Internationally Acclaimed Composer and Musician Performs Japan’s National Anthem “Kimigayo” at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix Final Pre-Race Ceremony
The Special Piano and Drum Arrangement Drew Worldwide Acclaim and Sparked a Wave of Reactions Across Social Media
Before a crowd of 130,000 at the Suzuka Circuit, renowned musician and composer YOSHIKI took the stage on March 29 to perform “Kimigayo,” the Japanese national anthem, at the pre-race ceremony for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship Series Aramco Japanese Grand Prix. The turnout was the highest the race had seen since F1’s return to Suzuka in 2009, and the performance was broadcast live to 180 countries.
Named one of the TIME100: Most Influential People of 2025, YOSHIKI has sold over 50 million records across a career spanning rock, classical music, fashion, film, and philanthropy. In 2024, he became the first Japanese artist honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, a distinction shared by only a handful of legends in the nearly 100 years since the tradition began. His philanthropic work continues through YOSHIKI Foundation America.
Drawing on both his classical training and his background in hard rock, YOSHIKI crafted an arrangement that moved through two distinct emotional registers. The performance opened with a quiet, introspective piano melody that captured the anthem’s solemnity. Then the drums entered, and the mood shifted, building steadily into a rock-driven crescendo that filled the circuit just seconds before the race flag dropped.
The response was immediate. The crowd delivered a sustained ovation, and the official F1 broadcast commentary captured the moment: “Wow, I loved that! I felt that in my bones!”
Social media lit up during and after the ceremony. Reactions ranged from the emphatic, “YOSHIKI PLAYING THE ANTHEM!!! GOATED OH MY GOD,” to the more measured: “YOSHIKI adding double bass and blastbeats to the Japanese anthem wasn’t on my bingo card, but it was cool.” Many simply called it “the coolest rock-style national anthem ever” and “absolutely incredible,” with the response spreading well beyond Japan.
The praise kept coming. Fans and viewers around the world described it as “a truly historic performance,” wrote “You won over the audience and set new standards!” and declared “Now THIS is how a national anthem gets done.” Comments noting that “YOSHIKI’s arrangement perfectly matched the F1 pre-start atmosphere” appeared across platforms in multiple languages.
With the performance behind him, YOSHIKI boarded a helicopter back to Tokyo to continue preparations for his three-night sold-out residency at Tokyo Garden Theater from April 3 to 5, the opening chapter of the Yoshiki Classical 2026 World Tour.
The tour continues in the United States this summer. The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall confirmed two exclusive concert nights on July 16 and 17, 2026, titled “Scarlet Night” and “Violet Night” respectively. The shows mark YOSHIKI’s return to the U.S. stage following his third cervical spine surgery in late 2024. Each night will feature a distinct program, and YOSHIKI has described the series as a personal “rebirth,” combining his signature cinematic compositions with the acoustics of one of Los Angeles’ most celebrated performance spaces.
Fan Club members had early access beginning March 26, and general on-sale tickets are available starting April 10 at 10:00 AM PT.
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