History Music / TaijiSawada

* DrivenToSuicide: Unfortunately, the latest attempt was successful... unless NeverSuicide below applies.

* NeverSuicide: There's a ConspiracyTheory that Taiji was murdered - which has enough credibility, as of 2013, to have led to at least one Japanese government official seeking to petition the US to reopen an investigation into his death.

Unfortunately, he allegedly became belligerent while being imprisoned after an incident a flight to Saipan, and [[NeverSuicide allegedly]] [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] July 17, 2011. He is the second member of the original XJapan and the third formation of {{Loudness}} each to die.

* IntoxicationEnsues: There's a video of (one of) X's first TV appearances that can be found on Youtube if you know where to look, that features Taiji starting with IntoxicationEnsues and just getting [[ItGetsBetter better]] / worse from there.

* NeverSuicide: There's a ConspiracyTheory that Taiji was murdered.

* BadassBiker: He liked biker fashion and used to ride motorcycles unless he was too unhealthy to do so - and definitely met the "badass" criteria as well.

* IntoxicationEnsues: There's a video of (one of) X's first TV appearances that can be found on Youtube if you know where to look, that features Taiji starting with IntoxicationEnsues and just getting [[ItGetsBetter better]] / [[ItGotWorse worse]] from there.

Taiji Sawada (known by his given name/stage name Taiji) was a Japanese rock musician who plays bass guitar and guitar, as well as a prolific songwriter. Having been in a number of famous Japanese rock and metal bands, he is best known for his work with XJapan and with {{Loudness}}. While in XJapan, he co-wrote several songs, developed Toshi's "french fries" mohawk hair style, and heavily contributed otherwise toward the band's musical skill and lyrical and stylistic focus.

He left XJapan in 1992 due to musical differences and a fight with Yoshiki, and proceeded to play with {{Loudness}}, leave Loudness to form his own off-and-on band D.T.R., and experienced a major CreatorBreakdown due to a variety of issues he'd struggled with throughout his life. He slowly returned from his CreatorBreakdown to play with the now-dissolved D.T.R., Otokaze, Kings, and most recently with The Killing Red Addiction and TAIJI WITH HEAVEN'S.

Taiji had been considered in some circles to be among the world's top rock bass players. Especially skilled at slapping and tapping, Taiji was once credited with teaching the late XJapan and solo guitarist [[HidetoMatsumoto hide]] his own guitar tapping technique back when they played together.

As of 2009, he dissolved D.T.R., firing all but one of his bandmates claiming a copyright issue, and claiming that he was going to reform D.T.R. as Death To Rive. He played with The Killing Red Addiction (members Dynamite Tommy [v], Kenzi [d], Taiji [b], Tatsu [g]), played with his solo act "TAIJI WITH HEAVEN'S," which became Taiji Sawada Project then Taiji and Shu Project (TSP) (members Taiji [b], Shu [g], Takanari [d]) and as a session musician with other bands including a return to {{Loudness}} for the Munetaka Higuchi memorial shows in 2009 and 2010.

As of July 2010, Taiji rejoined XJapan as a bassist, has played on stage at the Yokohama Nissan Stadium reunion live, though he did not join XJapan for the North American tour. He had also been a model and jewelry designer for Arizona Freedom, a Japanese rock couture house, and also played with Loudness at the 2009 and 2010 memorial concerts for Munetaka Higuchi. He had planned for a return to the rock scene with Taiji and Shu Project...

Unfortunately, he allegedly became belligerent while being imprisoned after an incident a flight to Saipan, and [[NeverSuicide allegedly]] [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in July 17, 2011. He is the second member of the original XJapan and the third formation of {{Loudness}} each to die.

* BadassBiker

* BlackWidow: '''KITAMI TERUMI'''. She bankrupted him again, indebted him to her, and then left him to die in Saipan... and that is the most charitable view of her actions. Then she sued the journalist who uncovered it.

* PrecisionFStrike: The lyrics to "Desperate Angel."

* SmokingIsCool: Somewhat averted with his health problems, though not much of an aversion (if only that his health problems seemed to originate more from his other substance abuse issues and from poverty...)

* {{Tragedy}}

* {{Yakuza}}: There were and are persistent rumors of his membership, though that may just be due to Japan's anti-tattoo cultural bias.

Unfortunately, he allegedly became belligerent while being imprisoned after an incident a flight to Saipan, and [[DrivenToSuicide committed suicide]] in July 17, 2011. He is the second member of the original XJapan and the third formation of {{Loudness}} each to die.

* HesBack: Sadly, it was TooGoodToLast. :(

* ClusterFBomb: Another walking one.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: His bass solos. If you think bassists only exist to enhance the drummer and there's no way a ''bass'' solo could be impressive in any way, go to Youtube right now and type in "Taiji bass solo."

* DrivenToSuicide: Unfortunately, the latest one was successful...

* EverybodyMustGetStoned

* HotBlooded: Very much so. He tended to be aggressive and seek out fights in his days with X, and this only got worse after he left the band, eventually leading to his facial wounds.
* InJoke: "Maybe he was just powdering his nose."

* JapaneseDelinquents: Taiji was a high school dropout and one of these before he became a professional musician.

