Japan has reportedly asked the US to stop using Mario, Pokemon, and others in social media posts

It seems that the government of Japan is not happy with the US government’s habit of using images from Japanese videogames in its political rhetoric, which has included racist, war-mongering social media posts. A Mainichi Shimbun report (Google translated, via IGN) says Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “repeatedly expressed concerns” about the use of such images, both because it doesn’t have permission to use them as well as the potential damage to globally recognized brands like Mario and Pokémon.

Various US government agencies began posting memes to promote various policies in 2025. In September, for instance, Homeland Security posted a montage of immigration raids and arrests interspersed with video clips and music from the Pokémon animated series; Customs and Border Patrol followed with a video of dancing Pikachu as “Border Patrols’ newest recruit.”

The Pokémon Company said at the time that the use of its property in those promos was unauthorized, but DHS made clear that it didn’t care, and that it had no intention of stopping. The Pokémon Company was marginally more critical in March of this year, saying “our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.”

In April, Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, criticized a White House tweet using Wii Sports footage to promote US attacks on Iran, although as with previous incidents, his complaint was focused on the violation of copyright law rather than the odious nature of the post itself. Still, it’s at least stronger than Microsoft’s complete non-response to the White House using Halo images in a call to “destroy” immigration.

That makes the more recent Foreign Affairs Ministry’s complaints notable: Rather than simply muttering “they shouldn’t do that” while handwaving at IP law, the report says the Ministry has specifically asked the Trump Administration to stop posting memes using these characters multiple times. Copyright law is still a concern: The ministry said that “even public institutions require permission from the creator when using intellectual property.” But it also reportedly cited the potential damage being done to their related brands by their use for political purposes.

Whether the Trump administration or other US government agencies will comply with the request remains to be seen. I’ve reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment, and will update if I receive a reply.

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