The band wrote in a post on Instagram: “A lifelong fan of hard rock and heavy metal, Takaichi has often named Deep Purple as one of her favourite bands.
“She even told the group she bought their Machine Head album back in grade school.”
Formed in England in 1968, Deep Purple became known as one of the “unholy trinity” of British heavy metal bands, alongside Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
Perhaps their most renowned hit – Smoke on the Water – came on their 1971 album Machine Head.
Takaichi played keyboard in a Deep Purple tribute band before picking up the drums while at university – after which she was known to carry several sets of drumsticks due to a tendency to break them during intense performances.
The visit will have been a welcome respite for the prime minister, who has faced increasingly strained diplomatic ties with China, rising prices and a sluggish economy since coming to office in October.
