Government social media accounts often use memes to make official posts stand out, but the US government’s use of some of #Japan’s biggest gaming and anime franchises has the Japanese government worried. Characters and footage connected to #Pokémon, #Naruto, and other major properties have repeatedly appeared in posts shared by the US government, like the Department of Homeland Security sharing a Pokémon-themed immigration enforcement video, a Pokopia-inspired graphic featuring the slogan “Make America Great Again,” a Mario montage connected to NASA’s Artemis II mission, and an AI-generated video depicting Donald Trump as Naruto. According to IGN, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised the issue with the US Embassy in Tokyo in April, again in June, and once more in August. They are reportedly asking the Trump administration to stop using Japanese intellectual property without permission and consider the potential impact on the franchises featured. via dextero • whosalexander