a partner of the Recording Academy®, to help music creators and industry professionals affected by mental health concerns. Previously, YOSHIKI donated $100,000 to MusiCares to help music professionals affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
YOSHIKI is internationally recognized for his long-term philanthropic activities and has donated over 2 million dollars to charity through Yoshiki Foundation America. For his prolific philanthropic endeavors, he was chosen by Forbes as one of “Asia’s Top 30 Heroes of Philanthropy” in 2019 and received a Medal of Honor from the Japanese Government in 2021 for his support of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine and ongoing charitable works.
