President Trump’s recent use of anime-style imagery on social media has created diplomatic challenges with Japan. The Japanese government expressed concern over Trump’s use of Japanese intellectual property. A top minister stated that such actions threaten the integrity of Japan’s creative exports. Japan communicated its stance to the United States.

On Saturday, Trump shared a video on Truth Social. The video featured an AI-generated segment where he dressed as Naruto, the main character from a well-known anime series. The depiction involved clasped hands with index fingers pointing upward. This post received criticism from fans who argued the imagery was used without permission.

These events follow a period of tension regarding the White House’s use of Japanese pop culture imagery. Previous instances involved franchises like “Dragon Ball,” “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” and “Pokémon.” For example, anime imagery appeared in a TikTok video celebrating U.S. airstrikes on Iran.

Neither the White House nor the State Department has commented on Japan’s recent criticism. Similarly, Bandai Namco Entertainment, which publishes Naruto, and Studio Pierrot, its animator, have not responded.

The Trump administration’s social media activities have utilized imagery from various animated franchises, including “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Marvel, DC Comics, and “Call of Duty.” While these posts are frequent, the use of anime in Japan has sparked significant backlash. Anime holds cultural importance and is central to Japan’s national identity.