Earlier today, Yoshiki sent out a message on Facebook and Twitter where he asked his fans for forgiveness in case any of his previous posts were insensitive and “not considering any situation”. Without explicitly addressing what was going on or which posts that might have caused the uproar, many fans were left confused.
Yoshiki’s apology reads:
My dear fans, If any of my posts made you feel like… I’m not considering any situation, I deeply apologize. I really care about all of my fans and friends. Love you, YOSHIKI
As previously mentioned, Yoshiki never addressed which specific post, or posts, he apologized for, to not blame any of the parties involved—which is understandable. However, many fans already knew which post he was referring to. All of this leads us to an Instagram photo Yoshiki uploaded on June 12, 2019, where he was having dinner with the world-renowned comedic, martial art actor, Jackie Chan.
How did this innocent photo lead to the unpleasant situation of today?
Yoshiki: “Wonderful dinner with @jackiechan. #jackiechan #ジャッキーチェン”
The first thing worth pointing out is that Jackie Chan was born and raised in Hong Kong but despite his background, his political views are more in line with the communist party in mainland China. In other words, and to simplify, he believes the people of Hong Kong need to be controlled in a manner of dictatorship, and that the current state of the city itself is in a big mess. Jackie Chan is an oppressor of freedom of speech, which is a very controversial view in the eyes of the people of Hong Kong.
As Yoshiki has a very large fanbase in Hong Kong, seeing Jackie Chan appear on their social media feed didn’t sit well with many of them. This resulted in the fans voicing their opinions, however, the general consensus seems that the fans were never really mad at Yoshiki, but simply that they did not like seeing Jackie Chan in the photo.
“Sorry, As a Hongkonger, we don’t like this guy!” (351 likes)
“As a Hong Konger, we very love you but we hate this guy!?” (101 likes)
“I [have] love[d] X Japan for over 20 years, but I’m sorry I have to press mad for this picture. Disappointed to see this. Why don’t you delete this, as you delete[d] your comment for Taiwan president Miss Tsai’s video in Yoshiki channel?” (43 likes)
“Welcome to Taiwan Yoshiki! Hope you’ll enjoy your stay. However, to explain the situation, Hong Kong is currently experiencing oppression of human rights while Jackie Chan remains safely in Taiwan, this is stirring up anger of many people.” (120 likes)
To some of you, this might sound silly, but it is also because of the timing this photo was published that generated a much larger wave. Just days before this photo was uploaded, over a million people in Hong Kong (one in every seven residents) were marching for democracy and freedom of expression, on top of that, there were at least 29 more cities that joined in, including New York, Vancouver, London, and more. The protests were against the extradition bill that would allow the Hong Kong government to send citizens to be prosecuted in mainland China and most likely be unfairly trialed. The people of Hong Kong believe this would also allow for politically motivated arrests.
Hong Kong, who once was a colony of the British, became a “one country, two systems” after the Handover in 1997. In turn granting the city its own laws, governmental system, and economy. The people of Hong Kong see the extradition bill as yet another step and attempt for mainland China to take back full control of the city.
Yoshiki has always been trying to promote love and kindness, he’s also been keeping fans updated with all of his move and the people he meets. Fans have embraced him with love and support for the longest time, so when being confronted with something contrasting like this must have been a shocking moment for Yoshiki. Seeing how the fans responded in his apology post and the photo with Jackie Chan, the apology was most likely not necessary, but it truly shows that Yoshiki wants the fans to know he had no ill intentions and has accepted the constructive comments.
More info:
Yoshiki Official Website
X Japan Official Website
Yoshiki Foundation America
Yoshikimono
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