Kaomoji – Japanese Emoticons

A unique flavor of this style is popular in Japan to express emotion digitally, namely Kaomoji { 顔文字 }. Brewing two words, i.e., “Kao” { 顔 – face } and “moji” { 文字 – character } in Kanji, leads to the origin of this concept.  Kaomoji / Japanese Emoticons is composed of  Japanese characters and grammar punctuations.

Joy Kaomoji

(* ^ ω ^)

(o^▽^o)

ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

(o･ω･o)

(^人^)

( ´ ω ` )

(´• ω •`)

╰(▔∀▔)╯

(✯◡✯)

(⌒‿⌒)

(*°▽°*)

(´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

＼(￣▽￣)／

(o˘◡˘o)

(╯✧▽✧)╯

( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ )

(๑˘︶˘๑)

(´･ᴗ･ ` )

(⁀ᗢ⁀)

( ˙▿˙ )

(„• ᴗ •„)

(´ ∀ ` *)

(⌒▽⌒)☆

(´｡• ω •｡`)

(＠＾◡＾)

(o´▽`o)

(((o(*°▽°*)o)))

(＾▽＾)

(─‿‿─)

(◕‿◕)

＼(≧▽≦)／

٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶

( ´ ▽ ` )

o(≧▽≦)o

(*¯︶¯*)

\(★ω★)/

o(>ω<)o

(ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

( ˙꒳​˙ )

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

(￢‿￢ )

(¯▿¯)

(ᵔ◡ᵔ)

٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

<(￣︶￣)>

(￣ω￣)

ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

(*´▽`*)

(≧◡≦)

(⌒ω⌒)

(*^‿^*)

(*≧ω≦*)

ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ

(✧ω✧)

(￣▽￣)

(☆ω☆)

＼(＾▽＾)／

\(^ヮ^)/

o( ❛ᴗ❛ )o

(b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b

(*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

(„• ֊ •„)

(¬‿¬ )

( ◕▿◕ )

( ´ ▿ ` )

☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

。.:☆*:･'(*⌒―⌒*)))

｀;:゛;｀;･(°ε° )

(o_ _)ﾉ彡☆

｡ﾟ( ﾟ^∀^ﾟ)ﾟ｡

(o´∀`o)

∑d(°∀°d)

ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ

(☆▽☆)

☆ ～('▽^人)

ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ

╰(*´︶`*)╯

(っ˘ω˘ς )

٩(◕‿◕)۶

(〃＾▽＾〃)

｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡

(๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

(.❛ ᴗ ❛.)

(*￣▽￣)b

＼(٥⁀▽⁀ )／

Love Kaomoji

(ﾉ´ з `)ノ

(♡-_-♡)

(─‿‿─)♡

(´ ω `♡)

(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

(´• ω •`) ♡

╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

(≧◡≦) ♡

♡ (˘▽˘>ԅ( ˘⌣˘)

σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡

(˘∀˘)/(μ‿μ) ❤

Σ>―(〃°ω°〃)♡→

(♡μ_μ)

(￣ε￣＠)

(´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

♡( ◡‿◡ )

(♡°▽°♡)

(´ ε ` )♡

(*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

(⌒▽⌒)♡

( ˘⌣˘)♡(˘⌣˘ )

♡ (⇀ 3 ↼)

❤ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc)

(´,,•ω•,,)♡

(*^^*)♡

ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ

(*♡∀♡)

(◕‿◕)♡

♡(｡- ω -)

(´｡• ω •｡`) ♡

(♡˙︶˙♡)

(*¯ ³¯*)♡

(/^-^(^ ^*)/ ♡

♡ (￣З￣)

(´♡‿♡`)

(´꒳`)♡

☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu

( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

(｡・//ε//・｡)

(/▽＼*)｡o○♡

♡ ～('▽^人)

( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

(っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡

٩(♡ε♡)۶

(❤ω❤)

(°◡°♡)

Embarrassment Kaomoji

(⌒_⌒;)

(*/_＼)

( ◡‿◡ *)

(//ω//)

(￣▽￣*)ゞ

(„ಡωಡ„)

(///￣ ￣///)

(o^ ^o)

(*ﾉωﾉ)

(ᵔ.ᵔ)

(ノ*°▽°*)

(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

(ง ื▿ ื)ว

(*/ω＼)

(o-_-o)

(*ﾉ∀`*)

(*^.^*)

(*/▽＼*)

( 〃▽〃)

(*/。＼)

(*μ_μ)

(//▽//)

(*ﾉ▽ﾉ)

(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)

(/▿＼ )

Sympathy Kaomoji

(ノ_<。)ヾ(´ ▽ ` )

ヽ(￣ω￣(。。 )ゝ

(ﾉ_；)ヾ(´ ∀ ` )

(´-ω-`( _ _ )

｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)ヽ(￣ω￣ )

(*´ I `)ﾉﾟ(ﾉД｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

(; ω ; )ヾ(´∀`* )

(っ´ω`)ﾉ(╥ω╥)

ρ(- ω -、)ヾ(￣ω￣; )

ヽ(~_~(・_・ )ゝ

(*´ー)ﾉ(ノд`)

(ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_<、)

Negative Emotions

(＃＞＜)

(；￣Д￣)

(￢_￢;)

(＾＾＃)

(￣︿￣)

ヾ( ￣O￣)ツ

(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

(；⌣̀_⌣́)

(￣□￣」)

(＞ｍ＜)

(︶︹︺)

(＞﹏＜)

(⇀‸↼‶)

(눈_눈)

☆ｏ(＞＜；)○

(＃￣0￣)

(」°ロ°)」

(￣ヘ￣)

(--_--)

o(>< )o

(￣ ￣|||)

(＃￣ω￣)

(〃＞＿＜;〃)

