Japan Asks US to Stop Using Anime & Gaming IPs in Political Content
Japan has reportedly raised concerns several times this year about Pokémon, Naruto, and Mario being used in US political posts without permission.
Japan has reportedly asked the US government to stop using popular anime and gaming characters in political content without permission.
According to a report from Mainichi Shimbun (via IGN), Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the US Embassy in Japan twice more in June, pressing the Trump administration to drop Naruto, Pokémon, and Mario from its social media posts. The ministry's concern is based on the risk of reputational harm to these franchises, given that the content has been used without the rights holders' consent in posts tied to US policy and military action.
This isn't the first time such use has caused backlash. In September 2025, the Pokémon Company publicly denied permitting the DHS's mashup of Ash Ketchum footage with ICE raid clips. Separately, around the time Pokémon Pokopia launched, the official White House account reportedly used the game's font to spell out Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, tying the campaign message directly to the new release's branding.
More recently, the White House shared videos blending military footage with scenes from Wii Sports, Halo, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and other franchises, leading the Pokémon Company, Yu-Gi-Oh!'s official account, and Halo actor Steve Downes to speak out against it.