The Meaning of Japanese Emojis

Did you know that many of the emojis we use daily on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other apps originated in Japan? Japanese culture is largely responsible for both the famous kaomoji (emoticons made only with text, such as (＾▽＾)) and the first modern emojis we see on cell phones.

In this article, you will discover the real origin of Japanese emojis, curiosities about their creation, and what each one really means in Japan.

What does Emoji mean?

Emojis are ideograms and smileys (the faces with reactions and emotions, etc.) used in electronic messages and web pages. They come in various genres, including facial expressions, common objects, places, types of weather, and animals.

The word Emoji originally meant pictogram. It is the combination of the ideogram “e” [絵] meaning picture, with “moji” [文字] meaning character. Yes, the word is Japanese, and the similarity with the English words emotion and emoticon is mere coincidence.

Before the colorful and cute emojis of cell phones, Japanese people already used kaomoji, those “faces” made only with punctuation marks and letters. Over time, the word “emoji” became synonymous with any digital sticker, but originally referred only to these pictograms invented in Japan.

Who created Emojis?

The development of emojis was preceded by text emoticons (kaomoji) and other graphic forms, both in Japan and outside it. The first Japanese cell phone to include emojis was launched by J-Phone on November 1, 1997, bringing a set of 90 symbols, many of which were later incorporated into the Unicode standard. Because it was expensive, the device did not popularize the use of emojis immediately.

In 1999, Shigetaka Kurita created the first widely used set of emojis, inspired by weather symbols, Chinese characters, street signs, and manga — where actions and emotions are often represented by drawings like light bulbs for inspiration. Kurita’s set had 176 emojis in 12×12 pixels, designed to facilitate electronic communication and differentiate the service from other competitors.

Kurita based many of these emojis on expressions and situations he saw on the streets. His creation was pioneering and visionary. In July 2017, the official Unicode list already had 2,666 emojis, a result of the growing demand from users for more symbol options.

Faces, Descriptions, and Japanese Expressions in Emoji

Generally, the most used emojis or emoticons in messages are faces and characters. Faces that mean a certain expression or emotion. There are many faces of Japanese origin or that represent something from Japan. Shall we see their meanings?

Meaning of the Poop Emoji 💩

Yes, this emoji originated in Japan, the only country with a true obsession with poop, to the point of having a museum dedicated to poop. For some, the pile of poop can bring luck because of its pronunciation un.

The smiling poop emoji (💩), ubiquitous and enigmatic, emerged in 2014 and is affectionately called by the Japanese unchi. This emoji has no direct relation to “lucky poop,” being used more for its fun side, something typical of Japanese humor.

Surgical Mask 😷

Contrary to what some may think, the surgical mask emoji (😷) was released by Unicode in 2010, long before the coronavirus. In Japan, wearing masks is traditional for any reason: cold, allergy, or to avoid spreading germs.

Meaning of the Crossed Arms Emoji 🙅‍♀️🙅

The crossed arms emojis (🙅‍♀️🙅) mean “dame desu!” — that is, “no,” “no way,” “forbidden.” In Japan, crossing the arms in front of the body is a clear gesture of denial.

Meaning of the Bowing Emoji 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♂️

This type of bowing is called dogeza (🙇‍♀️🙇‍♂️). It is not just a greeting: it is the most formal gesture, when a person kneels and touches their forehead to the ground, with their hands in front. Used only in deep apologies or great supplications.

Other Japanese Expression Emojis

• 🙆‍♀️🙆‍♂️🙆 – Means Ok! or Alright
• 👺 – Tengu — A long-nosed creature from Japanese folklore
• 👹 – Oni — Ogres or demons popular in Setsubun
• 💁‍♀️💁‍♂️💁 – Information desk person, a common gesture in Japan
• 🙏 – Prayer
• 👾 – Traditional Space Invaders game
• 🐕 – Akita Inu dog

Emoticons and Japanese Food Emojis

Many emojis found on our cell phones and computers are of traditional Japanese foods and dishes. Let’s briefly list them below; if you want to know more about the food, we will attach articles. See:

• 🍡 – Dango: Japanese sweet on a stick made of mochi
• 🍢 – Oden: Foods cooked in dashi on a stick
• 🍥 – Naruto: Common ingredient in ramen, the one with a pink spiral
• 🍙 – Onigiri: Rice ball wrapped in seaweed
• 🍘 – Senbei: Traditional Japanese rice cracker
• 🍛 – Kare-raisu: Japanese curry with rice
• 🍣 – Nigiri sushi: Raw fish on rice (more classic type)
• 🍰 – Strawberry cake: A very popular cake style in Japan
• 🍧 – Kakigori: Japanese shaved ice
• 🍵 – Green tea
• 🍚 – Gohan: Traditional white rice in a bowl
• 🍱 – Bento: Japanese lunch box
• 🥟 – Gyoza: Chinese dumpling very popular in Japan
• 🍤 – Ebifurai: Breaded shrimp
• 🍲 – Nabe: Japanese hot pot dish
• 🍠 – Yaki-imo: Roasted sweet potato
• 🍈 – Japanese melon (widely consumed and a symbol of gift)
• 🍜 – Ramen: Traditional Japanese noodles
• 🍶 – Sake: Rice alcoholic beverage (sake)
• 🍮 – Purin: Japanese pudding

All the foods mentioned here are popular and widely consumed in Japan, even though there are similar ones in the West. I believe that all included in mobile devices were due to the influence of the Japanese.

