Japan‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reportedly formally warned U.S. officials about the Trump administration’s use of Japanese games and anime in government social media posts. The diplomatic push concerns Pokemon and several other high-profile properties.
U.S. Officials Reportedly Warned That Using Japanese IP Still Requires Permission
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via Pokemon -
via The Pokemon Company
According to an August 3 Mainichi Shimbun report, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its concerns with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo in April and again in June 2026. The ministry is said to have told U.S. officials that public institutions are not exempt from obtaining permission to use intellectual property and asked them to consider both potential copyright infringement and possible damage to the image of the works involved. The embassy reportedly said it would relay Japan’s concerns to Washington, though the main posts in question remained online as of the end of July 2026.