World News for Students of English

14-04-2026 07:00

The legendary British rock band Deep Purple visited a very special superfan in Tokyo this week: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The Prime Minister, who is 65 years old and Japan’s first female leader, expressed her lifelong admiration for the band, and even told the drummer Ian Paice he was her god.

Takaichi has been a fan since primary school and used to play in a Deep Purple tribute band, first on keyboards and later as a drummer. During the meeting, she joked that she plays the drums to their hit song Burn whenever she argues with her husband to release stress.

The band is currently touring Japan, the same country where they recorded their famous 1972 live album Made in Japan. This lighthearted visit was a brief respite for Takaichi, who is currently dealing with serious challenges such as high inflation, a slow economy, and difficult diplomatic relations with China.

Difficult words: admiration (a feeling of great respect and approval for someone or something), tribute band (a group of musicians who play the music of a very famous band to honor them), respite (a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant).

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