Traditional Japanese Objects in Emoticons

Now let’s see some traditional Japanese objects that are among the emojis on any device along with their meanings.

• ⛩️ – Torii: Traditional entrance gate of a Shinto shrine
• 🎍 – Kadomatsu: Japanese New Year decoration
• 👘 – Kimono: Traditional Japanese clothing
• 🥋 – Martial arts kimono (Judogi/Karategi)
• 🎋 – Tanabata (Tanzaku): Tanabata festival decoration
• 🎒 – Randoseru: Typical backpack for elementary school students
• 💴 – Yen: Japanese money (yen note)
• 🎎 – Hina Matsuri: Traditional dolls from the girls’ festival
• 🎏 – Koinobori: Carp flags for Children’s Day
• 🧧 – Red gift envelope
• 🏮 – Chōchin: Traditional Japanese lantern
• 🧮 – Abacus: Traditional calculating tool
• 🎐 – Fūrin: Japanese wind bell
• 🏧 – ATM (Automated Teller Machine)
• 🚄 – Modern Shinkansen: Bullet train
• 🚅 – Old Shinkansen: Classic version of the bullet train
• 🚝 – Japanese monorail
• 💽 – MiniDisc: Sony invention, media icon
• 🎊 – Japanese celebration ball (Kusudama)
• 🀄 – Mahjong tile: The Red Dragon
• 🉐 – Hanamaru: Symbol of good note
• 🌸 – Sakura and Hanami: Cherry blossom
• 🔖 – Badge (for kindergarten)

Japanese Location Emojis

Now let’s see the meanings of Japanese location emojis:

• 🏣 – Post office in Japan
• 🏩 – Love Hotel: Japanese motels known for their flashy design
• 🏪 – Konbini: Convenience stores open 24 hours
• 🗻 – Mount Fuji: The highest mountain and volcano in Japan
• 🗼 – Tokyo Tower: Famous tower and postcard of Tokyo
• 🏯 – Traditional Japanese castles
• ♨️ – Onsen: Japanese hot springs, symbol of thermal waters

As you can see, other emojis we have seen are commonly used to refer to activities and locations themselves. For example, the emoji ⛩ can specifically refer to the Shinto shrine or even Buddhist temples that are usually together.

The sakura flower 🌸 is often used to refer to the Hanami festival.

The train emojis 🚃🚋🚄 can be used to talk about a station. I read on Gaijin Pot that a Japanese person used this 🚃 to refer to Shibuya station (lol).

The lanterns 🏮 are often used to refer to Izakaya bars. When it comes to locations, any emoji can indicate a location, whether Japanese or not. So look at the stickers as if they meant multiple things.

Ideograms and Signs in Japanese Emojis

• 💹 – Stock market or yen exchange rate (chart icon with yen symbol)
• 🔰 – Indicates that someone is a novice in traffic (shoshinsha mark, mandatory for new drivers)
• 🈁 – Means “here” (kanji for “here,” used on maps and signs)
• 🆓 – Used to indicate free things (free)
• 🈳 – Indicates that something is vacant or empty
• 🈯 – Means that something is reserved (shi, from “shitei,” reservation/booked)
• 🈚 – Means does not exist or not available (mu, from “absent”/”without”)
• 🈸 – Means request (shin, from “shinsei,” request, application)
• 🈑 – Means available (accept/application)
• 🈺 – Means open (eigyou-chuu, “open for business”)
• 🚫 – Means prohibited (no entry sign)
• 🉑 – Means approved (kakunin, “acceptable,” “OK”)
• 🈵 – Means full (man, from “full,” e.g., full parking)
• 🈹 – Means discount (kanji for discount/hanbai)
• 🉒 – Means accept or acceptable (accept/allowed; rarely used)
• ㊗️ – Means celebration, congratulations (“shuku” or “iwa-u”)
• ㊙️ – Means secret or secrecy
• 🉐 – Means advantage or benefit (toku, “advantage,” “special offer”)
• 🚸 – Children’s crossing sign (common on school signs in Japan)
• 💱 – Currency exchange (conversion/exchange icon)
• 🎌 – Crossed Japanese flags

Meaning of Monkey Emojis

Monkeys are popular in Japan; there are mountains full of monkeys, some even bathe in the onsen of natural hot springs along with humans. These 3 monkey emojis represent a bit of Japan’s religion.

The first is Mizaru (🙈), the monkey that does not see. The second is Iwazaru (🙊), the monkey that does not speak. The third is Kikazaru (🙉), the monkey that does not hear. All can be found at the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko.

They are known as the three wise monkeys or Sanzaru [三猿]. Their origin is based on a Japanese proverb that says that if we do not look, do not hear, and do not speak of others’ evil, we would have peaceful communities with peace and harmony.