* MatterOfLifeAndDeath

* NeverSuicide: There's a ConspiracyTheory that Taiji's death was actually murder.

* PersonaNonGrata: Along with Yoshiki and hide, one reason X tended to invoke this trope.
** After 1992 until 1998, became this to Yoshiki. Eventually he and Yoshiki would reconcile.

* SanitySlippage: 1994 to 1998. His work with Loudness over and no more work coming his way, his addictions and mental problems piling up, culminating in his divorce from the wife who was providing for him while jobless, he became a homeless mentally ill addict until hide's funeral, which was his motivation to try to pull himself together again...

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Taiji is almost the perfect example of how SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll can destroy someone.

* SurvivorGuilt: Taiji was hit especially hard by the death of [[HidetoMatsumoto hide]] who was one of his closest friends. He also played in {{Loudness}} and was a friend of late drummer, Higuchi Munetaka, who died of cancer November 30, 2008.

Unfortunately, he allegedly became belligerent while being imprisoned after an incident a flight to Saipan, and died July 17, 2011. He is the second member of the original XJapan and the third formation of {{Loudness}} each to die.

* DirtyCop: Some possibly helped cover up the true nature of the circumstances of his death...

* DrivenToSuicide: Unfortunately, according to official statements, the latest one was successful... unless he wasn't trying for it this time.

* PoliceBrutality: Another potential cause of his death, with some arguable support for the theory.

** [[{{Irony}} One of the songs]] [[FunnyAneurysmMoment he wrote for]] {{Loudness}} was called BlackWidow and was ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lyrically.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Much of his fandom was female, he had a way of attracting groupies despite neither being the most [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment beautiful]] or [[YoshikiHayashi rich]] old-scene rocker, and he was the first out of both XJapan and {{Loudness}} to marry and have a child, although he was also the first to get divorced.

* TheAlcoholic: Taiji had to seek treatment for alcohol abuse, his marriage ended partly because of his love affair with alcohol and with other [[IntoxicationEnsues far less legal substances]], and many things from his tendency to get into fights for very little provocation to his impoverishment and homelessness could be attributed to alcoholism at least in part.

* FemaleGaze AND MaleGaze: Taiji was [[BiggerIsBetterInBed very well endowed.]] [[http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4747/ild4pu.jpg Proof here in an almost memetic pic from his X days]]

* HellBentForLeather
* HesBack. Sadly, it was TooGoodToLast. :(

** FUCK THE SYSTEM!
* IntercourseWithYou: Averted in the lyrics for "So What" by D.T.R. ''Lick... my thing Suck... my thing Won't you try my thing... yeah Won't you taste my thing... yeah Won't you move my thing... yeah Won't you lick my thing Do me babe!!''..... but it's actually a very cynical, disgusted snark on groupies and easy sex (and the gossip community that tends to surround it all), not a ShoutOut for them. See [[http://www.lyricstime.com/dirty-trashroad-so-what-lyrics.html here.]]

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Taiji is almost the perfect example of how SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll can really fuck up a rocker's life. :(
* SmokingIsCool: Somewhat averted with his health problems, though not much of an aversion (if only that his health problems seemed to originate more from his other substance abuse issues and poverty...)

* NeverSuicide: There's a ConspiracyTheory (who looks like bad fanfic) that Taiji's death was actually murder.

* NeverSuicide: There's a ConspiracyTheory (with some arguable validity) that Taiji's death was actually murder.

* ArtisticStimulation: Taiji was a heavy user of alcohol, weed, and stimulants.

* JerkAss
** JerkassWoobie

* MoneyDearBoy: Some of his fans think this is why he rejoined XJapan.

* SmokingIsCool: Somewhat averted with his health problems, though not much of an aversion (if only that his health problems seemed to originate more from his other substance abuse issues...)

* BlackWidow: [b]KITAMI TERUMI[/b]. She bankrupted him again, indebted him to her, and then left him to die in Saipan... and that is the most charitable view of her actions. Then she sued the journalist who uncovered it.

As of 2009, he dissolved D.T.R., firing all but one of his bandmates claiming a copyright issue, and claiming that he was going to reform D.T.R. as Death To Rive. He played with The Killing Red Addiction (members Dynamite Tommy [v], Kenzi [d], Taiji [b], Tatsu [g]), played with his solo act "TAIJI WITH HEAVEN'S,"(members Taiji [b], Shu [g], Takanari [d]) and as a session musician with other bands including a return to {{Loudness}} for the Munetaka Higuchi memorial shows in 2009 and 2010.

As of July 2010, Taiji rejoined XJapan as a bassist, has played on stage at the Yokohama Nissan Stadium reunion live, though he did not join XJapan for the North American tour. He had also been a model and jewelry designer for Arizona Freedom, a Japanese rock couture house, and also played with Loudness at the 2009 and 2010 memorial concerts for Munetaka Higuchi.

* AudienceParticipationSong: Pretty much any song, he tends to interact with the audience a fair amount.

* BarBrawl: A common reason for the above.

* {{Yakuza}}: There are persistent rumors of his membership, though that may just be due to Japan's anti-tattoo preference in general.

* TrueArtIsOffensive