Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomed his Japanese counterpart, Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi, to the United States, and before meetings got underway, he decided to see if the foreign official was up for a workout, American style. Spoiler: Koizumi wasn’t.
On Thursday, Hegseth played host to Koizumi at the Pentagon, where our incredible alliance with their country was the focus, and how they could continue to strengthen that friendship.
Great to host Defense Minister Koizumi today at the Pentagon.
Together, as longtime and steadfast allies, we will ensure Peace through Strength. pic.twitter.com/rTG7HJf3UR
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) January 16, 2026
“Great to host Defense Minister Koizumi today at the Pentagon,” Hegseth post on X read, along with a clip of their visit. “Together, as longtime and steadfast allies, we will ensure Peace through Strength.”
READ MORE: Hegseth and Kennedy Challenge America to Better Fitness, the Left Responds As You Would Imagine
MORE: Hilarious: Secretary Sean Duffy Accepts Hegseth, RFK Jr.’s MAHA Fitness Challenge
And as part of making that bond strong, the Secretary of War invited his foreign counterpart to join him in an early morning workout at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, that proved to be intense for Koizumi, according to Reuters.
“NEW: Workout with US War Secretary Pete Hegseth leaves 44-year-old Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi dehydrated; treated by US personnel— Reuters,” the post on X read.
A video the outlet posted showed Koizumi appearing to struggle with a few parts of the workout.
Before getting into serious business, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Japan defense chief Koizumi kickstarted their day by working out together at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia pic.twitter.com/6HMam1i3G5
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 15, 2026
Check out some of the videos and pictures from their weightlifting and strength training session.
NEW: Workout with US War Secretary Pete Hegseth leaves 44-year-old Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi dehydrated; treated by US personnel— Reuters pic.twitter.com/WYDL0WEbSl
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) January 15, 2026
No better way to start the day than morning PT.
Japan’s Defense Minister @shinjirokoiz joined @SECWAR for an early-morning workout. 🇺🇸🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/Elr8g3nB1L
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) January 15, 2026
Despite the workout being intense, judging by the photos and clips, a good time was had by all.
THE U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT
Thursday January 15, 2026Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH), Virginia.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Japan’s Defense Minister Koizumi held a session of Physical Training (PT) with The Old Guard this morning.
-setting the example!
. pic.twitter.com/qrcERBO227— AWPS DEFENSE NEWS (@AWPS_Defense) January 15, 2026
SEE: Sec Duffy Does Some Heavy Lifting (Literally) to Make Air Travel Better
ALSO: MAHA: Is RFK Jr.’s Mission to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Already Paying Dividends?
Later, the Defense Minister reflected on the intensity of the workout (find an English translation below). Sounds like he survived it.
アメリカの軍隊式トレーニング、きつかった…。野球部時代を思い出しました。日米同盟強化のためならエンヤコラ…という気持ちで頑張りました。 https://t.co/I3w9nKMFB1
— 小泉進次郎 (@shinjirokoiz) January 15, 2026
“The American military-style training was tough… It reminded me of my baseball team days,” Koizumi wrote in a post on X. “For the sake of strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance, I pushed through with an ‘Enya kora…’ kind of spirit.”
We looked up what that means, and according to Google translate ‘Enya Kora… kind of spirit,’ at least in this context, means:
‘I pushed through it with the feeling of ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance!’
I guess someone should’ve told the Defense Minister that Hegseth and others in President Donald Trump’s cabinet, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently issued a call to fitness for Americans to Make America Healthy Again – and we love it!
Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.
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