X Japan’s U.S. Plans

Yoshiki and Toshi of X Japan held a news conference in Tokyo July 8 to announce the band’s first tour of the United States following their debut concert appearance on American soil at Lollapalooza in August.

After the festival appearance, the band will return to Japan and play two concerts at Yokohama Stadium Aug. 14-15, where they expect to draw 150,000 fans.

The show will then head back across the Pacific to North America, where they will play concerts in 10 cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, New York and Boston.

The venues will be in the 2,000- to 6,000-seat range.

“It’s a new start for us in many ways,” Toshi said. “We’re going to give it everything and leave no regrets.”

X Japan has twice before announced American concert plans only to have to cancel them in the end, the first time in 1992 and the second time two years ago after their reunion following an eleven-year layoff. The group also plans to release its first album of new material in 14 years, including an English version for the foreign market.