Tokyo — Tokyo (AP) — Japanese Prime MinisterSanae Takaichi Took a short and pleasant break on Friday when they hosted the famous British rock band dark purple As a long time fan in Tokyo.
“Welcome to Japan… Uh-oh, I can’t believe Deep Purple are here,” Takachi said as she walked into the guest room of the Prime Minister’s Office with open arms and a smile to welcome the band members. “I’ve always admired Deep Purple.”
“You are my god,” Takachi said to drummer Ian Pace, presenting him with a set of Japanese-made TAMA drumsticks that he signed. “You’re a drummer, we’re friends,” Pace told him.
Takaichi is a fan of hard rock and heavy metal music and was an avid drummer during his college days.
The Prime Minister explained his history as a Deep Purple superfan for more than half a century. In elementary school, she was already listening to the band’s 1972 album “Machine Head”, which included top hits such as “Highway Star” and “Smoke on the Water”.
In junior high school, she played keyboards in a Deep Purple cover band, she said, then as a university student she started playing drums.
Takachi joked, “Nowadays, when I have a fight with my husband, I play drums on ‘Burn’ and curse at him.” He has previously described “Burn” as one of his favorite songs and said that it “clears my mind.”
The band’s courtesy call was a welcome break for Japan’s first female leader, who was known for her long working hours and is now struggling Strained diplomatic relations with ChinaThe fallout from the war in the Middle East as well as rising prices domestically.
“I express my deep respect to you for making rock history and taking on new challenges and creating even more compelling music today,” Takachi said, wishing him a successful tour that begins Saturday in Tokyo.
She did not forget to do her job as Prime Minister and stressed that promoting cultural content is one of the key areas of her government’s development strategy.
He said, “I hope that Deep Purple’s performances starting tomorrow will excite fans all over Japan and serve as a powerful force in promoting the long-standing Japan-UK cultural exchange.”
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Associated Press journalist Ayaka McGill contributed to this report.
