We’ve all been there: you’re in the middle of texting your friend when suddenly, emoji inspiration hits you. You go to scroll through the dozens of cute lil’ visual icons when you get distracted by one emoji in particular: 🎴. You’ve scrolled by this emoji countless times before, but at this moment, you stop and wonder, “what even IS that?”
We’re often so used to using the same emojis over and over (there’s a “Most Used” section for a reason!) that we automatically skip over other emojis available at our disposal. But when we took a second to thoroughly analyze our emoji keyboards, we came to the shocking conclusion that there are dozens of emojis that made us scratch our heads and think, “???” Here we are, digital nomads – and we don’t even know what some of these emojis are supposed to represent?!
Rest assured, Apple isn’t intentionally messing with us. For all those emojis that are seemingly there only to spark mass confusion, there actually IS an explanation! We’re about to put your mind at ease, so take a seat.
History of the Emoji
(Don’t worry, we’ll keep it brief!)
As you may know, emojis are a Japanese invention, created by interface designer Shigetaka Kurita in 1999. What began as a digital embellishment has since evolved into a complex visual language used by millions of users every day, all over the globe. Think about it: can you even imagine a world in which you didn’t have the ability to express yourself through emojis? Didn’t think so!
Emojis have become completely embedded within our everyday communication practice, but many North Americans know so little about where they came from. Basically, the reason why a significant amount of emojis spark a “huh?!” reaction when you see them is because they often pertain to the nitty gritty details of Japanese culture.
Are you ready to discover what the “confusing” emojis mean? Check out our emoji breakdown below!
A Japanese Emoji Breakdown
Emoji: đź”°
Apple Emoji Name: Japanese Symbol for Beginner
Backstory: It actually is a symbol that means “new driver” in Japan. New Japanese drivers stick these on the backs of their cars while they’re learning how to drive to warn other drivers to… be careful driving around them.
Emoji: đź“›
Apple Emoji Name: Name Badge
Backstory: Japanese kids wear these as name tags that they stick on their shirts during school. These name tags are supposed to be in the shape of a common Japanese flower.
Emoji: ♨️
Apple Emoji Name: Hot Springs
Backstory: No, it’s not representative of a stove burner or a steaming hot cup of coffee. It actually represents hot springs – an activity that is wildly popular in Japan.
Emoji: 🎍
Apple Emoji Name: Pine Decoration
Backstory: It’s actually a “kadomatsu”, which translates to “gate pine”. It’s a traditional Japanese bouquet of bamboo chutes, pine branches, and other plants and small, colourful decorations. It’s a good luck symbol. Whatever you thought it was, it wasn’t that.
Emoji: 🎎
Apple Emoji Name: Japanese Dolls
Backstory: They’re Japanese imperial dolls depicting an Emperor and Empress, which are displayed on March 3rd for Hina-matsuri, which translates into “Dolls’ day, Girls’ day”. These dolls are traditionally arranged with the male on the right, and the female on the left.
Emoji: 🎏
Apple Emoji Name: Carp Streamer
Backstory: These are carp-shaped windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Children’s Day. Other sources claim that it’s intended to represent Japanese “Boys’ Day”, and the mascot for this event is a carp because it is one of the most macho fish to be found in Japan.
Emoji: 🎑
Apple Emoji Name: Moon Viewing Ceremony
Backstory: Every fall, the Japanese celebrate the full moon and waxing moon with their Moon Viewing Ceremony, otherwise known as “Tsukimi” in Japanese. It features pampas grass and Dango (Japanese dessert), which the Japanese offer to the moon.
Emoji: 🎴
Apple Emoji Name: Flower Playing Cards
Backstory: It actually represents a “Hanafuda” card, which is a popular Japanese card which you can play various games with. All Hanafuda games are picture-related, as there are no numbers on the card.
And that’s that! The next time you come across an emoji you don’t understand, Google it! It may be a cultural difference causing the confusion, and you’ll feel satisfied to have learned something new and learn about another country’s customs. Knowledge is power!
While you realistically won’t be using any of the above emojis anytime soon, consult our Guide to Using Emojis on Social Media to brush up on how to use your favourites to boost brand engagement!
Michelle ✨
@serotinamedia
#KEEPSOCIAL
