SHOCKING NEWS!

hide-san shinda!!

On May 2, 1998 X Japan's guitarist Hideto Matsumoto commited suicide in his mansion. He apparently went home around 6:30 a.m that day, and was supposed to be sleeping. Then a family member or roomate or sister found him on his door knob around 7:30 a.m. hide-san hung himself with a towel wrapped around his neck and tied it around the door knob. He was found wearing his t-shirt and shorts, what he usually wears to bed. Investigators have not yet found a note and found out that he was drunk at the time. The funeral for hide-san will be on 1998 May 7.

Here's the article from "The Japanese Sun", translated by Thomas, I got the J-Rock Mailing List. I will have pics scanned from the newspaper and stuff.

X-Japan hide - Mysterious self-hanging Suicide
1998 May 4 -- Japanese Daily Sun (Nikkan Sun)

hide commits suicide by hanging! On May 2, at approximately 7 a.m., former guitarist of the now disbanded X-Japan hide (age 33, real name Matsumoto Hideto) committed suicide by hanging by the neck. No suicide note was found. hide had recently returned to Japan from a trip to L.A. last month, to begin promotional work for his next single. He was energetically working before this mysterious suicide occured.

It was a sudden suicide when caused many people to wonder "Why?"

According to the police, hide was dropped off at his Tokyo Minami-Azabu (Noah's Ark) mansion by this younger brother (age 30) at approximately 6:30 a.m., drunk when arriving home, it was thought he went to sleep. At about 7:30 a.m., a woman living in the apartment with hide, worried, went to check on him when she discovered him uncouscious, hanging by the neck on his bedroom door. She immediately dialed 119 (911 in Japan) and he was taken to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead at 8:52 a.m.

At the time of death, hide was wearing a running shirt and trunks. The towel used in the suicide was ripped in half lengthwise with the top and the bottom ends tied together hooked onto the bedroom door. He body was found in a sitting position hanging from the the towel around his neck. The woman who discovered him and her friend were in another room. There was no suicide note. The body was claimed by later in the day by his younger brother and parents.

hide was planning to release "Pink Spider" on the 13th and "EVER FREE" on the 27 of this month. For promotional work, he had returned from L.A. just last month on the 27th. On May 1st, he taped a segment for the Fuji TV Music Program "Rocket Punch!" (Monday nights at 11 p.m. - scheduled to air on the 11th). This was his last work.

After he participated in X-Japan's last concert at Tokyo Dome last year and the Kohaku Uta Gassen, his solo project "hide with Spread Beaver" had a great start with the single "Rocket Dive" which debut at Number 4 on the Oricon music charts. His album which was scheduled for release in June was delayed until September, and he was planning a national tour during the summer, his musical career was looking good.

Also, his radio program "hide no All Night Nippon-R" began on April 10 was still being broadcast. Until now, his broadcasts were taped in Los Angeles. His next broadcast was to take place in-studio. The director of the show said "There was no indication about this happening. It's quite a shock."

Everything was looking good for hide. His production office said "His work is doing well. I can't think of anything that would cause him to kill himself." He may have a problem that he couldn't discuss with anyone, possibly dealing with work, or maybe problems with women. We can only wonder what happened in that hour between the time he came home and when he killed himself.

Yoshiki Interview
This is Yoshiki's message when his interview was held at Tsukiji-Honganji at 6:00pm on May 4th (japan time). I recieved this from the J-Rock Mailing List given by Yoko.

"Now, I'm very shocked because I heard his sudden death. I still cannot believe it. He is sleeping with a very beautiful face. I tried to wake him up again and again, though he is still sleeping. hide was the calmest person in our band. It was also hide who always gave calm and accurate advice to me, Who were short-tempered and acted impulsely, even though I was a leader. Of course, he sometimes lost his way when he was in various pressure. However, he always called me in such a case. We talked everything; such as about our band, music, friends, life, fans. Sometimes, he was like my elder brother, and sometimes, like a younger brother. Sometimes, we drank and fought, but he always said, like, "Yoshiki, what did I do yesterday? Sorry, I don't remember anything." the next day. However, he went to sleep without saying anyting. All his fans, and all his friends, I think everyone is confusing now. I myself cannot express how sad I am, but we have to accept the fact firmly because we cannot change anything.Now, everyone, including his parents, is tring to get over this tragidy. We, X-JAPAN are also tring to do so. So, please, all his fan, do so (he means "NEVER follw him, and stay calm"). Please see off hide, who always encoruraged and supported us, in wonderful way by our hand. Please see him off to the heaven warmly."

~X JAPAN leader, YOSHIKI

This is also from the J-Rock Mailing List given by Em
Japanese Fans Mourn Rocker's Death
By CHISAKI WATANABE
- The Associated Press
TOKYO (May 7) - Tens of thousands of young fans shut down central Tokyo today in an extraordinary outpouring of grief for a rock guitarist who hanged himself. One fan followed him in suicide, and two tried.

Helicopters buzzed over the Buddhist temple where as many as 50,000 lined up outside services for Hideto ''Hide'' Matsumoto. TV networks went live as ambulances carted away dozens overcome by emotion and the 82-degree heat.

Matsumoto killed himself on Saturday, leaving nothing to explain why. His group - X-Japan, one of Japan's most popular - broke up in September; 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.

She stood in line with throngs of people in their teens and 20s, many in black, many with the brightly dyed hair that was a trademark of X-Japan. They waited to sign their names and leave flowers.

Initially unprepared for the turnout, workers at Honganji Temple set up a first-aid room after about 12,000 fans visited the temple for Matsumoto's wake Wednesday. By late today, 26 people had been hospitalized.

Police sent helicopers, boats and about 100 officers to the temple. Another 170 private security guards were deployed to keep the fans from disrupting traffic.

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 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.

A monk at the temple, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the cuts were superficial.

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.''

Such shocking news this brings us. We have lost a legend in the world of Visual/J-Rock. Everyone always thought that because YOSHIKI was the one always talking about suicide that he would be the one to do this. But a lot of people must realize, the most quiet or the most likely not to do this are the one's to do this. They never show signs of this. Usually the one's to talk about it have at least attemptedit once or twice but haven't succeded. The one's mostly likely to act on it are the one's who don't say anything. Even though hide-san was most successfull after the disbandment of X Japan, he was unhappy, I should think and had too many problems he could not handle or know how to express. Most times these kind of things lead to suicide, because they feel it's the only solution. Now, he was drunk at the time, and alcoholism is something that leads to it too. I'm not an expert on this subject nor trying to be. But, I have lost my friend to suicide when I was 13, he shot himself in the head with a shotgun, just a month after my best friend in the whole entire world was murdered. So, I know how it feels to lose loved one's that your so closed to. I used to have a tendency to play with knives..... because of all the problems I had with my dad and him remarring. Maybe hide-san didn't want to die, maybe it was just an accident when he was drunk, this is what I heard from a collegue, and I think this is a really good reason too. So maybe it was an accident or not. I'm just saying that everyone has problems and ending or thinking of ending your life seems to be the solution to them. So whoever out there seems mad at hide-san please don't be, it was time GOD decided to take him away, and this was his way of taking him from us. I'm not happy that he did it...but I hope he enjoyed his life to the fullest, without any regrets. I looked up to him beside YOSHIKI and I will miss him dearly.....

I am sorry if some of you don't like what I said above. I don't want anyone to think I was analyzing hide-san but some people have asked questions like "why?". I jsut thought this might help even just a little bit to those who wonder why hide-san would do such a terrible thing.

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