Acclaimed Japanese composer, leader of best-selling Japanese rock band X JAPAN, and new supergroup THE LAST ROCKSTARS, Yoshiki, has donated 10 million yen to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on his birthday, November 20th.
The donation will support emergency relief operations in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
“I really appreciate all the messages I received on my birthday. I don’t need gifts for myself, so I would appreciate if you could instead give to a charity you support,” commented YOSHIKI.
Regarding this donation, he continued: “As the war continues, so many people are unable to live their normal lives, from those who were forced to flee Ukraine or its neighboring countries, to those who are still displaced within Ukraine. This is heartbreaking, and it’s not something I can overlook as someone living in these times. As winter approaches, I hope to help so that as many people as possible can settle in a safe place and spend time with some peace of mind.”
IOM’s mission aligns with YOSHIKI’s philanthropic work, as it will be a follow up to his February donation of 10 million yen to the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Emergency Assistance Fund, which sparked an influx of donations from his fanbase ultimately totaling approximately 1 billion yen in relief funding. With this new donation, YOSHIKI seeks to support the International Organization for Migration’s mission to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration by promoting international cooperation on migration issues, assisting in the search for practical solutions to migration challenges, and providing urgent humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
YOSHIKI is internationally recognized for his long-term philanthropic activities both in Japan and overseas through his nonprofit organization, Yoshiki Foundation America. He was selected by Forbes Asia as one of their 30 Heroes of Philanthropy in 2019 and in 2021 he received a Medal of Honor from the Japanese Government for his support of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine.
