Japan asked the American administration to stop using Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto in political propaganda

Japanese authorities are doing this not for the first time.

The Japanese government has once again appealed to the administration of US President Donald Trump with a demand to cease the unauthorized use of popular Japanese franchises, including Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto, in publications by official accounts of American government agencies.

According to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, in June, Japanese authorities sent at least two additional requests to the US government urging them to stop using video game and anime characters without the permission of the copyright holders.

According to the source, over the past year, official accounts of American government agencies have regularly published memes and images featuring well-known copyrighted characters. The Japanese side believes that such publications could damage the reputation of these franchises, especially when they are used to promote US government policy or content related to military themes.

Active discontent in Japan, accompanied by public petitions, led Tokyo to begin seeking an end to such publications as early as March of this year.

One of the most resonant cases was a video published by the US Department of Homeland Security in September 2025. The video, dedicated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, used the famous song “Gotta Catch ’Em All” from the Pokémon anime. At the time, The Pokémon Company stated that it was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content and had not given permission to use its intellectual property.

Later, in March 2026, the official White House account used an image of Pokémon Pokopia to promote the political slogan “Make America Great Again”. In response, The Pokémon Company once again emphasized that its mission is to unite people around the world and is not associated with any political views or agenda.

Japanese authorities continue to insist that the use of well-known game and anime franchises in a political context without the consent of copyright holders can negatively affect both the brands themselves and their international perception.