Japan’s New Prime Minister SANAE TAKAICHI Is A Metal Fan & Drummer

Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, who is also a metal fan and occasional drummer. CNN reports in a profile of Takaichi that she’s a fan of classic hard rock and heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple – and yeah, she still drums too: “I play after [my husband] goes to sleep,” she said.

In a 2021 interview with Friday News, Takaichi spoke a little more about her love of music and motorcycles: “When I was in high school, I was often late and used a motorcycle to get to school. I wore a jersey under my skirt, straddled the bike, parked it behind the school, and climbed over the wire fence to get to school every morning. I know it’s against school rules, so I know it’s not allowed.

“In college, I spent my days immersed in music. I was a heavy metal fan and played in four bands as a drummer. When I was in my second or third year, I even played in a professional backing band. In my second or third year, I was in a professional backing band, playing drums behind Mariko Kobayashi, the Janice of Naniwa. It was a lot of fun.”

She’s also got a pretty decent voice, as you’ll see thanks to her cover of X Japan‘s 1994 single “Rusty Nail” below.