Nintendo Slams GenAI Lobbying Rumors Started by Japanese Politician
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Key points
- Nintendo has issued a statement denying the rumor that it is lobbying with the Japanese government regarding generative AI.
- The rumors came from a Japanese politician who has since publicly apologized for his misinformation.
- The organizers of Tokyo Game Show 2025 revealed that over 50% of Japanese game studios have used AI.
On Oct. 5, 2025, Nintendo issued a statement slamming a Japanese politician’s X post about the company lobbying with the Japanese government regarding generative AI. In its statement, the company mentioned that they have never been in contact with the Japanese government regarding the matter.
The lobbying rumor came from a Japanese politician called Asano Satoshi, who has now apologized publicly regarding his now-deleted X post that contained wrong information. According to his updated X post apology translated via Google Translate, he found information that Nintendo of America, a subsidiary of Nintendo, has a budget reserved for lobbying in 2025.
Satoshi then said that he found this information on OpenSecrets.org, and that since the primary sources of information included US Congressional documents, minutes, and lobbying reports, he said that he simply concluded that it was a “fact.”
After the information became viral, Nintendo quickly issued a statement regarding the lobbying rumor, saying, “Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI. Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.”
On Sept. 29, 2025, the organizers of the Tokyo Game Show 2025, the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), revealed that over half of Japanese game studios have used AI or generative AI in the development of their games. It’s unclear whether Nintendo was part of this survey.
