Looking at it from a perspective of intellectual history and philosophy, my favourite fields, I would say that generally, a sceptical gloom strongly pervades the West, especially America and anglo-american culture (meaning US and UK and countries that closely emulate, such as Finland :roll: ), as to how "genuine" can an artist be in her performance. We've been so much marinated in commerciality, entertainment, false idols and downright dishonesty just to gain that many extra bucks that it is difficult to conceive of anyone "in the business" doing something "straight from the heart" any longer. Time and again has there been calculation just to maximise the profit and monopolise on people's popularity.
However, I think the Japanese culture is somewhat (refreshingly) different in this aspect. My knowledge of it is somewhat limited, but I think Martin Heidegger, for one, has pointed out that the Japanese do not think like (especially) the anglo-americans. I think one arena where this manifests itself is in calculability on the one hand, rationality on the other.
Yoshiki's performance does not seem down-to-earth and "controlled" in the least. On the contrary, there seems something innocent, chaotic and naive about it that can very rarely be found within angloamerican society. Indeed, innocent, child-like acting and thinking is often hailed as foolish and stupid: in a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin, there's a very naive female character with her head in the clouds. She gets loads of sh*t for this world-view from the readers, with only scattered sympathisers here and there.
In reality, what most people don't realise is that this mechanist-rational austere culture has certainly not been with us since forever: it only "won" in England and America after Darwin and rage for technocracy since late-19th century.
Since then, many thinkers, especially in Germany and France, have re-called the culture of poetics, or non-rational, non-calculating, non-commercialised way to act in the world. Sadly, not everyone knows about this.
It is my interpretation that it is these conflicting values within societies that cause some to dismiss Yoshiki's exhaustion "as bull". I personally believe the scene was almost or possibly even completely real, because I have faith in Yoshiki being genuinely, almost astonishingly from the calculating-rational Western perspective, committed to his job. This may be difficult for many to understand but I hope people to be more reflexive regarding their own cultural assumptions and background of thinking.