Yoshiki Donates to "Make-A-Wish of Japan" a Chance to Sing an X Japan Song Accompanied by Yoshiki on Piano

TOKYO, JAPAN October 26th, 2012 - Make-A-Wish® of Japan, an official affiliate of the Make-A-Wish® International, will welcome its 20th year since its foundation in 1992. To celebrate this anniversary, a dinner party was hosted at Tokyo American Club on the evening of October 26th, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan.

During this dinner party, a charity auction was announced to raise funds for the organization. YOSHIKI, international musician/producer and leader of the rock band X Japan, donated "A Chance to Sing an X Japan Song Accompanied by Yoshiki on Piano" alongside other items donated by celebrities and other supporting corporations.

Yoshiki is continuing the tradition of the late X Japan member Hide who was an active supporter of Make-A-Wish of Japan®. Hide's encouraging and supporting one girl in particular, who was a big X Japan fan as she faced a life-threatening medical condition, was a captivating story, which continues to inspire people and remains a legacy.
Yoshiki put his own favorite "crystal" piano up for auction in 2011, as well as collecting donations from various Hollywood celebrity friends, providing aid for the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami, through Yoshiki Foundation America (USD 213,658 to date). In addition, Yoshiki's charitable work includes donating pianos to schools in the affected area by the Kobe Earthquake, as well as donating musical instruments and helping build music rooms for children affected by the Sichuan earthquake in China, and many more.

Yoshiki's previous auction with Points of Light was a "Private Dinner /w Yoshiki", which closed at 37,100 USD.

"It's been over 15 years since I first moved to the US, and charity work is very much a part of people's everyday life, this has also grown to be a part of mine as well. Your mission to: 'Make a wish come true', very much resonates with my passion which is why I have, and would like to continue supporting your organization and all of its many efforts," Yoshiki says.

The online auction opened at 1 a.m. (US PST) on Friday, October 26th and will close one week later at 1 a.m. (US PST) on Friday, November 2nd. To place your bid, please visit:
http://www.j-grab.com/auction/jp/page/c372518589/en/
Further details regarding this auction item is as follows:
ITEM: A Chance to Sing an X Japan's Song Accompanied by Yoshiki on Piano
DONATED BY: Yoshiki Foundation America [a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation]
LOCATION: Tokyo or Los Angeles
TIME: Valid for 1 year from the date of purchase
AUCTION HOSTED BY: Yahoo (Japan) Auction


ABOUT YOSHIKI
Yoshiki, considered Asia's most influential music artist and biggest rock icon, is also a songwriter, drummer, and a classically-trained pianist. His rock group X Japan has sold 30-million singles and albums combined and filled the 55,000-seat Toyko Dome a record 18 times. Now the band's popularity is spreading throughout the world, having recently completed a sold-out World Tour, performing in North America, Europe, Latin America, and South East Asia.

In 1999, Yoshiki composed a piano concerto and performed it with a 77-piece orchestra to celebrate the tenth year of the Emperor of Japan's reign. In 2005, Yoshiki composed the theme song and conducted the Super World Orchestra at the opening ceremony of the World Expo. Previously, Yoshiki also recorded a classical album co-produced and arranged by acclaimed Beatles producer Sir George Martin and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Beyond music, Yoshiki has his own Visa Card and MasterCard issued by one of the largest Japanese banks. Recently, the legendary Stan Lee created a Super Hero based on him, and for the first time, a Hello Kitty product line is named after a person - "Yoshikitty." In 2010, he launched his non-profit organization Yoshiki Foundation America, which continues to donate to various charitable organizations, including supporting Japanese Earthquake victims. Most recently in 2012, Yoshiki composed the official theme song for the Golden Globes, which aired in 190 countries.

Follow Yoshiki on
www.twitter.com/yoshikiofficial, www.yoshiki.net, and www.facebook.com/YoshikiOfficial
Yoshiki Foundation America [a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation] http://www.yoshikifoundation.org/