Faux Hamas terrorists spotted on Tokyo streets

Military cosplayer enthusiasts and supporters of the Islamist terror group have been spotted on the streets of Tokyo dressed up as members of Hamas’ military wing.

By World Israel News Staff

Japanese men dressed up as Hamas terrorists on the streets of Tokyo have sparked outrage but also curiosity this week. Footage went viral showing the faux terrorists marching down the streets of Japan’s capital city, at times touting fake firearms.

On Saturday, photographs and video footage from Tokyo showed a number of local men dressed up as terrorists from the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, which was responsible for the October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel and subsequent massacres.

In one photograph, a man dressed in military gear, wearing a Hamas headband and a patch of the Palestine Liberation Organization flag, can be seen toting a plastic machine gun in front of a Tokyo Starbucks.

In another instance, a man dressed as a Hamas terrorist is confronted by a pair of police officers.

According to unconfirmed reports in Japanese media, the costumed man was detained by police.

The men are part of the cosplay subculture, a performance art originating in Japan whose name is a portmanteau of the words “costume” and “play.”

Cosplayers, both in Japan and abroad, dress as popular movie, television, and comic book characters, often en masse at conventions.

Some Japanese cosplayers, however, have favored military-themed costumes drawing from real-life armed forces.

In the past, this has included IDF-themed cosplay costumes.

Now, however, the hobby has become an outlet for some anti-Israel activists in Japan to express their support for the Hamas terror organization.

Earlier this month, hundreds rallied outside the Israeli embassy in Tokyo on October 7 to mark the two-year anniversary of the invasion of Israel.

The increase in public demonstrations against Israel and in favor of Hamas has mirrored declining popular support in Japan for Israel, with a poll released by the Pew Research Center in June of this year finding that 80% of Japanese adults have a negative opinion of the Jewish state.

The phenomenon of Hamas-themed cosplayers is not a new one, nor is it limited to Japan.

In 2023, shortly after the Hamas invasion of Israel, Chinese cosplayers went online with their costumes mimicking – and in some cases overtly honoring – the Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel.