Westminster insiders are watching Tokyo with a mix of alarm and dark amusement this morning. Word from the delegation is that a planned UK-Japan trade round has been thrown into chaos by a very Trumpian misstep: a promotional video using anime characters without permission. The backlash is real, and it's put our negotiators in a bind.
The video, apparently a State Department production, featured popular manga-style avatars to sell a new digital trade agenda. The problem? No one asked the creators. Japanese politicians, already sensitive about cultural IP, have erupted. The trade minister was seen grimacing during a joint press conference. Our own minister, Sir Edward Lazenby, looked like he'd swallowed a wasp.
This is classic Trump. The man treats global diplomacy like a bad Twitter thread. He thinks a cartoon can cut through cultural complexity. It can't. Not in Japan. Not when they've spent decades protecting their soft power exports. Now our lot have to navigate the fallout.
One senior FCO official told me off the record: 'We were supposed to be talking about digital standards and data flows. Instead, we're apologising for a cartoon cat with a bad American accent.' The irony is thick. Britain wants a post-Brexit trade deal with Tokyo. We need them onside for CPTPP accession. And now this.
The PM's office is scrambling. No.10 issued a tepid statement about 'respecting intellectual property' but stopped short of criticising the White House. They can't afford to. But the damage is done. Japanese social media is ablaze. Anime fans are furious. The opposition is calling for a delay to talks.
What happens next? The UK team are stuck in a hotel in Minato, waiting for the temperature to drop. They're offering private assurances. They're hinting that London 'understands the concerns.' But the truth is, they're powerless. This is Trump's game. He doesn't care about trade diplomacy. He cares about ratings.
On the backbenches, the usual suspects are sharpening their knives. Tory MPs who never liked the 'special relationship' are asking why we're paying the price for American insensitivity. Labour is circling. The PM will face questions tomorrow. It won't be pretty.
This is a masterclass in how not to do soft power. The Americans thought they were being clever. They ended up being crass. And we're left cleaning up the mess. The trade talks will go ahead, eventually. But the trust has taken a hit. In this game, trust is everything. And right now, Tokyo is looking at London and wondering if we're really the reliable partner we claim to be.
I'm told the delegation has been advised to avoid all references to anime, manga, or Japanese pop culture for the remainder of the visit. No bowing. No gifts with characters. Just pure, grey diplomacy. A bit like the weather here. Depressing, but functional.
Watch this space. The fallout is only beginning. And in Whitehall, there are already whispers of a 'charm offensive' to salvage things. I wouldn't bet on it working. Not when the originating error was made by a man who thinks 'Pokémon' is a type of pasta.
