Japan has reportedly asked the United States to stop using characters such as Mario and Pokémon in social-media posts. The request matters because these figures are internationally recognised Japanese intellectual property and their use by a foreign government can raise questions about authorisation, branding and cultural representation.

The supplied text does not include the article’s substantive reporting beyond its headline, so it gives no details on which US accounts or posts were involved, when the request was made, or whether it was formal. It also does not state whether Nintendo, The Pokémon Company or US officials commented.