Defense & Security

Koizumi, Hegseth Hit Gym to Show Japan-U.S. Alliance’s Strength

Reuters
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi train with soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 15, 2026.

The Japan News

21:00 JST, January 16, 2026

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth “showed the actual physical strength” of the Japan-U.S. alliance as they worked out together with U.S. Army soldiers in Virginia on Thursday morning.

Koizumi is visiting the United States to hold talks with Hegseth and other officials.

The meeting between Koizumi and Hegseth was held later on Thursday. In the meeting, Hegseth said, “We got up and showed the actual physical strength of the U.S.-Japanese alliance.” He said that they worked out with the Old Guard, which is one of the oldest units in the U.S. Army. Hegseth added, “It was just a great demonstration.”

In his reply, Koizumi said, “The training was extremely intense, and as a result of giving it my all until the very end, I developed mild dehydration.” Koizumi said that he had a medical checkup done by the American team, and he was feeling great when he met with Hegseth. Koizumi said: “First, Japan must exert every effort. Then the United States will support us. I feel as though I have embodied the very essence of the Japan-U.S. alliance.”

Hegseth heard this remark and responded with a thumbs-up.