TOKYO - Tens of thousands of young fans shut down central Tokyo today in
an extraordinary outpouring of grief for a rock guitarist who hanged
himself.
Hideto Matsumoto, 33, who was lead guitarist for the popular but
now-defunct
rock band X Japan, hanged himself in his Tokyo apartment on Saturday.
The group, which broke up after a final concert on New Year's Eve, was
known for its wild hair, heavy makeup and dedication to social causes.
Some of the mourners had their hair dyed blue, orange, yellow or green.
Many were clutching bouquets of white flowers or Buddhist rosary beads
and dressed in black, while others sobbed into handkerchiefs.
Helicopters buzzed over Honganji Temple, where services were held. TV
networks
went live as ambulances carted away dozens of people overcome by emotion
and the 82-degree heat.
Matsumoto had a solo tour planned for the summer.
"I can't believe he's dead," said Mayumi Meguro, a 21-year-old part-time
worker who took today off for the services.
The crowd, estimated at between 20,000 and 50,000 people, stretched
almost
a mile along the streets under a blazing sun. Some had camped out in
front
of the temple gates for several days.
Alarmed by the response, Matsumoto's old band mates have urged mourning
fans to stay calm.
They have reason to be fearful.
A 14-year-old girl was declared dead today after hanging herself Monday
night at her home in Tokyo using a towel tied around her neck, the same
method Matsumoto used.
Another girl jumped from a bridge Monday night but survived, and
yesterday
a 19-year-old woman who attended the wake was taken to the emergency room
after she cut her wrist with a paper knife.
If precedent holds, more attempts could follow.
Matsumoto's death was only the latest in a series of high-profile
suicides
that have dominated Japanese headlines in recent weeks - chiefly of
businessmen
and bureaucrats linked to a government scandal.
A rash of suicides followed the death of singer Yutaka Ozaki in 1992, and
some parents standing in line with their children for today's service
said
they were apprehensive.
"I am here to make sure my daughter comes home afterward," said Kazuko
Ishiwata. "I am worried about her, even though she has said she wouldn't
do anything like that."
JAPANESE STAR'S DEATH UPSETS FANS
[FINAL Edition]
Seattle Times
Seattle, Wash.
May 7, 1998
'And jumping into the No. 1 spot this week,'' announced Hiroshi Morita
from the studios of NHK radio here last week, ''is 'Pink Spider' by Hide.
As you may already know, Hide is the former guitarist of the group X
Japan
who shocked his fans by committing suicide recently.''
At newsstands, Hide's face graces the cover of almost every music
magazine;
in shopping districts, outfits like his sell for several hundred dollars;
on television, his videos are repeated as often as commercials, and in
record stores his singles are everywhere. Below ''Pink Spider'' in the
Japanese Top 10 was a previous Hide single, ''Rocket Dive,'' and this
week
''Pink Spider'' was knocked out of the No. 1 slot by another single,
''Stay
Free,'' also by Hide.
Hide (pronounced Hee-DAY) was the intensely charismatic guitarist in X
Japan, one of the country's first and most successful independent-label
rock acts (though the band later signed with a major label) and the first
Japanese rock band to sell out the 50,000-seat Tokyo Dome. Since it
formed
in the mid-1980's, X Japan went from playing loud, fast thrash-metal to
stadium-shaking pop ballads, in the process pioneering its own genre, a
Japanese equivalent of glam rock known as ''visual kei.'' :
Print Media Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
New York
Jun 18, 1998
Thousands of weeping youngsters, many with their hair dyed pink like
their
idol's, swarmed to a Tokyo Buddhist temple Thursday to mourn a rock star
who committed suicide. One distraught fan killed herself and at least two
others tried to.
Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto was the lead guitarist for X-Japan, one of
Japan's
most popular rock bands. He hanged himself Saturday with a towel hooked
to a doorknob.
Suicide can be considered honorable in Japan, but Matsumoto left no clue
as to why he killed himself. His group disbanded last September, but
Matsumoto,
33, had embarked on a fairly successful solo career.
"I can't believe he's dead," said Mayumi Meguro, 21, a part-time worker
who took the day off for the service. She stood in line with throngs of
teens and young people, many in black.
