\u201cI can\u2019t believe Deep Purple are here,\u201d swooned the hard-rock drummer Sanae Takaichi, whom readers may know from her other job\u2014the Prime Minister of Japan.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the aged rockers were in Japan recently on tour, returning to the country where they recorded their critically-acclaimed live album, Live in Japan<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The band attended a face-to-face meeting with the head of state who, last October, became the first female leader in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took a short \u2014 and happy \u2014 break on Friday as she hosted legendary British rock band Deep Purple in Tokyo as a longtime admirer. https:\/\/t.co\/cGIRnuOMOF<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/D7Je9tvYf8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ABC News (@ABC) April 10, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n A huge fan, she bought the band\u2019s Machine Head<\/a>\u00a0album containing the seminal hard rock track Smoke on the Water<\/a> while she was in grade school, all the way back in 1971.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe Deep Purple are here,\u201d Takaichi said, smiling as she greeted the musicians.<\/p>\n \u201cI have the deepest respect for the way you continue to make rock history while embracing new challenges and creating captivating music to this day,\u201d she said through an interpreter.<\/p>\n To the band\u2019s drummer, Ian Paice, she quipped, \u201cyou are my god,\u201d during a special meeting where she presented him with a gift of signed Japanese-made drumsticks.<\/p>\n Takaichi told the band that when she argues with her husband, her first response is to go and play along to their 1974 album Burn.\u00a0(See the band performing in the video below\u2026)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n According to the BBC<\/a>, Takaichi played keyboards in a Deep Purple tribute band before picking up the drums while at university. She\u2019s remained behind the kit ever since, playing in a heavy metal band\u2014and she\u2019s known for carrying multiple sets of drumsticks in case she broke them, which happened a lot.<\/p>\n MORE HEAVY METAL FANS IN OFFICE: As Thank You For Successfully Petitioning Metallica to Play New Zealand, Prime Minister Surprises Fan<\/a><\/p>\n In a statement on social media, Deep Purple stressed how \u201cmusic is an international language\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cJapanese fans really enjoy our music,\u201d they said\u2014but included no mention if they\u2019d be playing Woman from Tokyo<\/a> in their next set.<\/p>\n SHARE This Deep Purple Superfan Getting A Special Meet And Greet With The Band\u2026<\/p>\n