Japanese Petition Protests Trump's Use of Manga and Anime Characters in Social Media Posts
Nearly 20,000 people have signed a petition in Japan protesting President Trump and the White House's repeated use of iconic anime and manga characters — including Naruto, Pikachu, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Dragon Ball — in social media posts without permission from rights holders. The controversy began in March 2026 when the official White House X account posted videos mixing U.S. military strike footage with anime clips, and escalated after Trump shared an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki. The dispute has grown beyond fan outrage into a diplomatic matter, with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally requesting the U.S. Embassy address the unauthorized use of Japanese intellectual property, and a top Japanese minister warning the practice could damage the integrity of Japan's creative exports.
The backlash against President Trump's use of Japanese anime and manga imagery has intensified over several months, culminating in a Change.org petition titled 'Protect Japanese Manga' that has gathered upwards of 20,000 signatures. The controversy first erupted in March 2026 when the White House's official X account posted videos combining footage of U.S. military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball, and a separate post mimicked the title aesthetics of the Pokémon Pokopia video game to display Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan. The most recent flashpoint came when Trump posted an AI-generated music video on Truth Social depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki, the ninja protagonist of the globally popular Naruto franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. Rights holders have responded formally: the official Yu-Gi-Oh! account stated that 'no permission was given for the use of the intellectual property in question,' and Pokémon Company International declared it was 'not involved in its creation or distribution' and that its mission is 'not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.' The dispute has escalated to the diplomatic level, with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sending a formal request to the U.S. Embassy, and a Japanese government minister publicly warning on Friday that such unauthorized use could damage the integrity of Japan's creative exports. Petition organizer Nana Suzuki cited the legacy of Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi, who died in 2022 while attempting a water rescue, as a particular reason why using his work in a military context felt especially disrespectful. A minority of fans, however, have taken a more positive view, arguing that the attention underscores anime's extraordinary global reach.
What's missing
It is not confirmed whether any legal copyright infringement proceedings have been initiated or are being considered by Shueisha, the Pokémon Company, or other rights holders.
How coverage differed
The Guardian and the NYT, both left-leaning outlets, framed the story with stronger emphasis on ethical and diplomatic harm and fan moral outrage, while center-leaning outlets like BBC, Channel NewsAsia, and the Japan Times presented the controversy more descriptively, giving slightly more space to the minority of fans who viewed the attention positively. Polygon, a culture-focused outlet, drew a pointed contrast with the authorized 2016 Shinzo Abe/Mario appearance to argue Trump's use is clearly an 'unauthorized political device.'
What different sources said
- Channel NewsAsiaCenter
Japan petition takes aim at Trump manga, anime posts
- PolygonCenter
Backlash grows in Japan over Trump’s use of Naruto, Pokémon, and other anime icons
- Global News CanadaCenter
Petition targets Trump over use of Japanese manga characters on social media
- South China Morning PostCenter
Japanese fans draw the line at Trump using manga, anime to boost image
Japanese manga fans urge Trump to stop using characters in his online posts
- BBC WorldCenter
Growing backlash in Japan over Trump's use of anime characters
- The Japan TimesCenter
Japan pushes back on Trump’s anime posts
- NYT WorldLeft
Japan Pushes Back on Trump’s Anime Posts
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