Japan backlash grows over Trump’s use of Naruto, Pokémon and anime icons

U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of characters from Naruto, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball has drawn growing criticism in Japan. A petition titled 'Protect Japanese Manga' has gathered more than 23,800 signatures after posts began appearing in March 2026. The White House's official X account combined footage of U.S.

military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball, and later mimicked the title style of the video game Pokémon Pokopia to display Trump's slogan. Over the weekend Trump shared a Truth Social video depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki. Organizers say works tied to themes of courage, friendship and perseverance are being stripped of context for political gain.

Nana Suzuki said she was particularly troubled by the military-themed Yu-Gi-Oh! content and pointed to the legacy of creator Kazuki Takahashi, who died in 2022 while attempting to help people in dangerous ocean conditions. The pushback includes a distancing from the official Yu-Gi-Oh!

Japan

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