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

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 some cases depicting himself as - iconic Japanese animation characters like Pikachu, Naruto 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 are angry that Naruto images are being used politically - and say Trump's use of them in this way goes against the creators' intentions.

"For many years, these works have inspired audiences around the world by conveying values such as courage, friendship, and perseverance," the petition reads.

"Because of this, many fans feel concerned when images from these works appear to be used in political or military contexts that may differ from the intentions of the original creators or rights holders."

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."