■ Announcement of the launch of the “YOSHIKI+” service and the “AI YOSHIKI” project. “I want to do both innovative and analog things” (YOSHIKI)
YOSHIKI appeared at a press conference held at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo on August 1st, where various important news was announced.
At the press conference, YOSHIKI revealed that he would undergo his third emergency cervical spine surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California on October 8. YOSHIKI is currently experiencing severe pain in his cervical spine and is also experiencing symptoms such as loss of feeling in his left hand, and several well-known doctors have advised him to “undergo surgery immediately.”
With some exceptions, most of his schedule over the next two months has been canceled, and although he wishes to continue with as many of the things that have been decided as possible, all schedules scheduled after the surgery will be canceled.
YOSHIKI reported in his own words, “Right now, I have a burning sensation in the tips of my left fingertip, and it feels like I’m constantly holding ice in my hands. It’s unbearable without painkillers. The doctor told me that I should have surgery next week, but I already have a lot of plans booked. In particular, there is no option of canceling the dinner show starting the next day, as fans not only from Japan but from all over the world will be flocking to it. I hope to be able to put on an exciting show that is possible only now.”
Although YOSHIKI is about to undergo important surgery, he also announced a lot of big news at the press conference, including the launch of the innovative fan community “YOSHIKI+.”
“YOSHIKI+” is an innovative digital service that replaces the 22-year-old mobile service “YOSHIKI mobile” (which ended at the end of August). It is a fan community where fans can enjoy unprecedented, innovative content such as content using AI and podcasts, and online communication with the artist himself. The long-awaited launch of the service took place on this day.
During the press conference, the launch of the “AI YOSHIKI PROJECT” was announced, which will use AI technology to turn YOSHIKI, the main content of “YOSHIKI+,” into a virtual human, and a video showing the making of the project was released. This AI YOSHIKI will continue to learn and will be able to freely converse with fans not only in Japan but also overseas.
Furthermore, one of the contents of “YOSHIKI+”, “+FAN MEETING”, a communication corner with YOSHIKI using ZOOM, was introduced, and as a mock experience, a Q&A corner was held during the press conference where fans connected via ZOOM. YOSHIKI responded positively to a fan’s request to make a “YOSHIKI+” card. The unprecedented event of interacting with fans via ZOOM at a press conference caused a stir in the venue.
“In X JAPAN, HIDE was the one who communicated with the fans, and I was the leader and pushed forward. However, after HIDE passed away, I felt that I had to take on the role of communicating with the fans, so I started YOSHIKI Mobile. At first, I wasn’t good at it and couldn’t do it well, but with the support of our fans in difficult situations, we were able to get to this point. In that context, although we have SNS, I want to do both innovative and analog things in order to build closer relationships.”
In addition, the girls group “Bi-ray” and the boys group “XY”, both produced by YOSHIKI, will make guest appearances at the dinner show, which will be held over 13 performances over 8 days from August 2nd. Bi-ray will appear and perform at the breakfast show, and XY will perform at the dinner show.
It was also mentioned that from the end of July, X JAPAN and YOSHIKI’s songs and live footage will be distributed worldwide on major overseas platforms. Until now, these songs have not been distributed on music distribution platforms, and they have already attracted attention from fans around the world. Songs currently being distributed include the songs from the album “DAHLIA” (such as “Rusty Nail,” “Forever Love,” “Tears,” “DAHLIA,” etc.) and “JADE.” In addition, live footage such as “X JAPAN Blue Night/White Night Complete Edition” and “X JAPAN THE LAST LIVE Complete Edition,” the legendary Tokyo Dome live performance from X JAPAN that excited the whole of Japan, have been distributed.
In addition, YouTube Channel membership will include an archive of past broadcasts of YOSHIKI CHANNEL, which were previously only available on NicoNico, and users will be able to watch rare footage from the past, such as X JAPAN’s legendary live performance without an audience. Broadcasts that were only available in Japanese at the time will also be uploaded with newly recorded English translations.
At the press conference, the upcoming global schedule, which is scheduled in rapid succession, was also mentioned.
The topic of an invitational visit from Saudi Arabia was announced. Saudi Arabia aims to build a nation independent of oil and is investing in the entertainment industry. As part of this, the world’s largest e-sports tournament, the Esports World Cup, will be held from July, and YOSHIKI was specially invited. In particular, 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia is keen to strengthen cooperation with Japanese game companies, so attention is focused on what kind of chemical reaction YOSHIKI’s on-site inspection will bring to the exchange between the two countries.
Furthermore, YOSHIKI has been specially invited to speak at Salesforce’s “DREAMFORCE 2024” to be held in San Francisco in September 2024. The event is renowned as the world’s largest AI cloud platform event, attracting many industry leaders and experts, demonstrating YOSHIKI’s influence and high reputation in the industry. He will appear on stage with Salesforce’s Paula Goldman, who is known as an expert on the use of AI and data and is a member of the National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC) of the United States, to discuss AI.
YOSHIKI’s activities in various fields such as wine and fashion are also a hot topic. Recently, a new product was announced by Y by YOSHIKI, a wine brand produced by YOSHIKI, and the rosé wine “Y by YOSHIKI Rose California 2023”, which was unveiled for the first time this time, has been very well received and sales are increasing steadily. According to the California Wine Association’s North Asia Australia Region Co-Representative, out of the many wines released this time, this rosé wine was the first to sell out in many wine shops, and despite it being only one month since its launch, YOSHIKI has already made a big impact on the way Japanese people view rosé wine.
Despite concerns about his physical condition, various important announcements were made at this press conference. Normally, surgery would take priority over all other schedules, but YOSHIKI continues to defy common sense with his incredible mental strength, so we can’t take our eyes off him.
About “YOSHIKI+ (PLUS)”
Service start date: August 1, 2024
Fees: STANDARD 880 yen (tax included)/month PREMIUM 1,760 yen (tax included)/month
Contents (planned)
・YOSHIKICHANNEL linked fan meeting
・YOSHIKI+ Exclusive Podcast
・Content using AI
・YOSHIKISTORE limited edition products on sale
・Priority sales of concert tickets
■About “AI YOSHIKI”
A YOSHIKI virtual human created using various AI generation techniques such as video of YOSHIKI, voice synthesis, and LLM (Large Language model). As a new service of YOSHIKI+, it allows free conversation with fans.
Furthermore, to provide a richer experience, production of 3DCG avatars using the 3D face scanner “LUMIO3D” is also underway. In addition, with the full cooperation of Toei Zukun Laboratory, filming of the avatar production was also carried out using the world’s best 3D face scanner “Light Stage,” of which there are only two in Japan, aiming for a quality that can be used worldwide.
For more information on “YOSHIKI+ (PLUS),” click here
https://www.yoshikiplus.com/
Dinner show ticket reception details here
https://jp.yoshiki.net/info/5211/
YOSHIKI OFFICIAL SITE
https://jp.yoshiki.net/
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