Taiji Dead at 45

Former X Japan and Loudness bass player Taiji Sawada passed away at age 45 on Saturday, July 17. Reportedly, Taiji was involved in an “incident” involving a female passenger and a female flight attendant during an air flight from Japan to Saipan. Taiji was arrested upon arriving in Saipan. After several days in jail, Taiji attempted to commit suicide on the evening of July 15. After being pronounced brain-dead at the Commonwealth Health Center, his family requested that he be removed from life-support.

If, as news seems to suggest, Taiji hanged himself in jail, he would be the second X Japan member to commit suicide by hanging following Hideto “Hide” Matsumoto’s death on May 2, 1998.

Source: Anime News Network & Tokyograph