The perfect way to celebrate July 4th.

There have been a lot of ambassadors from Japan, everything from virtual YouTuber Kizuna Ai to the Tokyo Olympics anime ambassadors.

So it can be easy to forget that there are actual human Japanese ambassadors too, one of whom is Kanji Yamanouchi, the Consul General of Japan in New York.

While the daily work of a real-life ambassador may not be as flashy as an anime character, Yamanouchi has recently shown that he can easily hang with the coolest of them by showing off an unexpected skill: absolutely killing it at playing the guitar.

▼ Check out the video of him playing the Star Spangled Banner Jimi Hendrix style,
in celebration of the U.S. Independence Day.

▼ Yamanouchi starts off by talking about how this year is also the 160th anniversary of the first delegation between the U.S. and New York.

▼ What better way to celebrate than by playing the national anthem on a traditional American instrument: the electric guitar!

▼ When the blazer comes off, you know it’s time to get serious.

▼ Yamanouchi’s rendition is absolutely badass, be sure to check out the video to feel the passion he puts into it!


I have to say, even as someone who doesn’t typically care for rock music that much, this was incredible to listen to. Seeing such talent and spirit on display is always inspiring, no matter the medium, and both were were out in full force here.

One of the best comments on the video was in Japanese from the nearby state of Massachusetts, the Consul General of Japan in Boston, who simply wrote, “Yabai,” a word meaning something like “wow” or “oh my god” that can be used in about a bazillion situations, now including seeing the Japanese Ambassador rocking out.

After seeing that though, we only have one question on our mind: what is Yamanouchi’s favorite American character in anime?

Source, images: Facebook/Consulate General of Japan in New York
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