Japan has reportedly warned the US government against using Nintendo and Pokémon characters in memes, bringing an unusual issue involving video games, politics and intellectual property into the spotlight. However, their popularity does not mean that they are freely available for use in official political communication. The use of Nintendo and Pokémon imagery, however, can create a particularly sensitive situation because of the strong protections surrounding these brands. Nintendo and Pokémon are particularly powerful examples of how Japanese creative industries have developed audiences far beyond the country’s borders. For Nintendo and Pokémon, protecting their brands is therefore about more than preventing people from copying their characters.