<(￣ ﹌ ￣)>

凸(￣ヘ￣)

(」＞＜)」

Anger Kaomoji

(＃`Д´)

(・`ω´・)

( `ε´ )

(ﾒ` ﾛ ´)

Σ(▼□▼メ)

(҂ `з´ )

٩(╬ʘ益ʘ╬)۶

↑_(ΦwΦ)Ψ

(ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ

(`皿´＃)

(`ー´)

ψ( ` ∇ ´ )ψ

( ` ω ´ )

ヽ( `д´*)ノ

(╬`益´)

(°ㅂ°╬)

(‡▼益▼)

(╬ Ò﹏Ó)

←~(Ψ▼ｰ▼)∈

ヽ(`⌒´メ)ノ

ヾ(`ヘ´)ﾉﾞ

┌∩┐(◣_◢)┌∩┐

ψ(▼へ▼メ)～→

(҂` ﾛ ´)凸

＼＼٩(๑`^´๑)۶／／

୧((#Φ益Φ#))୨

ヽ( `д´*)ノ

凸(`△´＃)

ヽ(‵﹏´)ノ

凸( ` ﾛ ´ )凸

(ノ°益°)ノ

((╬◣﹏◢))

(凸ಠ益ಠ)凸

٩(ఠ益ఠ)۶

Kaomoji – Japanese Emoticons

“Emoticon”, the word itself described as a combination of two classy words, “emotion and “icon“, also sometimes referred to as emote. It is a pictorial way to convey emotion through facial expressions using characters and letters. It was claimed to appear in 1979, but American computer scientist Scott E. Fahlman came with its first authentic use on 19 Sep 1982.

Being a creative nation, the Japanese never leave a chance to show their emotion, and they believe that the eyes can only reflect the human soul, which constitutes the base of Japanese emoticons. Unlike Western emoticons, where maximum attention has diverged to the mouth. Therefore, Kaomoji secures a significant place in cyber communication because you don’t have to read them sideways.

The Japanese are known for their skill at drawing because their language is one of drawing. Anime and manga are excellent examples of authors’ ability to convey a variety of emotions with just a few lines.

Before and even after the start of the internet era, taking humorous jokes or parodies without face-to-face conversation created a lot of chaos and was always taken wrong. Anime and manga fans made Kaomoji in order to correct mistakes in writing, avoid awkward writing situations, and express themselves more creatively.

Japanese emoticons popularity and influence have reached another level because of their diverse nature and easy accessibility. According to some Internet sources, stats propose their strength is around 10,000, but in reality, there are many.

Initially, kaomoji was used for a different purpose on the web. Kaomoji’s were placed in online messages after a sender’s name, serving as an online signature. As large Japanese network companies established themselves in the 1990s, more people became interested in online messaging.

More users learned about kaomoji, and more users began to use it in their signatures and the main text. It had become so easy to communicate – gone were the days of the stiff formalities of text, when words merely rested on the screen, their meaning left up to interpretation and confusion. As a result, one could now read another’s messages and visualize their intent and expression behind them.

Kaomoji can convey the sender’s feelings to the recipient, adding an emotional dimension to a text-based relationship. The internet increased in the 1990s, and people began to realize this. After that, Kaomoji ballooned in number and variety.

Japanese emoticons’ popularity and influence have reached another level because of their diverse nature and easy accessibility. According to some Internet sources, stats propose over 10,000 kaomoji in online databases, but in reality, there are many. As a result, kaomoji have become an essential part of Japanese online messaging (keitai mail). Additionally, since most Japanese “automatically use” kaomoji and “interpret them without special effort,” the kaomoji have become “integral to their language practices.”

Despite this complexity, kaomoji are intriguing and engaging since they give individuals the ability to capture emotions beyond text’s capabilities. These emotions can be accurately conveyed by a range of facial expressions upon which both senders and recipients can associate similar meanings.

Furthermore, Kaomoji can also be used by an individual to assert their uniqueness due to its extensive range that allows for some degree of individualization in their text messages. In other words, even though both (^-^) and (^_^) technically mean the same thing, I may insist on only using (^-^) for the sake of my personal preferences. And this is what makes me unique.

However, in Japan, an alternative to kaomoji has also emerged. The emoji is a pre-defined graphic image, as opposed to the text-based images of kaomoji. Kaomoji does not resolve all misunderstandings that can arise with text-based messaging; nonetheless, its complexity can be confusing.

Evolution of Kaomoji in Digital Communication

As digital communication platforms became more prevalent, the use of Kaomoji gained momentum, especially in Japan. Social media, messaging apps, and online forums became breeding grounds for these expressive characters. The simplicity of typing a few characters to convey emotions made Kaomoji a popular choice, transcending language barriers and resonating with users worldwide.

Moreover, the evolution of technology allowed for the creation of animated and interactive Kaomoji, adding a dynamic dimension to these emoticons. The evolution of Kaomoji reflects not only advancements in digital communication but also the ever-changing ways in which people express and share in the virtual realm.

Cultural Significance of Kaomoji

Kaomoji is not merely a collection of characters; it is a cultural phenomenon deeply rooted in the Japanese way of expression. Japanese culture places significant emphasis on non-verbal communication, and Kaomoji, with its ability to convey emotions through symbols, aligns seamlessly with this cultural trait. The use of Kaomoji in Japanese online spaces is a testament to its cultural significance, serving as a digital extension of traditional expressions of in daily life.

Additionally, Kaomoji reflects the Japanese concept of “Kawaii,” which translates to cute or adorable. The playful and endearing nature of these emoticons contributes to the overall cuteness aesthetic that is ingrained in Japanese pop culture. Understanding the cultural context adds richness to the experience of using and appreciating Kaomoji.

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