Ba Sanae Takaichi choi trong voi Tong thong Han Lee Jae-myung, hom 13/1. Video: SBSNews
On 13/1, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi garnered attention by playing drums with Korean President Lee Jae-myung. They performed two hit songs, "Dynamite" by BTS and "Golden" from the Kpop "Demon Hunters" soundtrack, following a summit in Nara, Japan. In a video of the performance, Takaichi stated that it took her only 5-10 minutes to teach Mr. Lee the instrument.
On X the same day, the prime minister announced she prepared the performance after recalling the president's remark that drumming was "his dream" during their meeting at the APEC summit in Korea last year. "President Lee Jae-myung expressed joy at fulfilling his long-held dream", according to her post.
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Ba Sanae Takaichi tham du mot su kien tai Van phong Thu tuong cuoi nam 2025. Anh: Prime Minister's Office of Japan
Many international outlets dubbed this activity "drum diplomacy". In a statement, President Lee's spokesperson, Kim Nam-joon, commented: "The two leaders transformed the summit into a special cultural exchange moment".
The duet has attracted significant interest, with tens of thousands of views on social media platforms. Some viewers expressed admiration for the Japanese prime minister's performance style.
According to CNN, before entering politics, Takaichi was a drummer in a student band specializing in heavy metal – a rock subgenre characterized by powerful rhythms and intense sound. At 65, her love for drumming remains strong; Japanese media reported that the prime minister used to carry 4 spare pairs of drumsticks. At home, she owns an electronic drum kit, which she often plays to relieve stress. In a recent interview, she joked that whenever she was annoyed with her husband, she would play the drums after he fell asleep.
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Thoi tre cua ba Sanae Takaichi. Anh: Courtesy of Sanae Takichi
In August 2025, Sanae Takaichi participated in the podcast Babymetal's Metal Radio, discussing her passion for heavy metal. From elementary school, she began listening to Black Sabbath's music, including "Paranoid", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", and similar tracks. In middle school, she enjoyed Deep Purple songs like "Burn" and "Smoke on the Water". This was also when the prime minister learned to play bass guitar and keyboard.
In high school, she played drums in a cover band, later joining an all-female group performing songs by UFO and Rainbow. During the program, the prime minister also mentioned her fondness for Michael Schenker's "Into The Arena" and the American rock band Riot's album "Narita", and revealed she is a long-time fan of Iron Maiden. In addition to foreign songs, she listens to domestic music, revealing herself to be a fan of Yoshiki, leader and drummer of the rock band X Japan.
Deep Blue bieu dien ca khuc "Burn" tai California nam 1974. Day la bai hat ba Takaichi thuong nghe. Video: YouTube/ NEA ZIXNH
Sanae Takaichi, born in 1961, was appointed prime minister by Japan's House of Representatives in October 2025, becoming the first woman to hold the position. CNN noted that her victory was an unexpected outcome in a political system historically marked by male dominance. In 1993, she won a parliamentary election, launching her political career. In her youth, she aspired to emulate "The Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister.
Phuong Thao (according to Euronews, CNN, Louder)
