Lady Gaga Performs Three Song Set on Japan’s SMAPxSMAP

Lady Gaga continues to rack up foreign TV appearances in her never ending cycle of promotion for 'Born This Way.' We're beginning to wonder if there is a TV program out there that has not hosted Gaga on its stage. She recently performed on SMAPxSMAP, a Japanese variety TV show and she took the cultural influences of Japan seriously, incorporating them into her three song set, which included 'The Edge of Glory,' 'You & I' and 'Born This Way.'

Flanked by dancers, she arrived  on stage aloft in a Japanese-style carriage house, Gaga began her set with a side blond ponytail and a mask covering her mouth. While we appreciate Gaga's limits-pushing fashion choices, wearing a mask over your mouth is not always the most conducive thing for a singer to perform. She removed it quickly, though.

With her headset in place, sporting spiked fingerless gloves, bold eyebrows, garter belts, a black leather dress with poofy sleeves and gold Asian characters embossed on the back, Gaga soared through the majestic 'The Edge of Glory.'

For 'You & I,' she threw on a pair of black shades and played a piano shaped like a large hand or paw, complete with mirrored, dagger claws. Or fingernails. It was a stunning piece of stage of prop, that's for sure. Gaga even replaced several lyrics to reflect local culture, swapping "You taste like whiskey" to "You taste like sake" and replacing "Nebraska I love you" with "Japan" and screaming, "Japan I'd rather die / Without you and I."

Gaga performed 'Born This Way' wearing a school girl-looking outfit with a tie. It was black, of course, and she sang and dance amid a troupe of dancers.

There were no language barriers here. It was all dancing, singing and celebrating alternate cultures and ways of life like only Lady Gaga can.

Watch Lady Gaga Perform on SMAPxSMAP