When autumn 1976 came, the family's life seemingly came back to normal. Mother, stunned with father's death, did not come out of the house at first, but after a while she opened the store again and began to work as if nothing had happened.
Yoshiki, as usual, went to school, attended extra classes and went on to play the trumpet in a music club. Returning home, he loved listening to records, or went play with friends, just like before.
But deep in his heart an unquenchable pain remained. Behind the habitus of the usual primary school pupil the wisdom of an adult who knew that human life can be extinguished in an instant, like a flame of a match, was hidden. Yoshiki pretended to be calm, feeling the pain much stronger than during asthma attacks. He became so deeply familiar with the pain that sometimes just did not pay attention to it, and only a dim shadow ran over the boy's face.
The family could not recover from the wounds inflicted by father's death; they never spoke about it at home. Both mother and children knew that if they'd start talking about father, the inexpressible grief, hidden in the heart, gush out, leaving a gaping wound. Mother for children, children for the sake of their mother, worrying about each other, tightly sealed in their souls the memory of father gone so suddenly. And hanging on the walls father's katana had been removed by mother out of sight.
Mother being busy in the shop and with household chores from morning till evening, still talked to children the same tenderly. Deciding to continue to work for the sake of children, she clearly knew that she had no one to rely on. But she was also incited to action by the sense of guilt towards her sons. Each time, looking at the children, she felt remorse. After all, she chose her husband who took his own life and left the family without performing his duty of the father to protect his sons until they grew up. And now she should stand for both parents. Whatever happens, the future of children should have a solid economic footing. Mother thought that it was her primary duty. She worked tirelessly, sometimes not having enough time for sleep. But just as father had done earlier in the days when the store was closed, she went for a walk with the children. Now I need to live only for the sake of Yoshiki and Koki. The more she thought about it the more she tried to look cheerful.
Walking with their mother in the parks and shops, brothers seemed serene and contented. However, visiting public places, they often met fathers with their children. Of course, brothers did not say anything out loud, but other families once again served as a reminder of the recent loss, and they were worried whether their mother felt herself lonely.
However, mother, whose grief was even stronger from self-accusation, never showed her feelings to children, always demonstrating just friendliness and a smile.
Yoshiki could understand mother's pain. Of course, it was hard to live in the house where they had lived together. Love for father and loneliness stayed in Yoshiki's heart. However, outwardly, he never showed any drop of sadness and loneliness and behaved as though they had always lived only three of them.
Even in front of the close friends Yoshiki never showed loneliness. He was glad when he went to fish and swim in the sea with friends, when he played the piano or trumpet, or when he listened to classical music.
Among his classmates Yoshiki was an individualist. Most of the guys admired baseball professionals, heroes of anime, enthusiastically collected cards and photos. Yoshiki was absolutely not interested in such topics. At home he listened to the works of classical composers, and looking at the score, memorized notes by heart. He paid no attention to his classmates talk about popular songs. Beautiful melodies of classical music sang in his heart.
However, prior to the eleventh birthday Yoshiki's interests had changed completely. At the music shop he came across the disc with a bright cover.
"Wow, what kind of people .."
Name of the group, whose record he held in his hands, was Kiss.
Four men in black clothes and unusual black and white makeup on their faces.
Attracted by the bright appearance, Yoshiki out of curiosity bought the disc and hurried home to listen to it.
The loud sound of guitars and drums filled the room of Yoshiki. Music pulsated like a beating of the huge waves. Yoshiki added volume. Barely breathing, he listened to stunning in their strength songs in English, and felt the heat covers the entire body. At this point, he realized that in addition to the classics, there was other music, capable of capturing his heart. The next day he went on listening to Kiss records, without being distracted on anything else. And although he had not had to deal with this musical genre before, eleven-year old boy immediately became a prisoner of rock music.
In 1973, after the All-American debut, Kiss began a world tour. They appeared on stage in make-up, similar to the coloring of American comedians, catchy costumes of black leather with collars and rivets. Powerful sound, called heavy rock, found a warm response with the audience.
And while Yoshiki knew nothing about their work, only listened to the music, he did not need any explanation. As soon as the extraordinary music started to sound it penetrated to the very depths of the soul. Yoshiki wanted to get acquainted with it as close as possible.
