Japan Asks US Administration to Stop Using Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto in Political Propaganda

The Japanese government has once again asked the administration of US President Donald Trump to stop the unauthorized use of popular Japanese franchises, including Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto, in posts published by official US government agency accounts.

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

Official US government accounts have regularly posted memes and images featuring well-known copyrighted characters over the past year, according to sources. Japanese officials believe these posts could harm the reputation of these franchises, especially when used to promote US government policy or military-themed content.

Public discontent in Japan, accompanied by public petitions, led Tokyo to start pushing for an end to these publications back in March of this year.

One of the most high-profile incidents occurred in September 2025, when the US Department of Homeland Security published a video. The clip, which focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, used the famous song “Gotta Catch ’Em All” from the Pokémon anime. The Pokémon Company stated at the time that it did not participate in creating or distributing this content and did not grant 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.” The Pokémon Company reiterated in response that its mission is to bring people together around the world and is not connected to any political views or agendas.

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