Japan Requests President Trump to Cease Use of Super Mario in Government Videos
Japan has formally requested that President Trump's administration stop using characters from Japanese franchises like Super Mario and Pokémon in official U.S. government communications. This request follows a series of videos posted by the White House and other government departments that featured these characters in contexts such as NASA's moon flyby celebration and Department of Homeland Security operations. Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, criticized the use of copyrighted materials without consent, highlighting a video that used Nintendo Wii Sports footage to promote U.S. airstrikes on Iran. The Japanese government has made multiple requests through the U.S. Embassy in Japan to cease these practices. 
