Today, it’s World Emoji Day, isn’t it? I didn’t know that till now.
I guess some people have some emojis they don’t know of the meaning. Well, it must be so because emoji is created by Japanese mobile companies, and some emojis are based on our culture.
Ok then, let me explain what meaning they have.
👹 鬼(oni)
It’s a face of Japanese ogres, ‘Oni‘.
Our typical ogres have a red/blue face, 1-2 horns, tusks and having a spiked club on their hand.
👺 天狗(tengu)
It’s a face of Tengu, it’s something like a Japanese phantom which is based on a bird.
It has a very high nose like a bar and a red face. It is said that it lives in a mountain.
🎋 七夕(tanabata)
It’s bamboos with a strip of paper.
We write our wishes on a paper and hang it on a bamboo on 7th July. This event is called Tanabata in Japanese.
🎍 門松(kadomatsu)
This is a part of Kadomatsu, I mean, we usually display a pair of Kadomatsu in front of the gate of our house for New Year’s.
Kadomatsu is made from pine wood, bamboo, and plam. Those 3 materials are used for our traditional rank expressions. Pine wood has the meaning of ‘best’, bamboo has the meaning of ‘better’, plam has the meaning of ‘good’.
That’s why Kadomatsu is thought as something like a fortune charm for the house because it’s made from such materials.
🎎 雛人形(hina ningyo)
The 2 dolls are displayed for the Girl’s Day on 3rd Mar.
There are about 8-10 dolls besides the 2 dolls, and they are displayed on something like a stair.
🎏 鯉のぼり(koi nobori)
This is something like a flag which has the shape of carp, and displayed for the Boy’s Day on 5th May.
They are usually pretty big, we display the pole with carp flags on our garden.
By the way, you know ‘human flag’, right? We call it 人間鯉のぼり(human ‘koi nobori’).
🎐 風鈴(fuurin)
This is a Japanese item for summer.
The kanjis has the meaning ‘wind'(風) and ‘bell'(鈴). As you thought, we hang Fuurin on a wall near a window, it rings if a wind blows.
🎑 月見(tsukimi)
We enjoy to watch the full moon especially in Sep.
When we watch it we display すすき(susuki: miscanthus sinensis) and 団子(dango).
In the emoji, susuki is the stuff drawn on the left side, dango is drawn the right side, and the full moon drawn and the above.
🏮 提灯(chochin)
This is a Japanese lantern. Oh, you might have seen a famous one.
Chochin is still a common item in Japan, you would be able to find them if you visit Japan.
渋谷109(Shibuya 109)
I wonder why Japanese mobile companies made such a very local shopping mole.
Well, I am sure this emoji would be made for expressing as just a shopping mole because Shibuya 109 would be the most famous shopping mole in Japan.
You know, Shibuya 109 is located in front of that crazy crowded crossing in Shibuya.
🈁 ここ(koko)
This is just an icon of ‘here’.
🈂 サービス(saabisu)
サ is the initial letter of サービス. We write ‘service’ サービス in Japanese.
I don’t know which service it’s used for.
🈯 指定(shitei)
This has the meaning of ‘reserved’, I think it’s used only for ‘reserved seat’. You can see the icon on our seating chart.
🈲 禁止(kinshi)
This has the meaning of ‘prohibited’.
🈳 空き(aki)
This has the meaning of ‘vacancy’, you can see the icon on seating chart, or at a car park.
🈴 合格(goukaku)
This has the meaning of ‘passing grade’. For example, if you pass an exam the icon is used for that.
🈵 満員(man-in)
This has the meaning of ‘no vacancy’.
🈶 有料(yuuryo)
This has the meaning of ‘not free of charge’. It’s used for something you have to pay fees for example.
🈚 無料(muryo)
This has the meaning of ‘free of charge’. It’s used for something you don’t have to pay fees for example.
🈷 月極(tsukigime)
This has the meaning of ‘monthly amount’. We call it 月極 in Japanese, 月 is the initial letter. Well, the kanji 月 has the meaning of ‘month’ besides ‘moon’ to begin with.
🈸 申請(shinsei)
This has the meaning of ‘application’.
🈹 割引(waribiki)
This has the meaning of ‘discount’. You can see it in Japanese advertisements.
🈺 営業中(eigyochu)
This has the meaning of ‘open for business’, and we use it for ‘opening hours’ besides that because we call it 営業時間 in Japanese, it has the same initial letter.
🉐 得(toku)
This has the meaning of ‘bargain’. You can see it in Japanese advertisements.
🉑 可能(kano)
This has the meaning of ‘acceptable’. For example, if you can allow to smoke in the place, it’s used for that like 🚬🉑
㊗ 祝い(iwai)
This has the meaning of ‘celebration’. In Japan, it’s used at the beginning of the celebratory phrase. For example, ㊗30周年 (the 30th anniversary)
㊙ 秘密(himitsu)
This has the meaning of ‘secret’. We often call it マル秘(maruhi) because 秘(hi) is written in a circle(マル/maru).
Phew, that’s all today! You can use those emojis correctly from now on!
