The Japanese government has repeatedly expressed concerns to the U.S. government regarding the Trump administration's unauthorized use of Japanese anime such as Pokemon and Naruto in social media postings promoting policies like attacks on Iran and immigration control. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed these concerns to the U.S. Embassy in Japan in April and June, stating that "permission from the creator is necessary when using intellectual property, even for public institutions." Japan has urged consideration for copyright infringement and potential damage to the works' images. This issue has also drawn criticism from U.S. artists.

The Japanese government is strengthening its response to the unauthorized use of its "soft content.".