Gift of "Skajan" Jacket Once Worn by U.S. Troops Stationed in Japan
Hegseth: "The U.S.-Japan Alliance Is Vital for Asia-Pacific Security"
Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's Minister of Defense, presented Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense, with a "skajan," a signature jacket from Yokosuka, during Hegseth's visit to Japan. On October 30, Japanese media outlets including the Sankei Shimbun reported that Minister Koizumi gifted the skajan, named after his hometown of Yokosuka, to Secretary Hegseth during their first in-person meeting at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo.
After the meeting, Minister Hegses posted a photo on his social media wearing the gifted skajan, taken together with Defense Minister Koizumi. Photo by Pete Hegses, Minister of Defense
The skajan originated when U.S. soldiers stationed around Yokosuka after World War II had unique embroidery added to their jackets as souvenirs. The jacket is characterized by its shiny satin fabric and elaborate embroidery of motifs such as dragons, tigers, or eagles. The skajan presented to Secretary Hegseth was red and embroidered with a hawk, and also featured the name "Pete." Minister Koizumi wore a matching blue skajan embroidered with the name "Shinjiro."
After the meeting, Secretary Hegseth posted a photo on his social media wearing the gifted skajan and posing with Minister Koizumi. He commented, "We had an excellent meeting," and added, "The U.S.-Japan alliance is extremely important for security in the Asia-Pacific region, and I welcome Japan's recent commitment to increasing its defense budget."
During this visit to Japan, Secretary Hegseth is also scheduled to visit South Korea early next month. He will attend the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the United States on November 3-4, and plans to visit the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek to encourage U.S. and South Korean service members. Since taking office in January, Secretary Hegseth has made it clear that he intends to significantly tighten appearance regulations for military personnel, stating that "beards and unkempt attire have undermined military professionalism." In particular, since the Department of Defense was reorganized as the "Department of War" last month, regulations on military discipline and appearance standards have been significantly strengthened. Secretary Hegseth has attributed the decline in military discipline to progressive policies on "diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)" and "men in dresses (transgender individuals)," consistently advocating for the restoration of the so-called "warrior ethos" in the military.
Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense, is scheduled to visit South Korea early next month. AP Yonhap News
In a speech delivered last month at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to assembled U.S. military generals from around the world, Secretary Hegseth declared, "The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beards, long hair, or personal expressions," and added, "If you want to grow a beard, join the special forces. Otherwise, shave." He also emphasized that overweight and obese soldiers would, in effect, be discharged from the military. The previous practice of allowing beards for religious reasons has also been revoked.
Secretary Hegseth further stated, "We do not run a military full of infidels." However, these measures have sparked discontent among some service members at Camp Humphreys, with some arguing that the policy discriminates against soldiers who need to maintain beards for medical or religious reasons.
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