Deep Purple Meets With Their Number 1 Japanese Superfan
Photo: Prime Minister’s Office of Japan”
With a headline like that, you might be expecting to learn that the classic rockers met with some poor unfortunatel individual in the hospital suffering from some terrible disease or perhaps someone who won a contest where the grand prize was a meeting with the band. Not this time.
On a busy Friday afternoon in April 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stepped away from the weight of governing the country to live out a lifelong rock ’n’ roll fantasy. The legendary British band Deep Purple paid a courtesy visit to her office at the Prime Minister’s official residence, turning an ordinary diplomatic handshake into one of the most delightful and unexpected political moments of the year.
History has probably conditioned most of us to envision a male figure when we hear the title “Prime Minister.” Once again, not this time.
Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, has never hidden her passion for hard rock and heavy metal. She has repeatedly named Deep Purple alongside Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden as one of her all-time favorite bands. As a schoolgirl she bought their landmark 1972 album Machine Head. In middle school she played keyboards in a Deep Purple tribute band; by university she had switched to drums and even performed in a heavy-metal group. She still keeps an electric drum kit at home and has joked publicly that she pounds out “Burn” on it after arguments with her husband. Considering that there is an electronic drum kit sitting not more than six feet behind me as I type this, she sounds like a woman after my own heart.
The meeting was arranged as a simple courtesy call upon Deep Purple’s arrival in Japan for their “Mad in Japan” Tour. The band — Ian Gillan on vocals, Ian Paice on drums, Roger Glover on bass, Don Airey on keyboards, and Simon McBride on guitar — is kicking off the tour Saturday night at Tokyo’s historic Nippon Budokan, the same venue where they recorded their legendary 1972 live album Made in Japan more than half a century ago. For a band that first toured the country in the early 1970s, returning to such a warm official welcome felt like coming full circle.
When Takaichi entered the room, her face lit up. “Uh-oh, I can’t believe Deep Purple are here,” she exclaimed. Beaming, she told the musicians it was “a great honor” and that she had “always deeply admired” them. The highlight came when she presented Paice — the only remaining original member — with a pair of premium, made-in-Japan drumsticks she had personally signed. Looking straight at the drummer, the prime minister declared in English, “You are my god.” Paice, clearly touched and amused, accepted the gift humbly and with a grin.
The encounter lasted only a short time, but the warmth was unmistakable. Takaichi posed for photos with the entire band, exchanged pleasantries, and even shared a light-hearted story about her home drumming sessions. For Deep Purple, the visit was equally memorable; the band later posted on social media that it was “a pleasure” to meet such a dedicated fan in such a high office.
In a political world often criticized for being stiff and distant, the brief meeting offered a refreshing glimpse of humanity. A rock legend and a head of government, connected by nothing more than a shared love of loud guitars and thunderous drums, spent a few minutes simply enjoying each other’s company. For classic rock fans around the world — and especially in Japan — it was proof that the music still matters, even at the very top. As Deep Purple prepares to shake the Budokan, one thing is certain: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be humming along, if not drumming along on her home kit.
