The present‑day U.S. “Department of War” is essentially the same cabinet department long known as the Department of Defense (DoD); the change is a political/branding shift, not a new institution.
Historically, the Department of War (created in 1789) mainly ran the U.S. Army. After World War II, the National Security Act of 1947 and 1949 amendments abolished the old War Department, created the Department of Defense, and put all major services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, later Space Force) under one civilian Secretary of Defense.
In 2025, President Trump signed an executive order restoring “Department of War” as a title for the Pentagon, but the underlying legal framework, missions, and authorities remain those of the Department of Defense. In practice, “Department of War” now refers to the DoD operating under a revived historical name; its functions (managing U.S. armed forces, planning and conducting military operations, advising the president on defense policy) are the same.
Pete Hegseth (Peter Brian Hegseth, born June 6, 1980) is a former U.S. Army National Guard officer and television commentator who, since January 25, 2025, has served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, also styled “Secretary of War” after the department’s renaming.
As Secretary of War/Defense, he is the head of the Department of Defense/War and the principal defense policy adviser to the president. By law, he exercises “direction, authority, and control” over the U.S. military departments and defense agencies: he oversees military strategy and operations, the defense budget and procurement, and overall defense policy.
Shinjirō Koizumi (born April 14, 1981) is a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He has been a member of Japan’s House of Representatives since 2009 and, as of October 21, 2025, serves as Japan’s Minister of Defense in the cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
As Defense Minister, he heads the Ministry of Defense and is responsible for Japan’s defense policy and the management and oversight of the Self‑Defense Forces (JSDF). He represents Japan in defense diplomacy, including meetings with foreign counterparts such as the U.S. Secretary of War.
An “honor cordon” is a line of military personnel who formally greet and render honors to a visiting dignitary as they arrive at or depart from a key site such as the Pentagon. An “enhanced honor cordon” is a more elaborate version of this ceremony, typically used for high‑ranking foreign officials (e.g., defense ministers or heads of government).
In U.S. defense protocol, an enhanced honor cordon usually includes a joint‑service formation, display of national flags, military band, playing of national anthems, and the dignitary’s inspection of the troops. It signals that the visitor is being accorded particularly high respect and that the visit has significant diplomatic or defense importance.
Publicly available U.S. government material on this specific January 15, 2026 meeting (the Department of War transcript/notice) only records that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted an enhanced honor cordon and bilateral meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi at the Pentagon. It does not describe what was discussed, any decisions taken, or any joint statement.
Open‑source news and official releases reviewed so far likewise do not provide a readout of topics or outcomes. Based on available information, no detailed public summary or joint communiqué has been released.
The Department of War transcript/notice referenced in the article names only Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi and does not list any other attendees. Because access to the fuller news story is restricted and no independent readouts have been published, it is not currently possible to identify which additional U.S. or Japanese officials, if any, were present.
Available open‑source information does not show a detailed public schedule for Minister Shinjirō Koizumi around January 15, 2026 beyond this Pentagon event. The Department of War transcript simply records the enhanced honor cordon and bilateral meeting, and no broader U.S. or regional itinerary has been published in accessible official or media sources.
Based on what is currently available, it cannot be confirmed whether this meeting was part of a larger series of engagements in the United States or the region.