It is hard to tell if this is genuine admiration or simply the gamification of what is seen on the news as if real terror is another form of videogame. An interview with one apparent cosplayer indicates that he is doing it as a joke, unsure if he is pretending to be Hamas or Hezbollah.
It is not the first time this has happened, Already in December 2023, there were photos of Japanese men pretending to be Hamas, but in this case they were clearly imitating Hamas videos, indicating that they are more fans than trying to shock. And this wasn't an individual but a group, less than two months after October 7.
Whether or not they are aware of what they are doing, all of this normalizes Islamic terror as a joke at best, or something to be emulated at worst.
Japan does not designate any group as "terrorist" by that name, but it does have financial sanctions on Hamas since October 7 2023. However, there does not seem to be any laws against pretending to be a Hamas member.
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