Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took a short—and happy—break on Friday as she hosted legendary British rock band Deep Purple in Tokyo as a longtime admirer. "Welcome to Japan ... I can't believe Deep Purple are here," a smiling Takaichi said as she walked into a guest room at the Prime Minister's Office to welcome the band members with open arms, the AP reports. "I have always admired Deep Purple."
- "You're my god," Takaichi told drummer Ian Paice, presenting him with a set of Japanese-made TAMA drumsticks she had signed. "You're a drummer, we are friends," Paice told her. Takaichi is a hard rock and heavy metal music fan and was an avid drummer in her college days. Her other favorite bands include Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.
The prime minister explained her history as a Deep Purple superfan for more than half a century. At elementary school, she was already listening to Machine Head, the band's 1972 album featuring top hits like "Highway Star" and "Smoke on the Water." In junior high school, she played the keyboard in a Deep Purple cover band, then as a university student she switched to drums, she said. "Nowadays, when I have a fight with my husband, I play drums on 'Burn' and put a curse on him," Takaichi joked. She has previously noted "Burn" as one of her favorite songs, saying it "clears my mind."
The band's courtesy visit was a pleasant break for Japan's first female leader, known for her long working hours and now struggling with strained diplomatic ties with China, the fallout from the war in the Middle East, and rising prices at home, the AP reports. "I express my deepest respect for you for making rock history and continuing to take on new challenges and producing even more compelling music today," Takaichi said, wishing them a successful tour beginning Saturday at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan. Reuters reports that the band has a longstanding connection to Japan: Their 1972 double live album Made in Japan, recorded during their first tour of the country, was a massive hit and is considered one of the best live albums of all time.
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