Some screamed "Hide" in shrill, frantic voices when his body left the
temple
in a hearse. Others collapsed on the street and sobbed. Police
helicopters
buzzed above as some 50,000 people gathered at Tsukiji Honganji temple.
By late Thursday, some 170 people were treated at an emergency aid
station
set up at the temple, while 50 were rushed to a hospital, overcome by
emotion
and the 82-degree heat, the fire department said.
"Good-bye, Hide," said a headline in the national newspaper Mainichi.
High-profile suicides have dominated headlines in Japan recently, mostly
by businessmen and bureaucrats linked to a government scandal or
financial
difficulties.
The Japanese media usually take a sympathetic view of suicides. They
include
reports on the deaths of company executives as well as teen-agers who
kill
themselves after being bullied by peers or failing college entrance
exams.
Matsumoto's former band mates urged calm.
A 14-year-old girl died Thursday after hanging herself Monday night at
her Tokyo home using a towel.
Another girl jumped from a bridge Monday but survived. On Wednesday, a
19-year-old woman who attended the wake was taken to the emergency room
after she cut her wrist with a paper knife.
Such suicides are not uncommon. Nearly 40 Japanese youngsters committed
suicide in 1986 after an 18-year-old popular singer jumped to her death
from a Tokyo office building.
Standing in line with her daughter for the rocker's funeral, Kazuko
Ishiwata
said she was apprehensive.
"I am here to make sure my daughter comes home," she said.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission
JAPANESE ROCKER'S DEATH BRINGS FEAR OF FAN SUICIDES
[THIRD Edition]
Times - Picayune
New Orleans, La.
May 8, 1998
TOKYO - Thousands of weeping youngsters, many with their hair dyed pink
like their idol's, swarmed to a Tokyo Buddhist temple on Thursday to
mourn
a rock star who committed suicide. One distraught fan killed herself and
at least two others tried to.
Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto, was the lead guitarist for X-Japan, one of
Japan's
most popular rock bands. He hanged himself Saturday with a towel hooked
to a doorknob.
Suicide can be considered honorable in Japan, but Matsumoto left no clue
as to why he killed himself. His group disbanded last September, but
Matsumoto,
33, had already embarked on a fairly successful solo career.
"I can't believe he's dead," said Mayumi Meguro, a 21-year-old part-time
worker who took the day off for the service. She stood in line with
throngs
of teens and young people - many in black.
Some screamed, "Hide," in shrill, frantic voices when his body left
Tsukiji
Honganji temple in a hearse. Others collapsed on the street and sobbed.
Police helicopters buzzed above as some 50,000 people gathered at the
temple.
By late Thursday, some 170 people were treated at an emergency aid
station
set up at the temple, while 50 were rushed to a hospital, overcome by
emotion
and the 82-degree heat, the fire department said.
"Good-bye, Hide," said a headline in the national newspaper Mainichi.
High-profile suicides have dominated headlines in Japan recently -
businessmen
and bureaucrats linked to a government scandal or financial difficulties.
The Japanese media usually take a sympathetic view on suicides. They
include
reports on the deaths of company executives as well as teen-agers who
kill
themselves after being bullied by peers or failing college entrance
exams.
Matsumoto's former band mates urged calm.
A 14-year-old girl was pronounced dead Thursday after hanging herself
Monday
night at her Tokyo home using a towel.
Another girl jumped from a bridge Monday but survived. On Wednesday, a
19-year-old woman who attended the wake was taken to the emergency room
after she cut her wrist with a paper knife.
Such suicides and suicide attempts are not uncommon. Nearly 40 Japanese
youngsters committed suicide in 1986 after an 18-year-old popular singer
jumped to her death from a Tokyo office building.
Standing in line with her daughter for the rocker's funeral, Kazuko
Ishiwata
acknowledged she was apprehensive.
"I am here to make sure my daughter comes home," she said.
Photos: 1. A fan of popular rocker Hideto "Hide" Matsumoto yells out his
name as others cry after seeing his hearse drive past in Tokyo on
Thursday;
2. An altar to Matsumoto includes his portrati and electric guitars in
the Tsukiji Honganji temple
Thousands in Japan mourn rock star /Guitarist's hanging death inspires
suicide, two attempts by fans
[3 STAR Edition]
Houston Chronicle
Houston, Tex.
May 8, 1998
