X Japan Promotes Documentary, Teases Tour

X Japan, the country’s original “visual-kei” hard rock band, has received a great deal of attention overseas in recent months thanks to the English-language documentary “We Are X,” which finally opened theatrically in Japan this month. 

Courtesy MSO PR – X Japan
Outside the SSE Arena Wembley before the band

Though the band reformed in 2008 and has played a smattering of dates since then in its native country, for the most part it’s been leader-drummer Yoshiki’s show, as he has divided his time between X Japan and his solo career, which mostly consists of piano concerts where he mixes pop with classical music.

In any event, Yoshiki makes his home in Los Angeles and doesn’t live in Japan full time any more.

However, the band did reunite to promote the documentary in Japan. One of the members, Pata, has been ill for the past year, according to pop culture website Rocketnews24, but they plan to release a studio album sometime in 2017.

It will be the band’s first in 20 years as well as its first in English. In the meantime, fans who have bought the soundtrack album for the documentary have a chance to meet their idols in the flesh.

Three-hundred purchasers will be chosen for a special autograph session.  Such events are very common in Japan, and Rocketnews24 says it will be the first time X Japan has had an autograph session in 30 years. In addition, Yoshiki has hinted that the group will embark on a world tour when the new album is released. 

Courtesy MSO PR – X Japan
X Japan takes over London, playing a sold-out SSE Arena in Wembley heralding the release of the “We Are X” documentary March 4.