Growing backlash in Japan over Trump's use of anime characters

The US president has angered some fans by using the images of characters like Pikachu and Naruto. Naruto: Trump stirs backlash in Japan over use of anime characters Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Aaron Schwartz/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16781945m) United States President Donald J Trump during a bilateral meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 March 2026. The war with Iran will be a major topic of discussions between the President and the PM. Trump Meets Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi, Washington, USA - 19 Mar 2026 Growing backlash in Japan over Trump's use of anime characters Trump most recently posted a video in which he depicts himself as Naruto A screenshot of a social media post depicting Donald Trump as Japanese anime character Naruto A backlash is growing in Japan over US President Donald Trump's use of popular anime and manga characters in his posts on social media. Upset has been brewing since March, when fans started noticing the president using images of - and in one case depicting himself as - iconic Japanese animation characters like Naruto, Pikachu and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Almost 20,000 people have now signed an online petition, arguing he does not share the values of the characters, and that using them for political reasons could infringe the creators' rights. Pokémon Company International has condemned Trump's use of its imagery. The BBC has contacted other rights holders and the White House for comment. The petition calling for Trump and the White House to respect Japanese manga was first launched in March, when a couple of posts caught the attention of some fans. The official White House X account had released videos combining footage of US military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball. A day earlier, the account had published an image with the phrase "Make America Great Again", on top of what appears to be a screengrab from the Pokémon Pokopia video game. The petition was revived after Trump shared a video on Truth Social on Saturday depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist and namesake of a popular anime and manga series about a young ninja's journey to become the village leader. Those who signed the petition and other fans online argue the characters convey the importance of courage, friendship, and perseverance to audiences around the world - and Trump's use of them in this way goes against the creators' intentions. Kanagawa resident Nana Suzuki started the petition. The 34-year-old self-proclaimed anime and manga fanatic told the BBC she felt compelled to take action. "Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, passed away after attempting to rescue someone in the ocean," Suzuki said. "It deeply saddened me that his noble spirit, someone who tried to save others and the message of his work, was used in a military context, and that he is no longer alive to speak up himself." She wanted to provide a place where people who share the same frustrations could express themselves, and show how many people care about respecting Japanese creators and their content. But a small group of fans shrugged aside Trump's use of the images. One X user found it "hilarious" and thought it would only increase Naruto's international recognition, likening it to the best free publicity in the world. Another user said: "Rather than criticising the clip, I'm proud that Japanese manga has taken the world by storm to the point where the President of America knows Naruto." Pokémon Company International has said the White House did not have permission to use its imagery. "We were not involved in its creation or distribution," said Pokémon spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev. "Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda." President Donald Trump earlier accused Iran of shooting down the US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to respond. The US and Israeli leaders have lost control of the consequences after miscalculating the Iran war. The US president later insisted the reaction inside the arena was "mostly cheers", describing the atmosphere as "loud" and "enthusiastic". The capture in Utsunomiya comes as bear attacks have reached record levels across Japan. Get the lowdown on every team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at Japan. Authorities said that a bear in north-east Japan has eluded capture by opening a window. The puppet festival will feature shows, parades and workshops, many of which are free to attend. The bear had earlier attacked four people in an industrial part of Fukushima, in Japan's north-east.