Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently conveyed through diplomatic channels a request for the U.S. government to cease unauthorized use of Japanese game and anime intellectual properties (IPs) in official social media posts.
According to The Mainichi Shimbun, the U.S. has repeatedly referenced works such as "Pokémon," "Mario," and "Naruto" in posts and videos in recent months. Examples include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security releasing a Pokémon-themed immigration enforcement video, an image in the "Pokopia" style paired with the slogan "Make America Great Again," NASA's "Artemis 2" mission using Mario clips, and an AI-generated video depicting Donald Trump as a "Naruto" character.
Japan reportedly expressed its concerns to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo in April, June, and August 2026, requesting the Trump administration to stop the unauthorized use of Japanese intellectual property. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that even public institutions require permission from creators when using intellectual property and reminded the U.S. of the potential for copyright infringement and the risk of damaging the works' brand image.
Some rights holders have previously distanced themselves from such content. The Pokémon Company stated after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security video surfaced that it was not involved in its production or distribution and had not authorized the use of its IP. Similarly, the official Japanese "Yu-Gi-Oh!" anime team issued a statement regarding a White House video, clarifying that the original author and animation team were not involved and had not granted permission.
While Japan's statement does not legally constitute a definitive finding of infringement, the incident highlights that official meme operations involving commercial IP can lead to diplomatic and brand image disputes.
via： 毎日新聞