Japan Officially Breaks Silence on Donald Trump Using Naruto Imagery

A simple AI-generated video has heated things up between two countries when the Japanese Government criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for using a generated video that features panels from the Naruto anime and manga. The video in question was posted on June 6, 2026, on Truth Social from the official account of Donald J. Trump:

Although there were several references used in the AI-generated morph video, the Naruto panel is what caught the eye of Japan’s Minister of State for Economic Security, Science and Technology Policy, Space Policy, and Intellectual Property Strategy, Kimi Onoda, who responded with criticism during a press conference on Friday, June 13, 2026.

Donald Trump Flamed by the Japanese Government for Naruto’s AI Usage

Donald Trump | Credits: Image by Gage Skidmore / Licensed under CC by SA 2.0 / Via Wikimedia Commons.

The posted video featured a panel where Donald Trump‘s face was morphed onto Naruto Uzumaki’s body with a backdrop of the iconic Hokage Rock from the series. This sparked a heated sentiment in the heart of the Japanese minister, Kimi Onoda, as Naruto is one of the most beloved IPs and franchises produced by the country. Onoda expressed in the interview;

Even if it might not constitute clear copyright infringement, [we] should exercise extreme caution to avoid situations where the reputation of a work is damaged by its use in a manner contrary to the rights holders’ intent.

The minister further added;

We intend to continue to take appropriate measures, including communication with the United States, to ensure that our country’s copyrights are handled properly. […] I sincerely hope that similar incidents will not be repeated and that this post will not be further disseminated.

While we are still unsure of whether either country has taken any action, the 60-second video is still posted and widely available on Truth Social at the time this article was being written. The ironic fact here is that Trump isn’t really a well-known promoter of the anime medium. One thing we should understand is that this is not the first time the current U.S. President or his staff from the White House have used anime shots and panels as a medium for promotion and reach.

This Wasn’t the First Time Trump Used Anime as a Promotional Idea

In September 2025, the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) used Jason Paige’s opening theme of a classic children’s anime, Pokémon, for a video of the officers detaining people (via X), and in March, the White House’s social media account posted a modified version of the Pokémon Pokepia’s box art to read the current administration’s slogan, “Make America Great Again” (on X). As later confirmed, The Pokémon Company never permitted the use of their IP.

Several videos that edited images of this year’s Iran War and clips from Dragon Ball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh!, American animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, several Marvel and DC movies, TV series, films, and video games, including Grand Theft Auto, were released in March

However, the “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” video posted on the official X account of the White House took things even further. On June 13, 2026, the posted video featured the Cowboy Bebop anime opening theme song “Tank!”. Additionally, visual references were also adapted to the short video: the video included audio and video clips from several anime series, including Dragon Ball Z, The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and My Hero Academia, as well as the WWE Smackdown program and the video game Persona 5.

What are your thoughts on the Japanese minister’s comments on the U.S. President’s posted video on Truth Social? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below.