The U.S. Government’s Mario, Pokémon and Naruto Meme Posting Could Damage These Franchises, Japanese Officials Warn
Official U.S. government social media accounts, including those of the White House, have shared various memes and videos using characters from popular Japanese franchises such as Super Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto across platforms including X (formerly Twitter). This unauthorized use of copyrighted material has continued over the past year despite repeated official complaints from Japan.
Since March, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly requested that the Trump administration cease these posts. Japanese officials have raised concerns that the unauthorized use of these characters could damage these internationally recognized and commercially significant franchises.
The controversy has intensified due to widespread backlash from Japanese fans, who have launched formal petitions. This disagreement highlights ongoing tensions over intellectual property rights and the appropriate use of protected characters by government entities on social media platforms.