Japan warns US officials that they need to handle copyright properly when Japanese characters appear in political social media posts.
The issue is important for gaming fans because Mario and Pokémon are not ordinary internet memes. They are major Japanese game brands whose owners decide where and how people can use their characters.
The comments came after a social media video showed US President Donald Trump dressed as Naruto. Japan’s minister in charge of intellectual property said the country had raised its position with the US several times.
The minister said people can damage a work’s image when they use it against the rights holder’s wishes. A Japanese report said the minister hoped similar cases would not continue.
That is more careful than saying Japan has launched a legal case or ordered the US to stop. There is no public sign of either. Instead, Japan warns US officials about copyright and the damage political use can do to well-known characters.
Nintendo fans can see how easily a political post can pull characters into a debate without the companies behind them taking part. By contrast, Nintendo’s recent Splatoon Raiders update lets a game developer talk directly to players about its own work.
Why Japan warns US officials about game memes
Japan did not name Mario, Pokémon and Naruto as part of one single new complaint. The concern comes from several posts and videos that used Japanese entertainment properties in political messages.
The Naruto video brought the issue back into focus. It showed Trump wearing the character’s look and using ninja-style effects. He shared it through his own social media account.
Japan’s response focused on the wider principle. Also, people should not use a character in a way that changes what others think of the work. They should not link it to a message its owner did not choose.
That matters because Japan’s game and anime characters are also major cultural exports. They sell games, cards, toys, films and other products around the world.
A political post can reach millions of people quickly. If it uses a character without permission, many viewers may assume the company approved it. As a result, the company can struggle to correct that idea after the post spreads.
Japan has used diplomatic channels to make its view clear. However, it has not publicly said what the US will do next or whether it will take further action.
Why Pokémon and Mario posts matter to gaming fans
Pokémon has already faced this problem directly. In September 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security shared a video about immigration enforcement that used Pokémon images, its English theme music and its well-known slogan.
The Pokémon Company said it did not approve the use of the intellectual property it controls. It did not say it would take legal action, but it made clear that the video was not an official Pokémon promotion.
You can read Pokémon’s response to that video. The company said that it and related rights holders played no part in it.
Mario raises the same basic question. Nintendo has built the character into a family-friendly symbol through games, films, theme parks and merchandise. A government meme may be meant as a quick joke, but it can still connect Mario to a political message.
That is why this story is bigger than one post. Japanese officials want people outside Japan to see their biggest characters as their owners intended, especially when government accounts use them without clear permission.
For players, the simple point is that a character in an official post does not mean Nintendo, The Pokémon Company or another rights holder agreed to it. Japan warns US officials because it wants them to take that difference seriously.
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