X Japan is a Japanese rock band formed in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood. They started out mainly as a power/speed metal band, but later gravitated towards a progressive sound with an emphasis on ballads. Besides being one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label, the group is widely credited as one of the pioneers of the visual kei movement. They were known in their early years for their excessively large hairstyles, but toned... these down in later years. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked the band at number 40 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. After sixteen years, four albums, and selling out the 55,000 seat Tokyo Dome 18 times, X Japan disbanded in 1997. However, in 2007, the band reunited and recorded a new song. After performing several concerts from 2008 to 2009, including their first overseas show in Hong Kong, the band held their first North American tour from September 25 to October 10, 2010.
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| Career began: | August 1992 |
| Members: | Hide, Yoshiki, Toshi, Pata, Taiji Sawada, Hiroshi Morie, Sugizo, Youji, Tomo, Tokuou, Eddy |
| Hometown: | Chiba Prefecture |
| Also known as: | X-Japan, X, X JAPAN |