Japanese premier Takaichi meets her rock ‘god’
It is not easy to impress a head of state, much less one who brands herself an “Iron Lady.” Yet British rock band Deep Purple did just that when they met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday.
“You are my god,” a visibly delighted Takaichi told drummer Ian Paice, handing him a pair of made-in-Japan drumsticks she had signed herself.
The meeting, which included a brief photo session with frontman Ian Gillan and other members, offered a rare reprieve for a leader facing mounting geopolitical and economic pressures.
Since taking office in October 2025 as Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi has contended with diplomatic tensions with China, a weakening yen, rising prices, and the risk of an energy crunch linked to instability in the Middle East.
For a moment, however, the demands of office gave way to something more personal: a lifelong fan meeting the band that shaped her musical identity.
Takaichi’s deep roots in music
Takaichi’s connection to hard rock and heavy metal runs deep. She told the band she first bought their landmark album Machine Head as a grade school student, drawn to signature tracks such as Smoke on the Water and Highway Star.
In her earlier years, the premier played keyboard in a Deep Purple tribute band in middle school before switching to drums at university, a transition that cemented her as an amateur drummer. Even today, she has joked about turning to the drums to relieve stress, quipping that she plays “Burn” after arguments at home.
Her tastes extend across the genre, with Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden also among her cited influences.
This musical background has occasionally crossed into diplomacy. In January, Takaichi shared a lighthearted drum session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung following a bilateral summit in Nara, where the two leaders played K-pop tracks side by side and exchanged signed drumsticks in a symbolic gesture of cooperation.
Who are Deep Purple?
Formed in 1968, Deep Purple is widely regarded as a cornerstone of hard rock and early heavy metal, helping define a heavier, more experimental sound that would shape generations of musicians.
Their relationship with Japan is particularly significant. The 1972 double live album Made in Japan, recorded during their first tour of the country, is often cited among the greatest live rock recordings — cementing their reputation as a formidable live act.
More than five decades later, that bond endures. The band is set to kick off its 2026 Japan tour on April 11 at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan.
For Takaichi, the visit was both symbolic and personal.
“I have the deepest respect for the way you continue to make rock history,” she told the group.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
