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NEW DELHI: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on her visit to India, was seen trying her hand at the Indian classical string instrument, Santoor. A video shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his Instagram account shows the self-confessed “metal-head” strumming the percussion instrument.The PMO shared the video with the caption, “Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi trying her hand at Indian music!”The video begins with PM Modi handing over the mallets, known as ‘mezrabs’, to the Japanese PM, who then proceeds to gently glide across the instrument to play out the notes. The hall then burst into applause in appreciation of Takaichi’s cultural exchange, which followed a luncheon at the Hyderabad House.Japan PM Takaichi has been on a 3-day visit to India dating from July 1 to July 3. She attended the 16th India-Japan annual summit along with the India-Japan economic forum on Thursday. Following the diplomatic exchange, the two Prime Ministers had a cultural interaction, which also highlighted Takaichi’s inclination towards music.In an earlier public appearance, Takaichi had shared an anecdote about having been a part of a high-school metal band as a drummer. She has also been a lifelong fan of British heavy metal legends like Deep Purple and Iron Maiden.Japanese media have also highlighted Takaichi’s passion for motorcycles, reporting that she enjoys riding Kawasaki’s Z400GP and has travelled solo across Japan. Her interest in hard rock reportedly began in elementary school after being introduced to the genre by a music college student who taught her piano.Takaichi joined PM Modi during the virtual inauguration of Maruti Suzuki’s fourth manufacturing facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana.During the event, PM Modi affectionately referred to her as his “choti behan” (younger sister), a gesture she reciprocated by saying the two had agreed to take India-Japan ties forward “as brother and sister.”The Japanese Prime Minister also took to her own Instagram to share snippets of her cultural interaction with PM Modi, especially during the dinner hosted for her at the Hyderabad House. She expressed her gratitude for the hospitality and warm welcome and expressed optimism for elevated India-Japan ties.She shared images with the caption, “I was invited to the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi. In a warm atmosphere different from the meeting venue, I was able to have an open and honest discussion with Prime Minister Modi not only about India-Japan relations and the international situation, but also about the culture, food, and mutual feelings towards each other’s countries, which deepened our personal trust even further.“She further added, “I am deeply grateful for India’s rich food culture and Prime Minister Modi’s warm hospitality. Building on the trust we have developed with Prime Minister Modi, we will continue to elevate Japan-India relations to even greater heights in the coming year on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries.”