And filled with impatience, he opened the door with his hand, which led to the unknown world of rock music.
Fascinated by music of Kiss, Yoshiki asked his mother:
"This year I would like a drum kit as a present."
Yoshiki impulsively wanted to play drums. He felt it as a special instrument, without rhythm of which rock music itself was not possible.
Mother, without asking the reasons listened to her son's request and got a gift in the same record store, continuing the tradition of giving her son musical instruments for his birthday, as it used to be when his father was alive.
Drum kit, which Yoshiki received, was simple: snare and bass drum, two tom-tom, one floor drum and two cymbals. As soon as it was lifted on the second floor of the house, Yoshiki started training. He began to learn on his own, finishing with learning basic techniques by teach- yourself book bought in the store, and then listening to the recording and remembering the play of drums. Knowing how to read music and count the rhythm, Yoshiki quickly mastered the basics of technique.
Finding his style of footwork and techniques of the drum sticks from the main 3-bit, 4-bit, 16 bit play he then gradually moved to more complex rhythms of 3\4,6\8 and others.
All his spare time, Yoshiki now spent playing the drums. Having bought the album of Kiss, he began to learn the drums for all songs.
He played until he was covered with sweat and knocked out the breath. He did not think what customers that came into the store on the first floor could say. However, due to respiratory loads returned the threat of asthma attacks which seemed to be healed completely. But Yoshiki enthusiastically continued to exercise, assuming that because of the enhanced training his health might become stronger.
In March 1977 during spring break before the sixth grade Yoshiki accidentally opened a newspaper and saw a large advertising of the concert, which informed about the arrival of Kiss in Japan. Yoshiki could not hide his excitement.
"Kiss comes to Japan!"
Mother immediately felt a great desire of her son, and promised right away to go to a concert which would be held at Budokan, together. She called the telephone number in the advertisement to book tickets at once, but they all had been sold out. The only possibility remained was to buy tickets right before the concert.
And in April 1977 on the day of the concert mother along with Yoshiki and Koki early in the morning left the house in Tateyama and went to Kudanshita, where Budokan was, to purchase tickets in time. On the way there mother bought three boxes of sushi to eat during the concert.
On arrival at Budokan, they saw the queue for tickets and all three of them joined it at once. Kiss fans that came to the concert, looked with surprise at the woman in kimono, standing in the queue along with her two sons 11 and 6 years old.
Finally, they bought tickets and entered the hall. Of course, places at the top on the second floor were not exactly good, but Yoshiki was very glad that they managed to get inside.
Mother, looking at the noisy crowd of young people, filled the hall, said:
"Yoshiki, and what will begin now?"
Of course, she had no idea who Kiss was.
"Mom, now the show of the rock group Kiss will begin. They came to Japan for the first time. I've told you. "
Mother, not understanding anything clearly, only hugged her younger son stronger. They were on their way for quite a long time, but Koki, though tired and sleepy, did not complain.
Before the concert Yoshiki looked over noisy hall and the stage and could not wait when finally, he would be able to see Kiss. Feelings, unknown before, overwhelmed him.
Finally, the hall was plunged into darkness, and figures of the artists appeared on the scene. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss - four musicians appeared on stage and big inscription flared behind them: "Kiss." Powerful sound filled Budokan, and long-awaited concert began.
Like in the photograph, all four were dressed in black clothing with rivets and collars, faces were painted black and white. Wearing huge boots, they looked like aliens. All of their movements on stage were accompanied by loud cheers of the audience that just shook the hall.
Furious sound captured Yoshiki, hard rhythm pulsing throughout the body, a high male voice, seemed to reach every cell.
Along with the audience, Yoshiki moved in rhythm with the music, shouting and raising his fist.
When the show reached its climax, the stage exploded with fireworks. Shrilly sound scared Koki, and he began to cry. Laughing, mother said to Yoshiki:
"Wow, where did you bring your mother!"
Of course, mother could not stay until the end of the concert. Along with still crying Koki they somehow managed to eat sushi and waited until Yoshiki had watched the concert to the end.
