Motorcycles, fast sports cars and a drummer: The life of Japan PM Sanae Takaichi beyond politics
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Motorcycles, fast sports cars and a drummer: The life of Japan PM Sanae Takaichi beyond politics")
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Photograph: (@MEAIndia/X)
Along with politics Takaichi has varied interests. She has been a fan of heavy metal since her university days. She even played drums in a heavy metal band while studying.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 1) for a 3-day visit to attend the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi. During the visit India and Japan are expected to discuss defence, economic security, semiconductors, critical minerals and Indo-Pacific security, among other issues. This will be Sanae Takaichi's first visit to India as Japan's Prime Minister.
Takaichi's visit to India is important in the context that Japan is one of India's largest foreign investors with close to 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India. In terms of business both the countries did trade of approximately US$27.5 billion in FY 2025–26.
Japan has invested heavily in sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, finance, and clean energy which showcases the strategic partnership between the two countries.
From playing drums to owning super bikes
And Takaichi as the Prime minister of Japan is in India to strengthen the bilateral relations even further. But do we know that Takaichi other than having a long career in Japan's parliament and becoming the first woman Prime Minister of the country has interests in cars, bikes and loves playing drums?
Yes, that's right. Born on March 7, 1961, in Yamatokōriyama, Takaichi, before entering politics worked as a television presenter, author, and legislative aide. It is in the early 1990s that she entered politics and later became a prominent member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
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But along with politics Takaichi has varied interests. She has been a fan of heavy metal since her university days. She even played drums in a heavy metal band while studying.
X Japan, B'z, Demon Kakka, and classic rock bands such as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath are her favourite bands
She is said to be a motorcycle enthusiast. In one of her interviews she said to have owned a Kawasaki Z400GP, a classic sport motorcycle from the 1980s. Her fondness for motorcycles has been widely noted in media profiles.
She is well known for owning a 1991 Toyota Supra, which she bought new and drove for about 22 years. Earlier, she owned a Toyota Celica XX (the Japanese-market predecessor to the Supra). The Toyota Supra that Takaichi drove is now displayed in an automobile museum in Japan.
As Japan's prime minister, her official government vehicle is a Toyota Century SUV, which is used for official duties rather than as a personal car.
