In a shocking turn of events, the U.S. government's playful use of iconic anime and game characters such as Mario, Pokémon, and Naruto in their memes has raised concerns among Japanese officials. Since March, the Japanese government has repeatedly urged the US to cease unauthorized usage of these IPs due to copyright infringement. The controversy began when various US government social media accounts started posting memes and videos featuring characters from popular Japanese anime and games over the past year. This move has been met with strong opposition from both Japanese fans and government, who argue that it's inappropriate for public institutions to use copyrighted materials without permission. Notably, the Trump administration's use of IPs like Naruto, Pokémon, and Mario in pro-war content has sparked multiple controversies and backlash throughout the year. The latest incident involved President Trump sharing an AI-generated video depicting himself as Naruto on Truth Social, leading to a renewed petition titled "Protect Japanese Manga," which calls for rights holders to address this issue. This saga has drawn international attention, with Cabinet Minister Kimi Onoda emphasizing the importance of obtaining permission from copyright holders in a press conference. The US government's meme strategy, once hailed as highly effective by spokesperson Abigail Jackson, now seems to have landed them in hot water with their counterparts in Japan.