Generally, the relationship between Japan and the U.S. has been relatively positive. However, a recent report shed some light on something that could sour the relationship a bit.
As reported by IGN, the issue stems around the U.S. government’s repeated use of Japanese intellectial properties (IPs), including Mario, Pokemon, and Naruto. Since March, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on U.S. president Donald Trump and his administration to stop using the properties.
One example involved the White House posting a video that combined Wii Sports gameplay with airstrikes in Iran. Another example involved clips from Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and others spliced together with U.S. military footage.
President Trump himself posted an AI-generated video that showed him as Naruto. This spurred conversation in Japan that reached cabinet minister Kimi Onoda, who said Japan has, on multiple occasions, discussed “obtaining permission from the copyright holder” with the U.S.
It remains to be seen what happens from here, but the noise is unlikely to calm down. On Change.org, the “Protect Japanese Manga” petition has seen coverage by other outlets, including the New York Times and BBC.
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