And when they returned home after the concert echoes of rhythm still pulsated in Yoshiki's body. Bright lights flashed before his eyes, and the music of Kiss still sounded in his head. And Yoshiki said in his mind:
"I decided. I should be a rock star. "
And although his love for classical music and piano playing had not disappeared, but surprisingly bright life of a rock star appeared before his eyes, having changed his ideas about the future in a moment.
After spring break Yoshiki passed on to the sixth grade. Everything around him was filled with things related to rock music. Of course, he listened to recordings and radio, besides collecting music magazines and catalogues of musical instruments. If previously he was mainly talked about classical music, now he could talk endlessly about Kiss and their music, not choosing the speaker. What a wonderful group they were, what a great sound they had - he could talk about this for hours and just put down his friends.
"I really like Kiss. There is no such another group. "
Of course, friends had no idea neither of Kiss, nor their music, so they could only occasionally nod Yoshiki.
However, there was a man among school students who listened to these conversations with unflagging attention. It was Toshimitsu Deyama.
"Ah, Yoshiki is just like me. I love Kiss as well. "
Toshimitsu too was carried away by this group, and had been looking for friends with whom he could talk about Kiss. It turned out that in elementary school only two of them were addicted to rock music and Kiss. Their classes were nearby, so they often met to discuss Kiss and their music. They shared with each other that Yoshiki played drums, and Toshimitsu - the guitar.
"Someday we will create a group together" - they spoke to each other.
Gradually, they became close friends and spent much time together.
At this time, Yoshiki, not stopping lessons on trumpet in a music club, resumed lessons on the piano interrupted some time ago. Returning from school, he always practiced the piano and drums, listening to classical music and Kiss in turn.
In the remaining time he barely managed to do his homework and additional classes at school. However, he began to implement the idea of creating a rock band. He invited three close friends to start a band. These were his peers, who lived nearby, but the first who found out about this was, of course, Toshimitsu. He immediately accepted the invitation with pleasure. Another two had agreed to play guitar and bass, and it was possible to start rehearsals.
Yoshiki, appointed himself a leader, called the group Dynamite, to reflect a huge impression of rock music on him. He took on the duties of a drummer and vocalist, Toshimitsu and one more friend were guitarists and another member - the bass player.
First of all Dynamite became to learn the music of Kiss. Yoshiki remembered not only the drums play, but the English texts and pronunciation. He put his telescope instead of a microphone in his room, playing drums, and tried to sing. Yoshiki's voice was high-pitched, like a girl's, and it lacked strength, so what he resulted with was not much like Kiss. However, in order that the group existed, there was no way to feel shy.
Appeared in Tateyama , the rock band of elementary school pupils rehearsed in the studio, which was leased from the nearest music store for 300 yen per hour. Due to the lack of skills and experience they had to spend a lot of time to rehearse one song. Yoshiki, looking at the sheet music, drummed, Toshimitsu and two other band members looked at the chords and played guitars. Although it was moving slowly, but after a few months of rehearsals their repertoire consisted of several songs.
In November 1977, before the twelfth birthday, Yoshiki got a new musical instrument. At his request, his mother bought him a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar for 40,000 yen. Launched in 1954, it was specially designed Clarence Leonidas Fender, which had become popular among guitarists all over the world, especially after Jimi Hendrix played it.
Continuing to practice drums, Yoshiki started to play guitar. Here, however, he failed to make significant progress, especially compared to the piano and drums. To press the strings with his left hand, while making small movements with the right one - all that did not match the character of Yoshiki. He was much more in harmony with drums, where the rhythm was created with the whole body. Thinking so, Yoshiki decided to completely leave guitar playing to other group members. And guitar, which he touched no longer, was gathering dust in the corner.
By the end of elementary school Yoshiki had been up to his neck in a rock band. Asthma symptoms had been practically ceased by this time. His physical condition continued to improve. And although with the height of 140 cm, he remained the shortest in the class, he felt his overwhelming force with every cell of the body. He realized that the vibrant energy inside was searching for a way out.
"Now-it's only rock music."
Fascination with rock music, the creation of his band gave a 12-year old Yoshiki adult face expression.
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