Rock-and-Roll Diplomacy: An Interview with Ambassador Yamanouchi Kanji
Русский Yamanouchi Kanji, Japan’s top ambassador in New York, seems an unlikely rock-and-roller. In a video that made the rounds on social media in July 2020, the grey-haired ambassador, dressed in a dark suit and sporting a red bow tie, stands between a Japanese and American flag as he cordially greets viewers. After a brief speech, he swaps his jacket for a Stratocaster and proceeds to hammer out a Jimi Hendrix–inspired rendition of the US national anthem, complete with whammy bar and heavy distortion. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Within six days of its upload, it ha...