Kaomoji

Cultural/Communication

Japanese-style text emoticons using Unicode characters that are read face-on rather than sideways, such as (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻.

Kaomoji (顔文字, "face characters") originated in Japanese internet culture and use a wider range of Unicode characters than Western emoticons. They are read face-on (not tilted sideways) and can express complex emotions and actions.

Common examples:
- (^_^) — happy
- (T_T) — crying
- (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ — table flip (anger)
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — shrug
- (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧ — excited/sparkle

Kaomoji remain popular alongside emoji, especially in gaming and online communities, because they can convey nuances that standard emoji cannot.

Related Terms

Emoticon Emoticon
A text-based representation of a facial expression using standard keyboard characters, such as :-) or :D, predating graphical emoji.

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