US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth welcomed Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Washington on January 15th, 2026 for a bilateral engagement. Before their meeting, the two leaders met at Fort Meyer Army Base near Washington, D.C. at 7:30 am to train together at the gym along with the soldiers from the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment. In the photos and videos released by the US Department of Defence and Japan’s Ministry of Defence, the two men can be seen wearing black t-shirts and performing exercises including push-ups and rowing. Born a year apart, the officials showed immense differences in strength during the training. Hegseth, a former US Army major seemed to be relaxed and quick-paced with his efforts while Koizumi joined in with a grimaced effort but consistent smile. “There’s no better way to start the morning than with physical training alongside our troops and Japan’s defence minister. Thank you for joining us today,” remarked Hegseth.“Though the training was gruelling, the fact that ‘no foreign defence minister had ever trained with me before and that this is a historic moment’—as Secretary Hegseth joyfully noted—was more than enough compensation. It was a valuable time to further solidify the bond between our nations responsible for the Japan-U.S. alliance,” added Koizumi.
Netizens react to the video
The Department of War posted a video of Hegseth and Koizumi training together on X with the caption, “.@SECWAR was joined by Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi for morning PT.” The clip went viral on the social media app and gained positive and surprising reactions from netizens in the comments. “Looks like male bonding to me,” wrote one. “The SecWar rowing technique is way better than that of his Japanese counterpart,” added another. “Outstanding! Physical health is important and these leaders are setting the example!” praised another.
Japan’s soft power diplomacy
The viral training session comes after a video of Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung engaged in a drum battle in their meeting on January 13th, 2026. They highlight Japan’s power of soft diplomacy, helping the country not only sign deals but also forge relations.
