On April 16th (local time), YOSHIKI of X JAPAN graced the "Hello Kitty Night" at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the MLB's Dodgers, where Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto play. Before the game, he performed the American national anthem and "ENDLESS RAIN" on the piano.

Fans from across the United States and abroad gathered at the stadium to witness this historic moment. Introduced as "one of the most influential musicians in Japanese history," YOSHIKI captivated the audience with his rendition of "ENDLESS RAIN," eliciting significant applause and excitement.

During the national anthem performance, a technical glitch silenced the piano at the start, but YOSHIKI improvised an interlude and played it twice. His gentle yet powerful playing drew applause and cheers from the attendees, including players and officials.

In recognition of his performance, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto presented YOSHIKI with a special number 44 uniform. Living in Los Angeles, the three shared local tales, and YOSHIKI posted a selfie with them on his social media.

Last year, YOSHIKI was the first Japanese artist to leave his handprints and footprints at TCL Chinese Theatre. Recently, he received Variety's "2024 International Achievement in Music" award. His performance of the American national anthem at Dodger Stadium adds another illustrious chapter to his career.

The event, titled "Hello Kitty Night," also marked Hello Kitty's appearance. YOSHIKI is set to create the global theme song for Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary. His character "yoshikitty" has been nominated for the "2024 Sanrio Character Ranking" for the tenth consecutive year, with voting currently underway.

YOSHIKI's Comment

"It's an honor to converse with fellow LA residents, players Ohtani and Yamamoto. I was surprised and grateful to receive autographed uniforms from them and even one with my name from the Dodgers. Watching them inspires me to further challenge myself globally. I'm thankful. It was delightful to see not only Hello Kitty but also yoshikitty at Dodger Stadium. It was a full day. The sound issues meant I ended up playing the national anthem twice, something I hadn't anticipated. Hearing the roaring applause after I finished made me glad I persevered through the improvisation. It was worth coming back to LA despite my hectic schedule. Thank you, everyone."