History of X / X Japan

Total CD sales (including singles and albums): over 21,000,000 units
Total video sales: over 2,000,000 units
Total attendance at Tokyo Dome: over 650,000
(7 consecutive Tokyo Dome shows including the first Tokyo Dome show in 1991, and the first 3-day concerts at Tokyo Dome in 1992 – total 13 shows)

Total attendance for all X / X Japan concerts: over 2,500,000
(From the first concert by X on June 29th, 1985 through the final concert in 1997, with the film gigs without the band members)

Biography

Summer, 1982 -  X is formed with Yoshiki and Toshi as the central figures.

February 1987 -  Start activities with Yoshiki, Toshi, Hide, Pata and Taiji.

April 1988 -   First album “Vanishing Vision” released through Yoshiki’s own indie    label, Extasy Records. Within a week of release, the initial pressing of   10,000 copies was sold out, establishing the unprecedented record.    Stayed in the “Indies Chart” for a long period and became a record    breaking long seller album of all time. Also at the same time, became   the first indie record to chart in the major charts.

April 1989 -  First major album “Blue Blood” released on CBS Sony (now Sony
  Records). Setting a phenomenal record of selling over 600,000 units    within a year, when selling 100,000 units was considered to be a big    hit at the time. The second single, “Endless Rain” released in    December of the same year, received the “Best newcomer” of the Cable
  Radio Awards and “Best selling single by the newcomer” in the    Original Confidence 1989 Awards, and other awards including “Japan   Gold Disc Awards” etc. Hide, by establishing the term “Visual-kei”,    which refers to the bands with heavy makeup and extraordinary    costumes made a huge impact on the audience, resulting in the    nationwide sensational phenomena with the existence of X.
July 1991 -  Released second album “Jealousy” and entered into Original
   Confidence chart at number 1, with the sales of over 1 million.
  Performed at the annual “Kohaku Utagassen” on new year’s eve, for   the 42nd NHK event and proved to be the biggest rock band in Japan.

1992 -   As the first domestic artist, played at Tokyo Dome for 3 consecutive    days, with the total audience of 150,000. Later the same year, press    conference was held at the Rockefeller Center in New York with    Warner Music International, announcing the signing with Atlantic    label and changing the group name to “X Japan” from “X”, as well as
  announcing Heath as a new bass player.

1993 -   First Japanese act to perform at the new year’s eve “countdown    concert” at the Tokyo Dome, followed by the national tour and again on   the new year’s eve, continuing a series of sell out concerts and being    ranked high in the Original Confidence sales chart.

November 1996 – Released 3rd album “Dahlia” and entered into Original Confidence at   number 1. The single, “Forever Love” release same year, became the    theme song for the Japan’s Democratic Liberty Party when Junichiro   Koizumi, prime minister at the time, confided that he was an avid X   Japan fan and used the song for political campaign.

September 22, 1997 –  Upon the announcement of Toshi leaving the group, urgent     press conference was called to officially announce the breakup.   (There was a plan for reunion in 2000 but due to the     unexpected death of Hide, the plan never materialized.)
   Performed on the New Year ’s Eve at Tokyo Dome “The Last    Live” and appeared at NHK “Kohaku Utagassen”,  the     history of X Japan closed its chapter.

After the breakup, the Anime craze from Japan (Japanimation) emerged overseas around 2005, and as the typical music to go with the craze, “J rock - Visual-kei” came into the spotlight. Young Japanese bands started performing overseas. As the roots of these movement, however, X Japan has always been the center of attention, which then led to the reunion project of X Japan.

In 2007, X Japan’s new track “I.V.” was release worldwide, out of the blue.
“SAW IV”, as the latest episode of the record-breaking successful Hollywood movie series “SAW”, used this new X Japan track as the main theme song. The film “SAW IV” entered the box office chart in the U.S. at number one, and the entire world took notice of the unprecedented fact: main theme by the Japanese artist, for the first time ever.

The promotion video for this track “I.V.” was shot on the roof of the Aqua City Odaiba, on October 22, 2007 as the “public showing of promo video shoot”, for which more than 10,000 fans rushed and caused a bit of minor commotion in Odaiba. 

In 2008, as the legendary rock band, X Japan will get jump started for the world as the leading pioneer of the “J Rock - Visual-kei” movement overseas with the rising popularity of Japanimation, together with the respect for X Japan coming from young bands currently flourishing in the same “Visual-kei” movement today.

Members

Yoshiki (Drums, Piano): Birthday: X  Blood type: X
Toshi (Vocal): Birthday: 10/10/1965 Blood type: A
Hide (Guitar): Birthday: 12/13/1964 Blood type: AB
Pata (Guitar): Birthday: 11/4/1965  Blood type: B
Heath (Bass): Birthday: 1/22/1968    Blood type: B