July 12, 1966 – July 17, 2011

Taiji Sawada was the bassist for X from 1986 till 1992. Originally a guitarist, Taiji switched to playing bass in 1982. He was known for his diverse and technical playing styles (picking, tapping, slapping, etc.), though he occasionally played guitar during live performances (eg. "20th Century Boy", "Voiceless Screaming"). He was replaced by after leaving the band in January 1992.