A backlash is building in Japan over US President Donald Trump's repeated use of iconic Japanese anime and manga characters in his social media posts, with nearly 20,000 people signing an online petition demanding the White House stop what they describe as unauthorised and culturally disrespectful appropriation of beloved fictional figures.
The controversy began in March, when the official White House account on X published videos combining footage of US military strikes on Iran with scenes from the Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball anime series, and separately posted a "Make America Great Again" image over what appeared to be a screenshot from the Pokémon video game Pokopia. The petition, titled "Protect Japanese Manga" and submitted to the Japanese government, prompted Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally request that the US embassy address the unauthorised use of the intellectual property. The official Yu-Gi-Oh! account stated at the time that "the original creators and anime staff were not involved in any way, and no permission was given." The petition was revived this week after Trump posted a video on Truth Social depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki — the young ninja protagonist of the globally popular Naruto franchise, which has sold more than 250 million copies worldwide since its serialisation began in 1999.
Rights holders have been unambiguous in their response. Pokémon Company International confirmed the White House had no permission to use its imagery, with spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev stating: "Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda." Shueisha, Japan's largest publisher and the house behind Naruto, said copyright for the anime images rests with the relevant film production committee and declined to comment further on behalf of creator Masashi Kishimoto.
The petition's creator, Nana Suzuki, a 34-year-old from Kanagawa Prefecture, said she was particularly distressed by the use of Yu-Gi-Oh! imagery in a military context. "Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, passed away after attempting to rescue someone in the ocean," she said. "It deeply saddened me that his noble spirit was used in a military context, and that he is no longer alive to speak up himself." Other fans echoed her concerns, arguing that characters whose stories are built around courage, friendship and perseverance are being co-opted for purposes that contradict their creators' intentions. A minority of fans took a lighter view, with some suggesting that Trump's use of Naruto amounted to free global publicity for Japanese pop culture.
The dispute touches on broader questions of intellectual property, cultural respect, and the reach of US political messaging into globally shared cultural spaces. Japan is home to a multibillion-dollar manga and anime industry whose characters enjoy devoted followings far beyond its borders, and the episode has highlighted the tensions that arise when that cultural output intersects — without consent — with foreign political agendas. The White House has not publicly responded to the petition or to media requests for comment.