The hashtag #ISIS?????????, meaning something along the lines of "ISIS Photoshop grand prix," started spreading on January 20.
The hashtag was a near immediate response to an ISIS video on Jan. 19 that promised to execute two Japanese hostages unless Japan paid the group $200 million.
Peter Payne, an owner of an internet store selling Japanese goods, explains the general message of #ISIS?????????succinctly: "You can kill some of us, but Japan is a peaceful and happy land, with fast Internet. So go to hell."
ISIS has given Japan until approximately 12:50 am Eastern Standard time on Friday to pay the ransom. In the meantime, Tokyo has struggled to secure the release of freelance journalist Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, a founder of a private security firm.
While Tokyo has been desperately trying to find ways to save the hostages, the Japanese public has responded with a barrage of Photoshopped images. Far from making light of the situation, they can be seen as a way of striking back at ISIS and publicly demeaning the notoriously self-important and humorless jihadist group.
Reported.ly made a Storify of some of the tweets.
Below are some of the more appropriate tweets aimed at mocking ISIS.
???????????????????????? ???? #ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/lIrIrC4Glz
- ????? (@pan1130) January 22, 2015
"@rekimiran: ????????????????????? #ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/MOOLSjyIDf" ?????????????
- ??? (@tatiguisi) January 22, 2015
@Abu_Mamadou #IslamicState #daeshbags #ISIS #ISIS????????? ?????? pic.twitter.com/MTA4SQO57C
- Griff (@hitgrl62) January 22, 2015
U.S army Soldier ISIS Kill! #ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/MFim1y1Ryq
- BSW-Ops (@SctOpsTouHou) January 22, 2015
??????????? ?Twitter???#ISIS???????????????? http://t.co/RvtMLMTXqx #??jp #rensaijp pic.twitter.com/7zJHyQvMXF
- ??.jp (@rensaijp) January 22, 2015
Rat na Tviteru, Japan protiv islamista #ISIS????????? #rtsvesti http://t.co/CUAzp72LFu pic.twitter.com/mArXmMhQOb
- RTS Vesti (@RTS_Vesti) January 22, 2015
#ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/cxBOt9Azu0
- matuzi (@matuziii) January 22, 2015
$200,000,000 #ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/fQ1abiwYOA
- ? (@ata3025) January 22, 2015
STOP WAR NOT KILL WE ARE THE WORLD #ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/EtBZY8HlxA
- BSW-Ops (@SctOpsTouHou) January 22, 2015
#ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/WzwJ8Sa6ui
- Broseph (@shamshoomi) January 22, 2015
???www #ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/Pe8OTMy592
- ????GP?MAX! (@kusokoragp) January 22, 2015
#ISIS????????? pic.twitter.com/05xjWMikNw
- ????GP?MAX! (@kusokoragp) January 22, 2015