Emoji=絵文字. Divide this further: E=絵=Picture, Moji=文字=Text.

It was originally introduced on Japanese mobile phones.
It was adopted by Unicode and is now used around the world. 📱🌏💻

I’m very happy that the balloon are in the letters. 🎈😄

Table of Contents

Do Japanese people master emoji?

Japanese people always need an IME (Input method) to input Japanese. Some input methods for Japan support emoji:

•  Google 日本語入力 (Windows, macOS, Android)
•  Gboard (Currently Android main keyboard app)
•  ATOK (It is a Japanese input application that has existed since the MS-DOS era)
• It also seems to support iOS standard input (I haven’t used it for a while!)

For example, you can enter “ふうせん” to convert it to “🎈”. (As the same candidate as “風船”)
It is also possible with “ばるーん” (Correctly katakana “バルーン”)
You are close to typing this as :balloon:.
However, Japanese can enter Unicode emoji 🎈 directly without entering a code :balloon:.

These input methods also report an emoji palette (list). Especially used on Android and iOS.

What is this?

💾 Floppy disk

This reading remains the same in Japan: プロッピー ディスク
It is a storage medium for old computers. Dad may know.
But it still exists in the save icon.

📟 Pager

In Japan, it is called a Pocket Bell ポケットベル=Poke Bell ポケベル.
The service has ended in Japan. I have never had it.

🍱 Bento

弁当. Stuffed with food in Japan.
Make it at home and carry it around or buy it.

👘 Kimono

着物. Japanese clothes. Currently, Japanese people wear the same clothes as you,
(👕👖👗 Shirts, pants, suits or dresses)
so they don’t wear much. The opportunity I wear is at the Japanese inn (Ryokan=旅館).

🥢 Hashi

箸. It is an alternative to forks in Japan. 🍴
For example, pick up rice and bring it to your mouth. 🍚

🍣 Sushi

寿司. In Japan, we eat cut fish as it is. 🐟 (In this case it is called sashimi=刺し身)
Sushi is made by layering fish fillets and rice.

⛩️ Torii

鳥居. It is located at the entrance of a Japanese shrine (Jinsha=神社).
Beyond that is God, There is the entrance to the sanctuary.

💈 barber shop

It’s in a Japanese haircut shop. 💇‍♂️

🎏 Carp streamer

Koinobori=こいのぼり. It flaps from April to May.

🎎 Hina doll

Hina ningyo=ひな にんぎょう=雛 人形. We will decorate it at the Doll’s Festival(ひなまつり) in March.

🏮 Lantern

Cho chin=ちょうちん. You can see it at the entrance of a Japanese bar.
🍶←This is a container for Japanese sake (酒)
or you can also see it as a souvenir from the Japanese region.

🗼 Tokyo tower

東京タワー. It was a TV tower on Tokyo. Currently its function is Tokyo Sky Tree (東京スカイツリー).

📛 Name tag

名札. This design is mainly for kids going to kindergarten (幼稚園) and is in the shape of a tulip (チューリップ). 🌷

🗾 Japan

日本. There are national flags of each country in pictograms, There is also Japanese terrain.