Japanese PM feels the Burn as she welcomes Deep Purple to Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has taken a short — and happy — break as she hosted veteran British rock band Deep Purple in Tokyo as a longtime admirer.

“Welcome to Japan… Oh I can’t believe Deep Purple are here,” she said as she walked into a guest room at the Prime Minister’s Office with open arms and a smile to welcome the band members.

“I have always admired Deep Purple.”

“You’re my god,” Ms 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,” he told her.

Ms Takaichi is a noted hard rock and heavy metal fan and was an avid drummer in her college days.

She explained her history as a Deep Purple superfan for more than half a century. At primary school, she was already listening to Machine Head, the band’s 1972 album featuring 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,” she joked.

She has previously cited Burn as one of her favourite 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 fallouts from the war in the Middle East and rising prices at home.

“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,” Ms Takaichi said, wishing them a successful tour, beginning on Saturday in the Japanese capital.

She did not forget to do her work as prime minister and stressed that promotion of cultural content is one of the key areas of the growth strategy for her government.

“I hope Deep Purple’s performances starting tomorrow will excite fans across Japan and serve as a powerful force in promoting the long-standing Japan-UK cultural exchanges,” she said.